Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!cbmvax!grr
From: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: DECstation 3100 **really** wants to be a rainbow.
Message-ID: <8540@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 13 Nov 89 18:34:25 GMT
References: <2573@canisius.UUCP> <932@fiver.UUCP>
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 32

In article <932@fiver.UUCP> palowoda@fiver.UUCP (Bob Palowoda) writes:
> From article <2573@canisius.UUCP>, by elgie@canisius.UUCP (Bill Elgie):
> > In article <474@shodha.dec.com>, alan@shodha.dec.com ( Alan's Home for Wayward Notes File.) writes:
> 
> >> 	No, it's an old contractual requirement with AT&T.  The
> >> 	base system is a 2-user system.  Upgrades are avialable
> >> 	for 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 64+ users.  The expense varies
> >> 	according to the number of users and covers the royalties
> >> 	that we pay back to AT&T.
> 
>    ATT only specifies 2-user and unlimited user licenses. Where does
> DEC come up with 4, 8, 16 etc? 

Licensing is different for each relase from AT&T - only the latest System V
releases include the 2+unlimited break you mention and they also have various
provisions that a company pushing BSD w/System V compatibility might be
loath to agree to.  DEC may or may not be working from an older license that
still has the multiple n-user breaks (at might be subsidizing the cheap 2-user
license from the $$$$ n-user ones!).

The thing that really irritates me is DEC's position that an Ultrix license
is some kind of "added value attachment to a particular system", rather than
a corporate "right to use on any chosen system".  I've paid big bucks to
license Ultrix on an olde VMS 785, and now DEC wants $50K more if I turn
that system off and boot Ultrix up the 8600 sitting next to it...  Needless
to say, there is no provision in DEC's trade-in games or particular resale
value that lets me recover any of the cost of the license...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)