Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mcnc!rti!bcw
From: bcw@rti.rti.org (Bruce Wright)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms.programmer
Subject: Re: ObjectVision - a warning
Summary: Objectvision pricing
Keywords: Borland ObjectVision
Message-ID: <1991Mar13.170722.8306@rti.rti.org>
Date: 13 Mar 91 17:07:22 GMT
References: <4504@cernvax.cern.ch>
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, RTP, NC
Lines: 32

In article <4504@cernvax.cern.ch>, david@cernvax.cern.ch (david foster) writes:
> [...] I am a Borland
> fan, so when I saw a stack of objectvision boxes in my local pc store
> I dived in with my $99.99 and bought it. Great, I love it, a forms based
> constructor kit for windows !!! But what are these references in the
> manual to the "objectvision runtime" to distribute an application ? A
> quick call to Borland solved that one. Yes, you can distribute applications
> but the runtime version (!) of objectvision wil cost you $495 !!!!!!
> Isn`t this a variation on the "bait and switch" scam ? 

Is that $495 a one-time charge (that allows you to write ObjectVision
forms in a format for distribution) or a royalty for EACH package you
distribute?  I suspect the former, though I've seen some rather strange
licensing schemes that are similar to the latter.

I can understand your feeling that you were the subject of "bait and
switch" - the terms should probably have been made clearer, especially
since there's apparently a fairly significant charge for the runtime
version.  But if you're distributing forms commercially, the $495
would not by itself be a significant hardship if it's a one-time fee -
you'd just have to build it into your pricing structure, taking into
account the number of copies you would be selling, etc.  On the other
hand, if it's a per-copy royalty, that would probably price you out of
most markets and you'd have every right to be upset.

If you're looking at commercial enterprises (forms generation doesn't 
sound like the typical public domain application), you really ought
to inform yourself of ALL the costs before you get too far into it -
even then you may (more likely _will_) get surprises.  Starting a 
business is often rather expen$ive ...

						Bruce C. Wright