Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!uunet!comix!jeffl From: jeffl@comix.UUCP (Jeff Liebermann) Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386 Subject: Re: Unlimited software warranties Summary: Unix lite Message-ID: <106@comix.UUCP> Date: 20 Mar 91 11:46:15 GMT References: <1991Mar13.021244.2538@ico.isc.com> <8085@rsiatl.Dixie.Com> <1991Mar19.184548.11056@ico.isc.com> Distribution: usa Organization: COmmittee to Maintain Independent Xenix Lines: 56 In article <1991Mar19.184548.11056@ico.isc.com> rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn) writes: > it's slow--memory is cheap and CPUs keep getting faster. I think > Peter's idea of "UNIX Classic" is neat, but I doubt you could give it > away to more than a handful of people. You would have no trouble selling Unix Classic to me. I keep small Xenix installations (cash registers, point of sale, hospital ER, telemarketing, acctg, fax servers, email servers) alive. These machines run 3 major programs: the application software, uucico, and mail. I dont need most of the new and wonderful Unix features. My customers pay me for speed and reliability. Features that are not needed are suppose to be purchased as required. I still have some retail stores running Xenix 286 (NOT 386) with 2Mb ram and a 40Mb slow drive on ancient terminals. Most of my customers have asked what it would cost to get "real" Unix. No problem, just add: 6 Mb more ram 80 Mb more disk space a larger tape backup device a runtime upgrade cost equal to twice what they paid for Xenix. For no extra charge, one also gets: A 20% overall performance drop (my estimate). A large (80%) reliablity drop measured in service hours per month. These are not serious for corporate America, but fatal for the small business. The cost of the Unix runtime becomes a very large part of the delivered system cost on small installations. Unix is not going to show up in the small retail environment until a cheap runtime (like Xenix) appears. On the subject of money-back warrantys: I tend to be somewhat suspicious of companies offering money-back guarantees. When a company is unable to support a product, they sometimes offer money back guarantees to reduce the 10% of the customers that make 90% of the noise. It's simply expedient business. I don't believe that Mt Xinu had this in mind when they offered their warranty. With Unix, it's very difficult to evaluate a product within the usual warranty periods. Suitability for re-sale takes even longer. I don't base my business on a quick evaluation. It takes real usage, experimentation, and lots of midnight oil to properly determine if I can sell and support a program or Unix flavour. I don't plan to partake in a kamakazi evaluation of Mt Xinu Unix. It would take me about 6 months. This is well past a reasonable warranty return period. [Not associated with SCO, ISC, UHC, Mt XINU, IBM, UPORT, ad nausium] -- # Jeff Liebermann Box 272 1540 Jackson Ave Ben Lomond CA 95005 # (408)336-2558 voice (408)429-0483 digital pager wb6ssy CIS:73557,2074 # PC REPAIR & RF DESIGN. Committee Against Double Spacing And Wide Margins. # jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us uunet!comix!jeffl ucscc.ucsc.edu!comix!jeffl