🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <7513@vtserf.cc.vt.edu> marchany@vtserf.cc.vt.edu (Randy Marchany) writes:
>
>I was wondering what everyone's reaction was to the upcoming
>changes in the TEI structure. I saw in an info-vax post that
>DEC is planning to completely revamp the TEI charging
>structure. In particular, the following charging structure
>will be implemented:
>
>The cost of administering the CSLG could no
>longer be borne by DEC and that the CSLG prices would be
>increased to $100 per PAK for 1993, $200 per PAK for 1994 and $500 per
>PAK after that, along with a $500 fee per change to the CSLG agreement.
>  
>Now, it seems to me that a number of educational sites
>will be forced to seriously reconsider future expansion plans
>with DEC equipment since this new pricing scheme will basically
>destroy DEC's educational software advantages over another
>vendor like SUN.
>
>Any comments?
>
>	-Randy Marchany
>	VA Tech Computing Center
>	Blacksburg, VA
>
>Internet: marchany@vtserf.cc.vt.edu

That pricing schedule was mentioned by a user in Australia, not the U.S.
Usually DEC has been kinder to U.S. campuses, than overseas, so I don't
see the same pricing implemented over here.

I've heard rumors that CSLG might not be free in the future, but the
fees I've heard mentioned are based on number of systems, similar to
the ESL fee structure, and turn out to be much less than $100 per pak
considering number of PAKs involved in the current CSLG.

Of course I wish CSLG would remain free, especially since ESL is so
expensive now.

Fred Velijanian
University of California, Irvine
fredv@uci.edu

In article  marchany@vtserf.cc.vt.edu (Randy Marchany) writes:
>...(I heard)...DEC is planning to completely revamp the TEI charging...
>... CSLG prices would be
>increased to $100 per PAK for 1993, $200 per PAK for 1994 and $500 per
>PAK after that, along with a $500 fee per change to the CSLG agreement.

>...destroy DEC's educational software advantages over another
>vendor like SUN.

You know, DEC just hasn't figured out that the real winner of the battle
will be the one with the largest installed base.  This battle will be
won on the desktop, not the computer room.  SInce the future is probably
in the battle of the desktop, the whole program was stupid from begining 
to end.  Look at budget center in a educational environment.  This is either
a individual or a department.  They will be using __Station type equipment.
At my site, I've had to pay about $ 500 a year already for software packages
that cost about $ 1000 total, and without a single page of documentation.
They are bound to shoot themselves in the right foot, then the left.

However, in comparison to SUN, they haven't done a lot worse.  SUN loves to
give or bundle products for free, then after the educational market basically
does the advanced beta testing, and gets the product working, they unbundle 
it and make it payware.

\\al\\