🚀 go-pugleaf

I've seen several places where most of the currently available gnu
software is on cd-roms (YoungMinds, Sun Users Group for two).  But the
price seems much too high ($200-$300 per disk).  For tapes, this sort
of price may seem reasonable given the labor and materials costs, but
for cd-roms, my perception is that it is between 3x and 10x too high.
(Perhaps I'm just cheap, and do not really appreciate the bang per buck
that the gnu software really gives.)  But, I personally would love to have
most or all of the currently available software (untarred, etc) on a
single CD.  And if the price was low enough, I would be a repeat
customer as new releases of the gnu software became available.

From a recent alt.cd-rom, dwells@fits.cx.nrao.edu (Don Wells) writes:
> Total project for 500 disks was 1500+500*2+629 = $3129, 
> about $6 per disk. Rerun would be $250 setup plus $2 per disk.

That includes jewel cases and printed material.  The limitations
mentioned in the letter deal with filename lengths and directory
depths.

Clearly, cd-rom is ideal for moving lots of bits at a low price,
but there is a somewhat steep initial investment.  
I had thought of doing this myself (doing 500 copies, and trying
to hawk them to recoup initial investment).  I may still try to do 
this, but I suspect that I would lose heavily.  My question is,
is there anyone out there who has considered doing this?  Would like this?

JHH



-- 
Jim Hudgens		Supercomputer Computations Research Institute
hudgens@sun13.scri.fsu.edu
"Nothing's for sure except DEC and VAXe .. er, death and taxes"