Without prejudice, I've been reading the message board posts regarding the new run engine pricing and options. Some people refer to "closing the door", and I can't understand why. Alpha Software is like any other owner of intellectual property exercising their rights to protect their investment and future.
I, as a composer of music, completely understand. If I compose music, I've put a lot of heart & soul, and often money into it, and rightfully want people to pay me for each song sold, but as most of you know, lots and lots of music piracy exists out there - and unfortunately people copy MP3s, and "share" them with others to the point musicians say, why do I bother to make music at all? Aside from the fact, I enjoy creating music, I certainly don't want people to steal my efforts. Yet it happens millions of times everyday. I have a friend, wealthy in fact, him and his wife always "get" "free music" off the web, and they think nothing of it! And yet they can truly afford to buy that music - moreso than a lot of us!
The same goes for software development. People seem to be stuck in the paradigm of "free", and the intangibility of the 'digital stuff' makes it "OK" to abuse it. Most of some of these message board postings complain about the idea of having to fork out more dollars for the run engines for deployment of their Alpha Five applications to clients. Yes, understandably there are scenarios that warrant some flexibility, but I can see that Alpha Software strives diligently to accommodate those unique scenarios!
By the same token, these same developers, they wouldn't want others "making free copies" of their own A5 applications either, and to make it said I think a few are looking at the "splinter in someone else's eye, yet they ignore the "timber" in their own eye.
I go back to my music scenario of my wealthy friend, they say, "it's ok to download those MP3s, they are "free" he, says. I answer to him and say, then you're alright with it then if I go to your CD collection and just help myself? He looks at me funny when I say that.
In summary, I'm not trying to negate the legitimate concerns of various development scenarios here, just that the bottom line is that Alpha Software has invested a significant amount of time, effort, and of course a lot of money to create Platinum. I myself have developed commercial off the shelf type applications, but that's where the OEM Run engine comes in to play. I know that the staff at Alpha Software are always striving to be flexible, yet fair when it comes to pricing structures, and let's face it - they have a phenomenal product!
*** Keep in mind, sure there may be alternatives out there, but a lot of the Microsoft alternatives are pricey, have huge time costs, and definitely have steeper learning curves. Alpha Five delivers more on RAD than many, many alternatives out there, the Run Engine licensing should be welcomed - simply because now we can also protect our own intellectual investments in our A5 applications! Alpha Software is flexible, fair and diligent.
This message board was designed for courteous, legitimate & professional discussions, and yes we may not all agree with everything or everyone all of the time, but that's what makes us human.
- awj :)
I, as a composer of music, completely understand. If I compose music, I've put a lot of heart & soul, and often money into it, and rightfully want people to pay me for each song sold, but as most of you know, lots and lots of music piracy exists out there - and unfortunately people copy MP3s, and "share" them with others to the point musicians say, why do I bother to make music at all? Aside from the fact, I enjoy creating music, I certainly don't want people to steal my efforts. Yet it happens millions of times everyday. I have a friend, wealthy in fact, him and his wife always "get" "free music" off the web, and they think nothing of it! And yet they can truly afford to buy that music - moreso than a lot of us!
The same goes for software development. People seem to be stuck in the paradigm of "free", and the intangibility of the 'digital stuff' makes it "OK" to abuse it. Most of some of these message board postings complain about the idea of having to fork out more dollars for the run engines for deployment of their Alpha Five applications to clients. Yes, understandably there are scenarios that warrant some flexibility, but I can see that Alpha Software strives diligently to accommodate those unique scenarios!
By the same token, these same developers, they wouldn't want others "making free copies" of their own A5 applications either, and to make it said I think a few are looking at the "splinter in someone else's eye, yet they ignore the "timber" in their own eye.
I go back to my music scenario of my wealthy friend, they say, "it's ok to download those MP3s, they are "free" he, says. I answer to him and say, then you're alright with it then if I go to your CD collection and just help myself? He looks at me funny when I say that.
In summary, I'm not trying to negate the legitimate concerns of various development scenarios here, just that the bottom line is that Alpha Software has invested a significant amount of time, effort, and of course a lot of money to create Platinum. I myself have developed commercial off the shelf type applications, but that's where the OEM Run engine comes in to play. I know that the staff at Alpha Software are always striving to be flexible, yet fair when it comes to pricing structures, and let's face it - they have a phenomenal product!
*** Keep in mind, sure there may be alternatives out there, but a lot of the Microsoft alternatives are pricey, have huge time costs, and definitely have steeper learning curves. Alpha Five delivers more on RAD than many, many alternatives out there, the Run Engine licensing should be welcomed - simply because now we can also protect our own intellectual investments in our A5 applications! Alpha Software is flexible, fair and diligent.
This message board was designed for courteous, legitimate & professional discussions, and yes we may not all agree with everything or everyone all of the time, but that's what makes us human.
- awj :)
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