Tom and Bob,

I'm very glad to see I'm not the only one who sees this as an unfortunate direction for MS to be taking. Maybe if there are enough people who feel this way... Ok, I guess not. Many companies will look on this as a good thing in terms of budget planning, and many home users (for Office XP etc) will not know enough to be put off by it.

I didn't say it before, but I agree that one of the biggest fears I have is for product quality. If you get paid whether or not you bother to do anything new, what's the incentive for the company to hire and pay good people and to turn out a quality product?

Bob, talking about Linux, by the way, I finally got around to putting it on my pc at home recently (it's been a long time since I had anything to do with Unix), but I have this impression about Linux (jump in here anywhere), that Linux users fully expect, on a cellular level, that software is and should be free. Heck, I like it that way myself, but how does a developer go about making a living in the Linux world? Do they? Remember, I'm really a Linux neophyte, but is there a big market for commercial apps in Linux?

BTW, Tom, I loved your hardware comparison. The video card scenario most realistically hits very close to what this is all about.

Alan

>Hello Alan,
>
>I agree 100%, I think MS and others, now that they have the market share established, believe we peons have no choice but to take whatever they dictate. But they are wrong. I am currently downloading Star Office 6 from sun! I think with the economy being down, and no compelling reason for the average user to upgrade, they are trying to wring every last dollar they can out of the current users. I think this will be MS downfall.
>
>Bob
>
>PS: If it wasn't for VFP our company would be looking at Linux for our OS, just so MS properly accounts for sales generated by VFP.
>
>
>>I guess we'll have to disagree here. I have no problem with the idea that lapsing a subscription stops giving you anything more, but I have a very large problem with the idea that they also can interfere with what is already in your possession. Look at your 'magazines'. When you stop your subscription, do they show up at your door and collect some of the pages so that you can't re-read an article you already possess? Does Rogers Cable, or whoever, come and collect up your tapes so you can't re-watch something you taped while you had your subscription? No, sorry, but I see this as a very different sort of animal.
>>
>>Sure, if I don't pay the fee, don't give me any upgrades; cut off my support; fine. That makes perfect sense. But to take away what I already have? Like I said, I have a problem with this.
>>
>>Alan
>>