Yokemate of Keyboards
Posts: 2720 from 2003/2/24
Quote:
HammerD wrote:
Hi..you had many years to save up for MorphOS 2.0.
Maybe if the price tag would have been communicated many years ago, some people would have? But now it struck down like lightening from a blue sky and caught many by surprise. The price tag is so high that spontaneous purchases for a hobby basis is out of the question for many people, this is *investment* money, a cost that has to be measured against other investments in your house hold and their benefits (and not only computer investments), maybe even something you need to discuss with your wife and family.
I have not yet decided what to do. A third of the 150 EUR would have made the decision much easier. Then it would have been no hesitation from my side. Perhaps half of it would still make it an easy call. But I feel that 150 EUR is a bit over the top. I have registered and received the account information for payment, but I haven't yet sent any money.
I can possibly afford the money, despite currently being unemployed. But I'd really like to see an option to buy "sub-licenses" for additional machines after that expensive one has been purchased. For *a symbolic* sum of a Euro amount per unit that you could count on your left hands fingers, say 1.99 EUR per additional machine.
I would also like to see an option to *transfer* the OS licenses to other MorphOS capable machines in my possession. And to other people as well for that matter; if I sell my MorphOS hardware I will no longer have use for MorphOS, but the buyer of course will.
I would also like to know with certainty how much this license will be worth in the future. I mean, will I have to chip up another 150 EUR if I want MorphOS 2.1, or will future OS upgrades (at least 2.x) be covered by the current fee? I.e. how "future proof" is it? This is an important issue for me.
I will probably buy MorphOS at the end anyway. But I think that the whole licensing part (including the money amount) is perhaps the least developed and thought through part of the entire OS release, and at a price of 150 EUR I'm pretty convinced that the MorphOS team will earn *less money in total* than they would have at a price of 75 EUR, and more seriously, this with the additional penalty of a smaller than necessary user and developer base. If so, it would be unfortunate for the platform.
Setting a price tag is difficult, but a simple market survey could help to determine the optimal price. Has this been done? I don't know. But now the price is set. And now when a lot of people already have bought the OS (the most loyal and enthusiastic customer base, one must presume) it would be unfair to them if the price went down instead of up after July the 15th?
I think the 111 EUR should be made *permanent* and be set as a "MorphOS Ultimate License" with additional value attached to it (like for instance ability to use it on more than one machine, free upgrades under the entire 2.x development path and reduced price on 3.0, and perhaps free access to full versions of other programs from MorphOS team members (kind of a super bundle)), and then a second "MorphOS Budget License" to be introduced with a slimmed down and more limited offer (a much lower price (say 49 EUR for the sake of discussion) but forever fixed to one person, one machine, and a small upgrade fee to each feature upgrade on the 2.x path (bugfixes for free of course!
), no discount on 3.0, a small fee for "Super Bundle", etc).
I don't know. But I think some adjustments to the licensing and pricing strategy would benefit everyone; the MorphOS team, the users, the developers, the entire platform.
BTW, I *really* like MorphOS 2.0, and as I said, I will probably buy it!
MorphOS is Amiga
done right! MorphOS NG will be AROS
done right!
