Re: [MiNT] old KGMD or new NDM?

[bjr@localink4.com (Brian Roland)]

>>I think, as you pay for your special hardware, you also should pay 
>>for the special drivers for that hardware, which were expansive to 
>>develop. If you think that there is a category of software, that 
>>should be free at all, then -in my opinion- this
>>shoul be the applications, first.


>I completely disagree. You are saying that we should, for example, go
>out and spend money
>on network cards which are completely useless, and THEN have to pay
>someone else
>for some drivers (or re-invent the wheel) because thats the only way 
>to make it useful?

This thread has grown silly!

I think you'll find that most of the guys out there doing drivers for 
MINT did it because they needed it in their own system.  If they 
offer it to the public at all...free or paid, it is a very kind 
gesture for them to bother making archives, docs, public releases, 
and all that extra junk that's involved.  Some may ask a small fee to 
help recoup the costs of calling all over the world to order 
development kits for 'said hardware' and other costs involved.

I once wanted to hack some simple drivers for a laser printer.  It 
cost several long distance phone calls, and nearly $200 for a PCL5 
developer's kit.  All this for 5 lines of code run through a batch 
interpreter!

I recall shopping for a SCSI flatbed scanner for my Falcon not long 
ago.  The main difference in the prices of various models was based 
on the software that came in the bundle.  Sometimes nicer hardware 
bundles were much cheaper, but had crappy drivers, and vice verse. 

Since Atari drivers were not supported by any of the scanner 
'bundles' I knew of...it made plenty of sense that I would have to 
'pay extra' to get working drivers.  That's no different from getting 
a cheaper scanner bundle for Winblows that comes with cheap'n'cheezy 
drivers, and later upgrading to pro level drivers (usually several 
hundred dollars!).  None of it 'is free'.  Much of the development 
cost in any hardware product is in software to run it!

In the case of Atari drivers..it's only fair to pay a fee...seeing as 
the author had to invest in the hardware, invest in those one shot 
development kits from the hardware manufactuer, invest his time, and 
the list goes on.

It all seems very fair to me...
I've noticed that software for MINT that doesn't require a ton of 
expense is almost always FREE...as a kind gesture from the author 
feeling it worth the bother to make a public distribution of 
something he could just as easily keep all to himself.

I've invested many a time in Nova drivers for this...HD Driver for 
that, VDI patches, AES enhancements...you name it.  The quality is 
usually at least twice as good as similar products for other 
platforms (in comprable price ranges).  So think again...remember 
that an HP scanner would cost a good deal less if HP choose not to 
bundle ANY driver software at all, and let you, the consumer choose 
your own as a seperate investment.

>Thats like buying a computer and then not being able to use it 
>because some company is charging for the OS.

Ummm...that's exactly what it is like.  The OS may be 'bundled' with 
a computer...but that doesn't mean it is FREE.  Nor are drivers 
free...the cost is tossed in with the 'total product'.

Oh well...
I can see all points here...
But lets be fair.  If someone wishes to charge for his intellectual 
property, or a service in supporting another person(s)' intellectual 
property, it is NOT a good practice to assume he is being selfish in 
public.  He just might move on to some other way to spend time where 
his effort is better appreciated.

Brian