Re: EULA question regarding distribution of VFP runtime files to WINDOWS platforms (was off-topic: Preview of VFP/Europa)

Author: Ed Leafe

Posted: 2003-05-01 at 12:34:00

On Thursday, May 1, 2003, at 12:19 PM, Dan Covill wrote:

> You're talking about the exact scenario I fear the most. Yes, we can

> run VFP6 wherever we wish. VFP7 is a bit more restrictive, VFP8 much

> more so. But there's absolutely nothing stopping them from including

> an "enhancement" in SP1 that refuses to run under anything but real

> Windows.

>

> I really do believe that MS' long-term strategy is to enforce their

> monopoly by making it harder and harder to use anything except the

> "full" package of MS software. Each new release we "upgrade" to will

> further restrict our options. The very eagerness with which we

> embrace the new VFP 8 features draws us further down the road of no

> return.

>

> It is just possible, folks, that we may have to give up something if

> we want independence.

I have not installed SP3 for Win2K because I refuse to accept the

modified EULA for it. It's one thing to have a new release of a product

come with new, more restrictive terms - that sucks enough. But to pull

something like that to a service pack is indefensible. They are holding

bug fixes and security patches "hostage" unless you agree to give up

rights.

And Microsoft people wonder why no one trusts them...

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Ed Leafe

http://leafe.com/

http://opentech.leafe.com

©2003 Ed Leafe