[Elecraft] N4PY Software WebPage now updated with K2 info

[Buddy Brannan]

Hi Robert,

While I'm a supporter of free software myself (see www.gnu.org), I
offer the following observations: 

On Sat, Jan 10, 2004 at 10:12:12PM -0500, Robert Parker wrote:
> I don't mean to be rude but the site requires and annual fee to use the
> program!

No, it doesn't. Looking at the Web site, it says you pay your initial
registration fee; then you get updates for that year. If you choose to
keep getting updates sent to you, you can stop paying the
registration; however, the software you have will continue to work,
and you can continue to legally use the version you have. Please be
careful with the language you use. Words mean things. You have to pay
an annual fee to keep with the current version. Naturally, this means
you can use a version, not pay for a few years, and (assuming that the
software's still being updated) pay again when there's a compelling
reason to do so (i.e. a feature you just gotta have). 

> 
> I don't mind paying one time for a program for my hobby but an annual fee as
> well is something I wouldn't be interested in.

Well...no one's twisting your arm :)

Seriously, there's lots of software out there. If you don't need or
want:
a) the functionality that this software provides;
B) Can find what you need in another piece of software; or
C) want to roll your own,

you've definitely got choices....this one's not the only control
software for the K2 out there. There are many other fine efforts
out. Try them all, many are free (as in beer), and some are free (as
in liberty) as well. 

> 
> Can anyone explain why this is?  Perhaps I missed something.

Did this help? BTW, there are other software programs that use this
sort of annual contract sort of scheme. Microsoft Windows is one of
them, they just call it something else, change the names, and
artificially force obselescence. (Umm. ... Sorry, I didn't mean to go
there.) 

>
> I know someone will say it's for updating the program etc.  That's fine but
> don't they call those updates and are usually offered for free to registered
> users?

Some do, some don't. Some specialized software (see, for instance,
JAWS for Windows at www.freedomscientific.com for another example at a
much higher price) use a model nearly identical to the one presented
in the software in question, only the software--and the service
maintenance agreement--is much more expensive. Some might say
exploitatively so, but I don't reckon I'll go there either. (For the
record, I wouldn't say that this one's out of line, insofar as other
similar software on the market goes.) 

> 
> The only other place I have seen an annual fee required when the software
> was offered as a licensed software in which the software could only be used
> on certain registered machines and was never the property of the licensee
> for commercial purposes.

If you read your license agreements, the software is never the
property of the end user...you just have permission to use it. In the
case of some licenses, such as the GPL (one of my personal favorites),
rights are not only granted to use, but to freely redistribute *and*
modify source. Even so, even GPL'ed (copylefted) software remains the
property of its creator, but you have a helluva lot of rights to do
with it as you will, under of course very reasonable and very liberal
conditions. Again, please be careful with language. Words mean
things. (Sorry, we're all in the habit of using sloppy language. Nope,
I'm not immune either. A crying shame, too.) 

Vy 73,
-- 
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV/3    | But I will lay my burden 
Email: davros@ycardz.com   | in the cradle of your grace,
ICQ: 36621210              | And the shining beaches of your love,
http://www.ycardz.com      | and the sea of your embrace.--Dave Carter