Re: RSE - Remote System Explorer

On Thu, Aug 7, 2014 at 3:24 PM, Buck Calabro <kc2hiz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Yes, someone at IBM decided to unbundle RDi from
the compilers. No, WDSC was not ever free - we paid for it somewhere,
whether the price was buried in the OS, the RPG compiler or in the
software maintenance contract. The fact is that we were always paying
for RDi. Now, the charges for RDi are clear and up front instead of
buried somewhere. Yes, the accounting change was annoying. No, it
hasn't actually cost our organisation more money.

For this particular case, I prefer the buried pricing model. So many
people have the *feeling* that WDSC was free. I have no doubt that
IBM could rebundle, re-raise the price, and people would get the
feeling that they're getting a better value (modern, graphical IDE
thrown in for "free"!), while *simultaneously* IBM makes more money.

The folks who don't know or care about RDi would be getting slightly
shafted, but I don't believe the price increase would be so high as to
actually *lose* any customers. (What, are you going to forgo the
compilers because the IDE is included and priced into the bundle? Are
you going to abandon the i altogether because IBM is "forcing" you to
pay for the IDE?) For programmers who know about RDi but fear going
to their management to ask for it, or who have already asked and been
rejected; this move would eliminate that particular hurdle/excuse.

Also, the bundled structure would more strongly imply that RDi is
*the* editor to use. If something is supposed to be the standard, why
isn't it included by default? Having a separate charge for the
supported, standard tool; while bundling an inferior, outdated, and
unsupported tool; makes IBM seem... well, let's just say I don't
consider it to be the best customer experience, and I don't believe
it's the best way to encourage people to use RDi.

John Y.