Re: Is RDi 9.5, RDP 8.0 or even WDSCi 7.0 still in use? -- WDSCI-L

Over the weekend I contacted a friend and explained that I wanted to try to install RDi on a thumb drive and take it for a test run. After discussing the details, he agreed to let me use his key for TESTING PUIRPOSES ONLY.

I was able to install full blown RDi 9.5 on a thumb drive. The install took a long time but once it is installed, it is not slow as I feared. However, as a disclaimer here, I have done very little with RDi so I'm sure I didn't put it through its paces and seriously test the performance. I also installed EVERYTHING so I could see the footprint on the drive and the install size is about 8.5G. That does not take into account anything else that it stores such as source being worked on.

Now the problem. I moved the thumb drive to a different laptop like I would if a client gave me theirs to use. I can start RDi from the thumb drive but when I try to access my library to select a source member to work on, I get a license error. I moved the thumb drive back over to my other laptop, connected to the same machine, and it worked fine. My guess is that the license key was installed on the laptop and not the thumb drive. Without the license key being stored on the thumb drive, I am still stuck because I don't want to put my license key on a client machine.

Does anyone have any experience with the licensing that can help point me in the right direction?

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Jon Paris
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2020 5:24 PM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Is RDi 9.5, RDP 8.0 or even WDSCi 7.0 still in use?

As I said before I would recommend against a thumb drive - unless you buy a very expensive one.

As to the install footprint - I run a Mac and it would not be a useful number for you.

Funilly enough very few of my customers would ever risk letting me plug a thumb drive into their machines - too much risk of infection. In fact most of their staff have the USB ports disabled on their machines.

On Oct 29, 2020, at 4:54 PM, smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

I guess your clients are more trusting than some of mine. 😊

Has anyone tried to install it on a thumb drive that would like to share any gotchas?

What is the footprint of a full install so I know what size thumb drive I would need.

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Jon
Paris
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2020 2:49 PM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Is RDi 9.5, RDP 8.0 or even WDSCi 7.0 still in use?

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I have found most customers to be willing to allow installs of IBM software if told it will make me more productive and therefore cheaper for them.

A thumb drive would just be too slow I think. An external SSD would work though.

On Oct 29, 2020, at 2:09 PM, smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

If I were able to use it 6 months or more during the year, I would
agree 100% and buy it today.

However, I disagree with your statement about carpenters, mechanics,
doctors, etc. There are many in those trades that need "tools" that
they don't have and they rent them. While a carpenter will provide
their own hand tools, most do not own cranes or shooting boom
forklifts for when they need to put plywood or shingles on a roof. If they need one, they rent it.
Everyone weighs the return on investment to determine the value of a
purchase. This is the same reason individuals don't go out and buy
IBM i equipment to learn how to program it. The return on investment
just isn't there.

As for using installing and using my license on a client's
laptop...as a consultant, I am at the mercy of what companies will let me use and do.
Pretty much everywhere I have ever been, I am prohibited from
installing MY software on THEIR laptop. If there is a problem with
the license key, THEY are on the hook for the software licensing
violation. So, in many places, installation of anything that is not
corporate owned is a violation of company policy and grounds for dismissal.

Charles commented about doing a thumb drive install. Does anyone
know if that is possible? If so, that could sway my opinion on the
return of investment. Then I would only be blocked by the companies
that have blocked USB connections from unapproved devices...which has
occurred in some companies that I have been in to help eliminate viruses.

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Jon
Paris
Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2020 8:40 AM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Is RDi 9.5, RDP 8.0 or even WDSCi 7.0 still in use?

As I said mainentance is only a couple fo hundred a year.

I never understand the reluctance of contractors to buy the tools of
their trade.

Would you expect a carpenter doing work for you to insist that you
provide a power saw or else he uses your hand saw? No - you expect
him to bring his own tools. He in turn writes those expenses off
against his taxes. Same for mechanics, doctors, etc.

On Oct 28, 2020, at 9:51 PM, smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

Apparently I never drilled down far enough. I was on the website

https://www.ibm.com/products/rational-developer-for-i/pricing

which states

Starting at
$968.00*
per user per year

Now that I've clicked on the purchase now button, I see there is an
option for an authorized user license at $1,180 that is not an
annual renewal. So I don't need to buy it every year but the
version that I buy now will be out of date by the time that I can use it again.
Still not a good option for me but thanks for the feedback that I
was

looking at the wrong price.

-----Original Message-----
From: WDSCI-L <wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of
Brian Parkins
Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2020 6:13 PM
To: Rational Developer for IBM i <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Is RDi 9.5, RDP 8.0 or even WDSCi 7.0 still in use?

FWIW, it shouldn't be costing 1K USD each year. After the first
year, the costs are for SW Maintenance Agreement only - which gives
you new versions/releases as well as support and (free) fixes. Go
for a Perpetual Licence as an Authorised User.

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-purchase-rdi
<https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/how-purchase-rdi>

However, despite the above, I don't disagree that cost is an
inhibitor for RDi adoption amongst freelancers and smaller enterprises.

Brian.

On 28/10/2020 21:47, smith5646midrange@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

I would like to upgrade to RDi but I just can't justify the $1,000
a

year for the little bit that I would get to use it which for the
past two years would have been "not at all".

--
This is the Rational Developer for IBM i (WDSCI-L) mailing list
To post a message email: WDSCI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe,
unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/wdsci-l
or email: WDSCI-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives at
https://archive.midrange.com/wdsci-l.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our
affiliate
link: https://amazon.midrange.com

--
This is the Rational Developer for IBM i (WDSCI-L) mailing list
To post a message email: WDSCI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe,
unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/wdsci-l
or email: WDSCI-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives at
https://archive.midrange.com/wdsci-l.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our
affiliate
link: https://amazon.midrange.com

--
This is the Rational Developer for IBM i (WDSCI-L) mailing list
To post a message email: WDSCI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe,
unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/wdsci-l
or email: WDSCI-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives at
https://archive.midrange.com/wdsci-l.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our
affiliate
link: https://amazon.midrange.com

--
This is the Rational Developer for IBM i (WDSCI-L) mailing list
To post a message email: WDSCI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe,
unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/wdsci-l
or email: WDSCI-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives at
https://archive.midrange.com/wdsci-l.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our
affiliate
link: https://amazon.midrange.com

--
This is the Rational Developer for IBM i (WDSCI-L) mailing list
To post a message email: WDSCI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe,
unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/wdsci-l
or email: WDSCI-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives at https://archive.midrange.com/wdsci-l.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our affiliate
link: https://amazon.midrange.com

--
This is the Rational Developer for IBM i (WDSCI-L) mailing list
To post a message email: WDSCI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe,
unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: https://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/wdsci-l
or email: WDSCI-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Before posting, please take a moment to review the archives at
https://archive.midrange.com/wdsci-l.

Help support midrange.com by shopping at amazon.com with our affiliate
link: https://amazon.midrange.com