"Aage Johansen" <aagjohan@...> wrote in message
news:4.3.2.7.2.20020314205331.00be1d88@127.0.0.1...

> Svein Erling Tysv=E6r wrote:
> ...
> I think 5.5 is really bad (even though I've never used it).
> It contained so many errors that Borland made the upgrade
> to 5.6 free.
> ------------------------
>
> I think an important reason that the upgrade to 5.6 was free was that

some=

> =20
> participants on the old MERS list persuaded Bill Karwin to persuade

someone=

> ...

Yes, I started to shout (apparently I was the first) because I considered
immoral to charge for a release that had nothing of a typical release.
Unlike IB4.1->4.2 or IB5.1->5.5, the jump from 5.5 to 5.6 added no important
features, but mainly the critical bug fix that rendered corrupted databases.
So, going in sync with that marketing vision (held even at Borland) that a
new commercial release has to show features, it was really incredible to
pretend to charge customers for a mere critical bug fix that was introduced
in the immediately previous release (for what customers had paid already).
In several companies, when you purchase a product, you're entitled to
receive free of charge or for a nominal fee the next minor release(s) or bug
fix at least. With Borland, you always had to pay, even for the next minor
IB release. Assuming IB6.0 would have been a closed, paid release, you would
have to throw money to get IB6.5.

C.
--
Claudio Valderrama C. - http://www.cvalde.com - http://www.firebirdSql.org
Independent developer
Owner of the Interbase® WebRing