HRD Spring Update; New Release. 6.2.9.354

It is hard, I had to take Fortran and C++ back in college and is not easy like Visual Basic.

Thanks Rick and gang at HRD for all you do and done.

73, Delwyn KH6DC

 

Scott, the model you describe is exactly what just about every software manufacturer does. Almost every piece of software sold today has a perpetual license. You go to next version, you have to pay an upgrade fee or a new license. For example, you can use Windows 7 for as long as you want, or as long as the computer keeps running. Oh, want to upgrade to Windows 8? New license fee to upgrade. In other words, what HRD is doing is pretty standard in the industry.

As for MixW, I don't really care where anyone lives, the point is that if there was money in it, they'd do it. But because of their licensing methodology, there is no money in creating new versions. So they lost interest. If both could make about $100K or more a year off of creating new versions, I can say that they would live like kings in the Ukraine or Crimea on $100k(US) each year. Meaning they would do it in a heartbeat.

No the developers and maintainers of the code do not have to be bribed. They have to be paid - as in compensated - for their work. Yeah sure there are all sorts of developers in the ham community who create code for hams for free. Most all have lost interest because cheap hams bully the hell out of them for upgrades and enhancements. After a while they get tired of the crap for no compensation and walk away. Have a bunch of good orphaned programs that no longer work because the developer walked away.

My point is people should demand payment for their work. I gladly pay software developers for their products because I want them to continue development and that no one should have to work for free.

For example, since you mentioned it, I have tried FLDigi. Nice program. I have asked that the program actually be able to key a transmitter in CW mode just like MixW, HRD, and a few others. But no, they don't want to do that for some reason. They want to use modulated CW. Well, that's not the way I like to use CW. But they don't care what I want, they do what they want because they do it out of love or fun or whatever. So they don't have to listen to the user. Not a complaint, just an observation. At least with HRD when I have an issue (which is pretty infrequent), I get a response and something gets resolved because I am paying them for support and I gladly do so.

That's the way I like it. Capitalism is a good thing. It works.

 

Someone is going to put you in a band? Hope you play an instrument! LOL