[SPARCbook] Unsubscription Rant (WAS Re: Solaris 2.6 media)

[Reagen Ward]

Sunder wrote:
> 
> We tried.  I wrote an open letter to them, some on this list commented to the
> effect of "why should they?" others sent their own comments to Tadpole.
> Basically the only effect was to add lots of noise to this list with no
> effect.

I wasn't even aware that the drivers for 7 were even available yet.  Not
that I care very much.  As per the FAQ, 2.6 5/98 runs very well.  I'd
run 2.5.1, but I already had several 2.6 licenses, and I use 2.6 more
than anything else.

I've been considering unsubscribing from both lists due to the VERY poor
signal/noise ratio, and the revival of the Solaris 7 drivers discussion
clinches it.  If you have a serious question, feel free to write me
directly.  I probably can't answer it, but I'd be glad to try.  I'll
still be on Bill's excellent SunRescue and Workstation mailing lists, so
you can also find me there.

Let's drop this whole "Hey Tadpole!  I didn't give you any money, but I
want you to give me free software" idea, shall we?  If the users didn't
unite in support of a petition last time it came up, maybe they didn't
want to.  Or maybe they just bought replacement 2.5.1 media from Tadpole
(only $75) or Solaris 2.6 from Sun instead.  Maybe they read the FAQ
(God forbid!) and got a clue.

Did a lot of folks not read the FAQ before buying?  I knew that it
wouldn't run Solaris 7 before I bought mine, and I learned it from the
FAQ.  I read on Ross P's page that it did not come with media, so I knew
that I would need a copy when it came time to reinstall.  I wanted to
run NetBSD, but I knew its limitations.

Why do folks want to run 2.7 on a slower machine?  2.6 and 2.5.1 are
much faster than 7 on an SS5.  Must be for financial reasons, not
technical reasons; very few apps, if any, require Solaris 7.  Don't buy
a workstation without any OS license, media, etc, if you are too cheap
to buy it when you need it!  If you think software should be free, run
free software!  Work on drivers for NetBSD in your spare time! 

Tadpole spent quite a large amount of money in developing the hardware
and software for the product.  I'm sure that their 2.7 R&D wasn't cheap
either, especially when working on an EOL product.  People run
commercial business to make money, not lose it.  I'm sure Tadpole had no
idea that a bunch of cheap/broke folks would buy used sparcbooks and
then be snotty about how it wasn't what they wanted.  Tadpole didn't
even sell these boxes to you!  Leave them alone!  Let them run their
business however they want to run it!  If you don't like it, don't buy
their products!  If you don't like the other options, create your own or
suck it up (just like in any other aspect of real life)!

They can charge whatever they want for the drivers; folks don't have to
buy their product.  Unfortunately, many folks on this list don't seem to
understand how the free market works.  If you want a product that runs
2.7 and don't want to pay for the driver software, don't buy an old
sparcbook.  If you've already bought it and still don't want to buy any
software, then sell the thing to someone who is willing to buy software
or donate it to a good cause.

I can't take it anymore.  I'm out of here.

Reagen