On Thursday 06 November 2003 03:21 pm, Preston Crawford wrote:

----- Original Message ----- <snipped> Um... no

...

SuSE 9.0 is good for at least 6-12 months. How often do people upgrade anyway?

That's kind of the point. I'm not going to spend $80 on something that's only good for a year when people on this list and other SuSE lists still get security patches for 7.3. Well you might want to consider that IBm still has a considerable investment in this enterprise, and htey have YET to leave customers in hte lurch , even their * abandonment * of OS/2 wasn't an abrupt ceasing of all updates/upgrades( even!) And even new releases .. As far as I know, many of the Old Os/2 gang is still getting updates and security stuff.. and I'm not talking about their big clients, where one understands they might want to baby them along until they manage to get

well, as long as I'm going to but in here, this is as good a place as any to start.. I'm one of the people that buys each release. I started doing that when I noticed some quantum leaps in various types of hardware and even some software that I really need .. them weaned over onto somethingl else. Large lumps of money as hs often been mentioned on this list , can on occassion change a companies ideas , for a time anyway. Suse began telling us a while ago that it will only support about 6 releases back in time , and as fast as the whole Linux world is moving and changing, that is probably as far back as they can do w/o the bankroll of the entire German nation and only a normal staff. Most of the Suse guys excluding the US staff, who have already been under pressure , and many have seen thier jobs disappear. In Germany, it's probably been the same, but perhaps w/ fewer people being required to do a great deal more than most of us would believe. And , although thier benefits are not to be sneezed at , the weekly or bi-weekly cheque is not nearlly so much when there is a family to take care of. And, as if that weren't enough to warm the cockles of your little heart.. Novel told the suits from "the street" ( the one named " Wal' ya dig? that they don't expect to lose any money this year, in agragate "it'll all be a wash" ( interesting phrasing, no?) Still, it's the next bit that should make your $80 feel better as if goes to that country W/ the folks in lederhosen mitt beer stein, and a general warm and fuzzy glow about them.. Novell aslo told thoses same suits that they expect to make a profit from thei Suse investment next year.. As I see it, that has to iclude the likes of us .. after all , tho they ae undoubitably looking forward to takeing a bite out of the Crimson Fedora's biz , next year is most likely too soon to see any large leap of income from that quarter... And that means , they probably don't want us to rush out and and comit seppuku , just yet.

I think any reasonable person that uses their computer for work would want that kind of assurance.

I understand, a little, how you feel about being abandonded. But OTH, there isn't any reaso to spend $80 , if you're worried, get the upgrade, it costs about $50 , for the same cds/dvds you just don't get the books .. preprinted .. Knowing the way Suse has handled themselves in the past, I expect you will be albe to find an electronic version somewhere on those CDs .. And, for what it's worth, we all here at this location useour computers for work.. some folks liek me, get to play w/ the new stuff earlier than the others do , that 's all .. I have my test bed rigged to see if I can break anything.. SO far.. so good <VBG>!