Hi, a short visit to this list, since I've been asked for a comment on a similar subject.
As some of you know, I'm working on a software that has the realistic potential to provide - Native ethernet for Q40/Q60 - Driver for Nasta's unfinished ethernet extension (QL/GC/SGC...) - Native connectivity to TCP/IP equipped printers (alternative to USB?) - Graphical POP3+SMTP email client - Reliable file up- and download by network or serial - Webserver - TCP/IP stack, PPP, SLIP - Free of charge - Fully open source Since I'm originally a hardware rather than a software guy, you can imagine how tough it was for me. How much money is my effort worth? I don't know. But if someone asked me for commercial use of this, I wouldn't even consider to let him have it for £ 2000 - it's too far away from paying my time. I'd like to do the opposite: I'd like to make my work available free of charge, the core as part of a free QL operating system, the applications as free software. Amount of money to spend: £ 0.00 If nothing in the QL scene changes, my project will continue slowly at my own chosen speed, and the only platform to run on might be QDOS Classic, for the simple reason that it is the only free QL operating system on the Q60. Time for an offer: I could possibly be persuaded to try and integrate my drivers into SMSQ/E for the whole range of QL style machines, by a simple act of wisdom: Place SMSQ/E under the GPL. (I have no problem to accept modifications to allow QPC remain commercial.) I should add that I personally don't give a dime about post-Tony-Tebby SMSQ/E anymore. I can live with some QDOS Classic tinkering or let go the QL completely. But there are a few folks that keep asking me, and it's for them that I make this offer. Now shoot at me or give it a serious consideration - your choice. Arnould Nazarian wrote: >A few years ago (some might remember) I had a short discussion with the >author of that arachne browser http://browser.arachne.cz >The program is written in C only. An idea of pricing was 8000 USD, but >IIRC he wrote to me that this amount could be lowered to 2000 USD if >there were some royalties foreseen. I may go and visit him in Prague next >summer to speak with him. I have partially ported the textmode browser RETAWQ until I got stuck with a C68 related problem. Fast, small, even a "Q" in the name. How about that, maybe with an integrated picture viewer? Cost: See above. All the best Peter
