| Re: Knew this would happen after Kodac purchased RSI [message #27108] |
Tue, 09 October 2001 16:12 |
John-David T. Smith
Messages: 384
Registered: January 2000
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Senior Member |
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Martin Otte wrote:
>
> Just a note from a lurker who has read this group for many years mainly
> for the great IDL programing hints and tips.
>
> From previous messages on this group and info on RSI's web page,
> it looks like version 5.5 will be the last to be supported on Macs at
> all (either in classic mode or OS X). I had a gut feeling this would
> happen after Kodac purchased RSI. After I finish my current project, I
> will now definitely no longer be using IDL.
>
> I already compiled netCDF, vis5D, and NCAR Graphics on OS X, and will
> be increasingly using these and other open-source programs instead of
> IDL, especially as OS X and the free X-windows server mature.
>
> Even if you are not a macintosh user, please email your disapproval to
> info@rsinc.com. My email follows. Does anyone know of an email address
> at Kodac to send a similar email?
>
I post here my private email to RSI concerning their abandoment of Macs
and MacOSX, and encourage others to do so, so at least someone will
notice the sentiments, and perhaps others will be encouraged to let
their feelings be known too. At the very least we can demonstrate that
the "only 3 calls or emails" statement is either in error or misleading.
JD
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx
Mr. Powell:
I know you've probably received considerable feedback on this topic, but
I for one feel that failing to canvas your user community for an
accurate
synopsis of what revenues IDL on MacOSX might bring was a terrible
mistake. Given the promising application development, and power of the
hardware, I, and many others I know, are seriously considering a switch
to OSX. This is a operating system which will increasingly be used by
scientists and researchers, who demand the performance and stability
that a modern BSD-based core brings to the MacOS, but have lived in
unhappy coexistence with the primitive and limiting user interfaces, and
paucity of user-level applications available for Solaris, HP-UX, and
Linux. I've seen OSX beginning to seep into the scientific community
already.
I fully expected your OSX IDL version to grow significantly, along with
the OS itself, so I hope you understand the decision you've made. In
addition to alienating Mac users and those who were considering a move
to OSX, you've cast a serious doubt on whether RSI is truly committed to
cross-platform compatibility.
Yes, Microsoft holds a large fraction of the market share, but a
relatively small fraction of the mindshare of leading scientists and
researchers, the audience I hope you agree should be your foremost
target. In the end, you have to respect your bottom line, but sometimes
the hasty decision which brings quick relief turns fatal in the long
term.
Sincerely,
JD Smith
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