Monday, February 24, 2003
A careful reading of the Visual FoxPro 8 End User License Agreement reveals this frightening paragraph:
"11.1 Upgrades. To use a version of the Software identified as an upgrade, you must first be licensed for the software identified by Microsoft as eligible for the upgrade. After upgrading, you may no longer use the software that formed the basis for your upgrade eligibility."
This is a severe limitation on developers. What this states is that if you have purchased and "upgrade" version of VFP8, that you must remove the previous version from your computer. This makes it impossible to continue work on applications that were developed in that previous version. The solution that some have proposed is to buy the full version of VFP 8 at an additional cost of $300. The reasoning given for this change of licensing is to get people to upgrade. I say, that reasoning is flawed. If you can't keep working in the older version, why buy the upgrade?
Express your opinion on this bad change in the EULA. Make your voice be heard by emailing your opinion to Ken Levy and Alan Griver.
Update 2/25/2003 10:09 AM
At the request of Ken Levy, VFP Product Manager, I'm posting the next paragraph of the EULA.
11.2 Downgrades. Instead of installing and using the Software, you may install and use copies of an earlier version of the Software, provided that you completely remove such earlier version and install the current version of the Software within a reasonable time. Your use of such earlier version shall be governed by this EULA, and your rights to use such earlier version shall terminate when you install the Software.
This doesn't resolve anything. I read this as follows:
1. You may install an upgrade IF you uninstall the previous version.
2. You may install a previous version IF you uninstall it "within a reasonable time". What is reasonable? At what point am I in violation of the EULA? A day? A week? Six months?
3. IF you install a previous version, you can't use the current version. Note that the EULA says "Instead of installing and using".
This has not changed my opinion in any way.
"11.1 Upgrades. To use a version of the Software identified as an upgrade, you must first be licensed for the software identified by Microsoft as eligible for the upgrade. After upgrading, you may no longer use the software that formed the basis for your upgrade eligibility."
This is a severe limitation on developers. What this states is that if you have purchased and "upgrade" version of VFP8, that you must remove the previous version from your computer. This makes it impossible to continue work on applications that were developed in that previous version. The solution that some have proposed is to buy the full version of VFP 8 at an additional cost of $300. The reasoning given for this change of licensing is to get people to upgrade. I say, that reasoning is flawed. If you can't keep working in the older version, why buy the upgrade?
Express your opinion on this bad change in the EULA. Make your voice be heard by emailing your opinion to Ken Levy and Alan Griver.
Update 2/25/2003 10:09 AM
At the request of Ken Levy, VFP Product Manager, I'm posting the next paragraph of the EULA.
11.2 Downgrades. Instead of installing and using the Software, you may install and use copies of an earlier version of the Software, provided that you completely remove such earlier version and install the current version of the Software within a reasonable time. Your use of such earlier version shall be governed by this EULA, and your rights to use such earlier version shall terminate when you install the Software.
This doesn't resolve anything. I read this as follows:
1. You may install an upgrade IF you uninstall the previous version.
2. You may install a previous version IF you uninstall it "within a reasonable time". What is reasonable? At what point am I in violation of the EULA? A day? A week? Six months?
3. IF you install a previous version, you can't use the current version. Note that the EULA says "Instead of installing and using".
This has not changed my opinion in any way.
// posted by Craig Berntson @ 1:50:00 PM 
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