gwyn%brl-vld@sri-unix.UUCP (10/24/83)
From: Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn@brl-vld> Companies who market packaged systems are not generally eager to have their systems mucked about with, since then they can no longer economically support the result. Worse, such alterations may spread to other owners of the package, with no audit trail to help the OEM track the results of such changes. Most such companies make source available at a price high enough to ensure that only those who have a legitimate need will acquire it. This is all straightforward economics, perfectly understandable from the point of view of the support organization. You seem to think that educational institutions rate special favors in what they pay for computer systems and software. Although some vendors may offer good deals for their own ulterior motives, there is no reason I can see to treat schools differently from any other business in this regard. Most of the lab equipment, etc., I used as a grad student was bought at list price or obtained secondhand, and none of the equipment users thought that that was unfair. If you think you have something to offer the package vendor in return for access to sources, make them an offer. I have known people who have obtained equipment and software in return for feeding back specified enhancements to the supplier. If you acquired a system without checking whether you would get all that you needed for the application you had in mind, then you deserve the consequences and should not blame others for your mistake.
FIGMO%kestrel@sri-unix.UUCP (11/01/83)
From: Lynn Gold <FIGMO@kestrel> The reason that educational systems have this tendency to get better prices on state-of-the-art equipment is that companies hope that their student users will become hooked on their equipment, so when said students go on to work in the field, they'll think of the computers at ol' alma mater and want/request/demand the same thing. This is one way that computer manufacturers make money. --Lynn -------
ron%brl-vgr@sri-unix.UUCP (11/01/83)
From: Ron Natalie <ron@brl-vgr> The major reason that many manufacturers discount (or give away) computers to educational institutions is so that a wide number of the newly trained people have had experiece with those systems. This used to be a big play done by IBM. -Ron
edhall%rand-unix@sri-unix.UUCP (11/01/83)
Discounting (especially donating) equipment to academic institutions also has certain tax incentives for the company involved. But as someone who used to work at such an institution, I realize just how helpful `academic discounts' are in helping stretch already tight budgets. And having a donation from a local vendor, or a company with a high-placed alumnus, or even from a company who likes all the exposure it gives them, is even more helpful. Assuming, of course, that the equipment is useful. I like to think that at least a few companies are far-sighted enough to realize that helping a university is helping to produce better future employees, and not just marketing exposure. -Ed Hall Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, CA edhall@rand-unix decvax!randvax!edhall