James Newton wrote:
>
>As was the CUMP <sarcasm> which is NOT DEAD... its just that all the
>participants have been madly working on their own for, what, 6 months
>now?</sarcasm>
>
><flame>
>The point is that programmers (and test equipment) seem to be something that
>are totally ruled by "perceived value" If you charge $1000 for it, then it
>must be really good and everybody will buy it. But if you try to make one
>open source (or do in fact make one in the case of "the Engine" which is a
>hell of a neat programmer) no one seems to want it.
>
>Although some people (Hi Dan) have beat me bloody about the head and ears
>over this point, I still don't understand how hobbyists can be so damn
>STUPID as to not see the value in this. Is there some law that says we can't
>build our own programmers and test equipment? And do a better job than the
>commercial people? (Don't say it Dan)
>
Well, having been singled out here, I guess I'll put in my $0.02.
It's not STUPIDITY, it's REALITY and PRAGMATISM.
I was not around here during the advent of CUMP or the Engine, but my
perception of this whole thing is that most people on piclist don't
want [or have the time] to hack these sorta things. They want something
as cheap as possible [some have even been known to cut their Radio
Shack pcbs in half to save $$$], and with as little learning curve as
possible - get this over with, and then get on with their projects.
I know I am much that way. These things are just "tools" and byways on
the way to an end-goal, not avocations, for most poeple.
==================
>The only thing people are interested in is the Free ICD, which is a clone of
>the Microchip product. Is it that we have no confidence in our own abilities
>to do a better job and must only copy others works?
>
>Lame.
></flame>
>
The reason I think that the Free ICD is so popular, but the CUMP flamed,
is *ONE* thing --> it works with MPLAB. After taking the time and effort
to learn MPLAB [which is free], the ICD [also free] has a natural appeal.
I few cheap parts, and botta bing. No hacking, besides one-time h.w.
Then on to the projects. More than anything, the Free ICD sealed the
fate of CUMP. Reality is a harse mistress.
It's hard to compete with free [MPLAB], free [ICD], free, free, free,
free, free - this is true 21th century internet capitalism. The reason
the CUMP failed is because it was all committee meetings and no workers.
Just like communism - no payoff that the guy doing the work could
perceive.
The other thing of course is that there are sooooo mannnnnyyyy programmers
out there now, free, cheap, and otherwise.
best regards,
- Dan Michaels
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