How to release legal WM 6.0 licenses

[afarre]

I asked Microsoft how to buy a WM 6.0 license similar to that one used by Dell so that I could distribute ROM packages with legal “end user license”.

I got an answer where they redirect me to contact with ARROW, a third party company witch deals with licenses for embebed devices.
After an email to ARROW I got a telephone call from them.

Arrow people told me:

1. For legally releasing WM 6.0 licenses I need to buy an SDK package witch costs about 1000 euro.
2. It is supposed I will need some technical information from Dell but it is not legally required.
3. I have to pay 27.5 euro for each individual license released.

And I have been sent a CD with SDK evaluation, but I have not received it yet.

After that I tried to contact Football just in case he is interested in this deal, but I got no answer after 2 days :rolling:

[Chris Leckness]

I have queried a few people too, but it aint looking good without large number commitments.

[afarre]

Yes, I know it is expensive but,
how many X50/v and X51/v are sold?
What would be the reasonable price for a ROM package?
I think it still could be a good deal for some smart people.
The problem is the coexistence with a warez version

[JakeRich]

Doin' the math, 1000 eu = US$1361, 27.5 eu = US$37.50. So if you "sold" licenses at $40 (29.41 eu) each, the break even would be about 550 licenses, unless you want to add in media costs for CDs, shipping, etc. I haven't seen 550 names saying they would pay $40 for WM6.

The problem is the coexistence with a warez version

Pending on if Football is the one to get it; it'll be better stablility & easier additions & updates versus, random bugs, handmade fixes, hodgepodge additions and possible bans of the ROM. :)
He could trash those for making a better one, not to mention legal ;).

Maybe Magiclite can co-coordinate with his skills with the X50v alongside.

[Julie]

Doin' the math, 1000 eu = US$1361, 27.5 eu = US$37.50. So if you "sold" licenses at $40 (29.41 eu) each, the break even would be about 550 licenses, unless you want to add in media costs for CDs, shipping, etc. I haven't seen 550 names saying they would pay $40 for WM6.

And that's assuming all of the development is done for free.

julie

[Pocketbrain]

And that's assuming all of the development is done for free.

julie

Errr.... isn't it, already? Wouldn't the legal WM6 be based on the "Warez" rom, or at least the work done by the same people?

I'm actually excited about the prospect of a legal upgrade to WM6 for us Axim owners.

[JakeRich]

And that's assuming all of the development is done for free.

julie

True. I was going to say that, but given that the illegal versions are all donated work, I would assume the legal version would be too. If you want to make money, at $40 each, after the first 550 you'd make $2.50 each.

[control]

Didn't Dell sell WM5 for the x50 at $50 USD? At that price point the break even point would be at a little over 100 licenses. That's assuming you had someone to do the work for free, of course.

[Julie]

You are assuming that the developers of these ROMs will sign on with little or no chance of compensation???? Is that realistic? What would motivate them to do this?

Of course, you are only focused on WM6.0 for one model. The numbers of interested parties could increase if this SDK package could also be used to develop ROMs for other models.

Some more questions for consideration......would the ROM be supported? Would refunds be granted?

[Bill_Todd]

$50 doesn't sound too expensive to me, especially if I get hc-sd compatibility and a good bt stack (presumably this would also require licensing) plus whatever benefits come with wm6.

For a little extra outlay, football ( or whom-ever) could actually get some money back for their efforts.

[player911]

Well for $50 a pop... that is reasonable. Plus I'm sure you could get at least $100 people to pay for it.

At least that way you'd have the change to really open up the ROM to the community and allow a lot more open discussions about it and further the development.

I think more people will be willing to buy WM6 for $50 just to have it legally. I know WM6 is in high demand and will be hard regardless, either legally or illegally. At least if there were licenses, people would have the chance to make the right choice.

I think you could get 100 people easy, especially over time. Once the license's paid for the initial SDK package, then the cost would be a minimum of $37.50 per legal license.

I'd pay $50 for a legal license. Especially for all the hard work football put into it.

[Don't Panic!]

Getting 550 pepole to give you $40 dollars takes mad skills. Then after that you make 2.50 per user that pays... From what I can see getting the 550 people to give you $40 dollars in the first palce is the real problem.

[dtsouers]

I would pay $50-100 for a better working copy. Properly designed software is always the bottleneck in computing, not the hardware.

[Don't Panic!]

True, true.