I was searching for a library that does something. I found various options, commercial (approx 7,000 per server)and open-source.
Getting my hands on one commercial library for testing was like pulling teeth.
1. Register for download which requires filling in loads of company information before being given access to a download.
2. Download the trial library (Only allowed to download either windows 32 bit, windows 64 bit, linux 32 bit or linux 64 bit..want more than one? tough)
3. (Wait 2 days) Sales guy sends me licence file (Forwarding the Salesforce "You have a new lead!" email no less which really annoyed me, "I am not a lead, I am a free man!") and I start testing the library
4. Find out the company I downloaded the library from (You can only download from their US based, English site) had partners in my (Non-English speaking) country so I got the sales guy speaking to me in a different language than what I expected (or wanted).
5. Asked to be put in touch with an English speaker because I had some technical questions.
6. (wait 1 days) Get an English speaker, ask some questions, get told they will be passed to technical guys
7. (wait 2 days) Get replies.
8. Ask about how I get the different library versions. Get told I have to re-do the ENTIRE process from step 1 just to get a different version of the library due to "Legal reasons".
So, it took 2 days just to get my hands on the library for testing and being told that I have to jump through more hoops just to get different versions.
Compare with the open source library:
1. go to sourceforge and download the library for any OS and start playing with it in about...oooh, 5 minutes.
2. Want to try a the library on a different OS? another 5 minutes.
3. Questions sent to the developer answered slightly faster due to not having to go through sales guy (although to be honest this was not a huge difference in response time).
The hassle of getting my hands on the commercial library soured me on the whole idea of using that company. If just getting an evaluation license is such an arse I do not see us having a happy relationship with the company had we bought the license.
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On a side-note. I recently had to bug fusion-io because they had their webinars behind a registration wall. Really? You put your marketing information behind a closed door? I am researching your technology and I don't want to have to sign up to yet another site just to see some information.(Although to be fair they fixed this quite quickly after I had a moan at them on twitter)
Getting my hands on one commercial library for testing was like pulling teeth.
1. Register for download which requires filling in loads of company information before being given access to a download.
2. Download the trial library (Only allowed to download either windows 32 bit, windows 64 bit, linux 32 bit or linux 64 bit..want more than one? tough)
3. (Wait 2 days) Sales guy sends me licence file (Forwarding the Salesforce "You have a new lead!" email no less which really annoyed me, "I am not a lead, I am a free man!") and I start testing the library
4. Find out the company I downloaded the library from (You can only download from their US based, English site) had partners in my (Non-English speaking) country so I got the sales guy speaking to me in a different language than what I expected (or wanted).
5. Asked to be put in touch with an English speaker because I had some technical questions.
6. (wait 1 days) Get an English speaker, ask some questions, get told they will be passed to technical guys
7. (wait 2 days) Get replies.
8. Ask about how I get the different library versions. Get told I have to re-do the ENTIRE process from step 1 just to get a different version of the library due to "Legal reasons".
So, it took 2 days just to get my hands on the library for testing and being told that I have to jump through more hoops just to get different versions.
Compare with the open source library:
1. go to sourceforge and download the library for any OS and start playing with it in about...oooh, 5 minutes.
2. Want to try a the library on a different OS? another 5 minutes.
3. Questions sent to the developer answered slightly faster due to not having to go through sales guy (although to be honest this was not a huge difference in response time).
The hassle of getting my hands on the commercial library soured me on the whole idea of using that company. If just getting an evaluation license is such an arse I do not see us having a happy relationship with the company had we bought the license.
--
On a side-note. I recently had to bug fusion-io because they had their webinars behind a registration wall. Really? You put your marketing information behind a closed door? I am researching your technology and I don't want to have to sign up to yet another site just to see some information.(Although to be fair they fixed this quite quickly after I had a moan at them on twitter)