[hcflinux] Selling Modem drivers at a price

[Martin Hughes]

Dear Marc and colleagues,

I am saddened to read that you are now charging for the download of fully
functional linux modem drivers. Although I can understand your reasons, the
die hards of the linux community may not.

Perhaps a final goodwill gesture would have been to issue the first version
1.0 fully functional driver as a free download, charging your industrial
customers to have it bundled with software which you supply to them, like
other Linux vendors do.

Ever since you started supplying free downloads, I have been promoting the
cause for retaining the internal modem and using your drivers on the mailing
lists of the distros I use. Reactions have been mixed and have varied from
"Thank You" to suggestions that an external modem (which has no driver) will
do the job just as well.

Regrettably an external modem can be purchased for around the same price as
your fully functional driver and I can no longer see a case for encouraging
home users like myself, who operate on a shoestring budget, to download your
drivers.

I am, however, grateful for the drivers which you have supplied previously
as they will do the job just as well and will allow my old modem to run at
V92.

Regards
Martin Hughes