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Number   :  117
Date     :  2001-05-30
Author   :  Kan Yabumoto
Subject  :  About the new XXCOPY
Size(KB) :  4



Hi, all.

This XXCOPY group is getting boring, isn't it? If you are
wondering what is going on with this group, or more
importantly what is up to XXCOPY itself, here's a news to
break the monotony.

First of all, the originator of this group, Jim Witherspoon
sent me (Kan Yabumoto) an Email out of the blue and he handed
over the moderator position of the group to me and, I became
in charge. He just thought it was the right thing to do.
Other than the fact the group is no longer an "independent"
discussion group, the goal of the group remains the same.

A moment ago, for the first time, I made some minor changes
in the XXCOPY group setup. If you are looking at this by Email,
please visit the group's home page and see the change.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/xxcopy

It's not a big deal. Also, the XXCOPY group was re-classified
from the previous Shareware/Freeware section to the new category,
the Backup section where our XXCOPY group will be more visible.
Since there are far less groups in the new section, the XXCOPY
group will hopefully be shown at the top of the list in the near
future. This is not a big deal, either.

Well, at least, this is a new beginning for XXCOPY and I hope
you will share the excitement. Speaking of an excitement,
let me just give you a review of what is coming with XXCOPY.

http://www.xxcopy.com/betatest/

The first line in the page says it all. UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!!
Well, probably I should not be doing this (to announce a vaporware
before it is complete). Although it is not completely finished,
the page will give you a good idea on what's coming.

Basically, the XXCOPY package will be split into two pieces.

XXCOPY Freeware
XXCOPY Pro Edition

As we said in our web page, we always wanted to make XXCOPY
a full commercial product. To continue the distribution of
XXCOPY under the guise of Freeware is problematic. We just
do not want to give a false impression that we are doing this
for the sake of humanity. Rather, XXCOPY has always been a
serious product which brings in revenue to our company.

--- Here's some details about Freeware vs Pro Edition ---

It was a very tough decision on where to draw the line for
the differentiation. Certainly, we do not wish to cripple the
usability of the Freeware for the great majority of the users.

We basically drew the line by by number of computers which are
to be accessed by XXCOPY. For a stand-alone computer
environment, the XXCOPY Freeware will be as good as the
Pro Edition for all practical purposes. A networked environment
will be best served by the XXCOPY Pro Edition which requires
a commercial site license. Then, there are a group of users
who operate XXCOPY on personal networked systems. We believe
the nominal license fee for a modest system should be within
reach for most users who can afford networked computers.

Although the two versions are essentially the same, we took
pain and made two distinct packages for the two products.
The Freeware executable will always remain freeware. On the
other hand, the Pro Edition package will serve as a demonstration
program for a 60-day free evaluation. When you purchase a
license, we send you a small license file, "XXCOPY.LIC" whose
presence in the XXCOPY home directory will make the Pro Version
to recognize the valid license. XXCOPY Pro Edition also has
the ability to count the number of servers (host computers
in network) which has been accessed by XXCOPY to enforce the
terms of license.

Moreover, we did not take any switch away from the Freeware
version; rather, advanced features (mostly on command switches
for networked environment) would add an extra message on the
console.

---------------------------------------------------------------

If you have questions regarding the new scheme, please post
your question. Your opinion on this matter will be greatly
appreciated. I think an open discussion on this subject is
quite fitting to this forum.
Kan Yabumoto

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