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So where is Valdimir?

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sagor1

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Just a question to those that may know him. Since selling his "basic compiler only" as an annual license, I have not seen any of the promised updates. In fact, there has been no significant updates to either the IDE or the Basic Compiler.
I do like his product, I did buy the new licenses as well, but see little activity from him. Even a bug report about string concatenation from a previous forum discussion was simply acknowledged by automatic response, but nothing further to confirm it is a bug or whether it is being fixed (see https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/software-controlled-radio-project-with-pic.148905/page-2)
So, how many out there bought the BasicCompiler one year license, which will expire soon, are waiting for any fixes of improvements? What can we expect, if anything, from Oshonsoft?
Now just to clarify, I love the IDE software, I bought all the components (except the serial monitor which I have no use for). I develop simple PIC controllers, mostly digital modes, with low end chips like the 16F690, 16F630 and even 12F675. I don't need much more. I then bought the new annual BasicCompiler licenses to further support Oshonsoft. However, it has been quiet in development for the past year or so. So what is going on with Oshonsoft? Anyone know? I have the feeling his marketing ploy to create a new "basic compiler only" with only a one year license, has not produced the financial results he wanted, and thus he has lost some interest in development.
Please don't criticize me for asking, I just want this product to continue to be successful, but am worried about its future...
 
Hi S,

I am also a fan of Oshonsoft, and because I don't have the will to change to another simulator/compiler I am happy to stay with it.

I also wonder about Vladimir, and his product. I can imagine that he hopes for some income from his compiler and chose the one year licences to give him some. If I were to advice him, perhaps keep it all free and suggest an annual voluntary amount that would satisfy his pocket, then hope we support him, I would.

Camerart.
 
Not that is is "free", we buy the original license which is good "forever", under the old scheme. The new scheme of an annual license would be fine if there was some actual development. Imagine trying to sell a renewal license after that first year, and no one got any major updates in the previous year. Who would renew? That is my concern, why buy the new license (to support Oshonsoft, I have no need of identical Basic Compiler as I still only use the IDE) when there is no visible benefit other than supporting Oshonsoft?
Let's see what happens.
 
Personally, I think it's gone a tad pear shaped for Vladimir.. He designed a good "albeit slightly buggy" Basic compiler.. He soon realised that maintenance was becoming a bigger issue... He had sold several hundred licences too cheaply IMHO.. I saw a man frantically selling what he could in order to survive.... There must come a time where what once was a hobby, turn into a full blown commercial enterprise...

He saw a light whereas if he could turn licences into a subscription, he would be able to fund the whole enterprise... I think that anyone with the original licence would definitely not subscribe to the new scheme..

Now he has two paths to keep up with... If he had made a statement that the existing scheme was untenable and just released the new "Subscription" style scheme where as ANY future development and upkeep was with the new scheme only, then I believe he would fair better...

I hate to see a good project go down the drain.....

Maybe I'm wrong... He may be working on developing one of the newer chips and isn't fixing bugs.... He did that a while back and was absent for quite some time..
 
Ian, he clearly stated when he released the "new, compiler only", that the old IDE would not be developed any further, just some bug fixes if necessary (which I did post one to him as a bug report). All new development would be for the annual license version. However, as we have all seen, the old IDE version and the new compiler are still the same version, nothing new...

I think he tried to focus on one path only, the new basic compiler, where there was potential for extra revenue. However, like I said, if you bought the annual license version (which I did), and see no development for almost a year, makes one wonder why anyone would renew the annual license when it came due. That is lost revenue plus poor PR.

But, I guess we all have to wait and see what actually happens down the road. I'm not sure when the first annual license was sold. I bought mine a little later, in early 2016. No point using the new "Basic Compiler", as it is still identical to the older "forever" product. I paid an annual license for the "product" I already had with the old simulator, with promises that it would be improved. Nothing so far.
 
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