Thanks Jack for an excellent summary. Due to some other papers I wanted to see, I missed the futures forum for the first time in years.

One specific point caught my attention.

><p>Another problem with SAS's current distribution method >is the difficulty of trying new products. Suppose I think >some new product is the bee's knees and would save lots of >work for me and other people in my company. Can I get >a copy and try it out? Not easily. >Even assuming that the company I work for allows the installation >of demo software (not all companies do), and even assuming >the full and speedy cooperation of the IS and purchasing departments >(not bloody likely in my experience), by the time a new product is installed >the evaluation period will be almost over, or some other project >will have come up that doesn't let me get back to the new SAS >product immediately.

In the real world, 30 day eval periods are not realistic. Yes, it's true you can apply for an extension and it'll be granted, but that involves administrative hassle (getting it, installing it) and downtime. For existing customers testing new products, 90 days ought to be the norm. It's not like we're trying to scam free software from SI.

Bruce Gilsen bruce.gilsen@frb.gov speaking only for myself (and my fantasy baseball team)