The Sinclair QL Forum

Should be in the bulk, I've sent to you at 2015-07-21-19-13, Desktops_zip

Ah right - that is where the latest version came from

Maybe i am mistaken. But to me it sounds like this page:
http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/updates.html
offers cracked versions of commercial software (this seems to be what the page calls an "update").

How does that work? Is this a commercial service that offers help when circumventing copy protections?

And how and why does one have to privide the proof that one already owns another version of that software?

You are mistaken If you own the original, you can buy an update to the latest version. They would still check for the original microdrive cartridge.

I don't get it. What kind of update is this? Can you give an example?

A different version of the same program. QL software was often updated with features and bug fixes.

Is this a joke? Just because i own a Windows XP CD doesn't mean that you are allowed to sell me copies of Windows 10.

Edit: Also the page does not list any version numbers. Wouldn't these be listed there if it was about obtaining this kind of updates?

I think you are getting carried away...

rwapsoftware wrote:However, in many cases, there is no way of contacting the original author / copyright holder and therefore we will offer to update existing software which QL users already own to work from disk or emulator without the need for a microdrive cartridge. We can also supply a working copy on microdrive if required, which will not require the original master.

So the way I read it, it is allowing people who have bought software in the past to use it again, on either disk on a QL, a working microdrive on a QL, or use on an emulator.
The copy supplied may include some minor bug fixes, but there is no comparison to Microsoft Windows (where each "new" version that gets sold is different from the free updates service that Microsoft offers for minor bug fixes etc.).

Mark

1024MAK wrote: but there is no comparison to Microsoft Windows (where each "new" version that gets sold is different from the free updates service that Microsoft offers for minor bug fixes etc.).

Microsoft sells new versions of it software just like anyone else did back in the days. If you wanted the new version you had to pay for it. Always. There were no free bug fixes and updates.

Anyway, of course you can do whatever you want here. The original copyright holders have probably lost interest in all this. I was just courious ...

I would not know anything about buying Mircosoft Windows as retail packages. All the working Windows versions that I have came on a HDD inside a computer. But Windows 95 did (IIRC) download bug fix updates without having to pay money to Mircosoft. If you want the next full release, yes that is a product that you have to pay for.

And I only have one machine with Office, and that came on the HDD.

My main PC runs Linux and various open source software.

Richard, the owner of RWAP (including the web site that you linked to) takes copyright very seriously. Unlike some of the former software houses, who have disappeared leaving no details of how their former customers can get support when the media that their software was supplied on fails.

Mark