[linux-audio-dev] Re: MMA membership (rambling reply)

person making a living writing audio plugins might feel a little nervous about something like the development going on with LADSPA or XAP. Not to mention how companies like Steinberg and Cakewalk are going to feel when Ardour 1.0 hits the net. <<< I can't wait to see it. Seriously! Competition is good, it keeps everyone sharp, on their toes and innovating. If the economics of open source and Linux mean we need to adapt our economics, then of couse we'll need to adapt or die. The thing is, our average customer is not incredibly PC savvy, so have them be their sysadmin won't really fly. Like or it not, Windows and Mac O/S are still much easier to set up and support for the "average joe", which means they are easier for us to set up and support. Likewise, new customers want sexy features. Is Ardour 1.0 going to be as sexy, full-featured and stable as existing commercial products which are on version 5 or beyond? Again, it's all about competition. Prospective customers will get to choose between "free" and "fuller featured." Of course over the time you guys will gain ground on the second point... <g> -Ron