Re: Virtual Repeater

[Jeffrey Larson <jeff@zonemobius.com>]

[S V G]
 > Just because the mock-up didn't convince you... doesn't mean that it
 > wasn't almost ready.  As I said in my previous post, the Virtual
 > Repeater was very close to being finished... and I'm close to those
 > who have inside information.

Perhaps.  But here's what I don't get.  If it was "almost ready" then
it doesn't take hundreds or even tens of thousands of dollars to
finish and distribute.  If you've got programmers committed to the
project they'll make it happen.  Sales weren't going to give Adam and
the other two principals a nice salary but what the heck, get it out
there and recoup at least some of your expenses.

This is of course pure speculation but something is fishy.  Some
likely possibilities:

  1) They never had anything and did the classic vaporware play hoping
     for an enthusiastic response they didn't get.

  2) They grossly underestimated how hard it was going to be to
     port firmware designed for custom hardware to a general
     computer OS with all the associated UI, performance,
     plugin hosting, and latency issues.  It wasn't even half done.

  3) They outsourced the development to relatively disinterested
     programmers with no financial stake in the product's success.
     Once the contractor money dried up, there was no one left
     that knew how to finish it.

  4) There were really almost done but ugly internal politics
     shelved the project and the code rights now reside
     with one of the principals that doesn't know what to
     do with it.

If the situation was close to 3 or 4 then give them my name.
I'll finish it for them for a reasonable fee.

I'm not bashing them, there were clearly some brilliant people
involved in the company over the years.  But their marketing and
communication, bordering on arrogance, is among the worst I've ever
seen.  This isn't rocket science, lots of people can make loopers.

Jeff