So I was a little irked to find that NeoOffice, which is based on the OpenOffice open source office software, the somewhat equivalent of Microsoft Office, wants up to US$100 for early access to their latest software release. It’s something they call the Early Access Program.
You’d have thought open source software means free software. I know, it’s not the same thing. Open source software is about freedom, not about free beer. It’s often free beer though. What NeoOffice wants to do is to generate some income to support its developers. They do so by giving monetary contributors exclusive access to compiled binaries during an initial release period. The rest of the world can download the compiled binaries like one month or so later.
I’m sitting on the fence on this issue.I don’t really like the idea, but I’m not quite against it either. From the open source licensing point of view, they aren’t breaking the rules, because you can still download the source code at any time. You’ve got to build the binaries on your own though, and many people are not going to be able to figure out how to do that on their own. It’s like giving you something, but not quite telling you how to use it.
Now, I can appreciate that some open source developers do their open source development for a living and they need some way to make money. There certainly are many other ways to generate income. I’m not sure if this Early Access Program is the best way to do it. I’ve heard about the Early Access Program long time before, but I’ve not really paid much attention to it. That is, until now. That’s because, it costs from US$50 to US$100 to join the Early Access Program.
Now you see why I bring up mention of Microsoft Office. It’s only US$84.99 for up to three home computers, or US$28.33 per computer. NeoOffice wants between US$50 to US$100?
Yeah, I know it is not a fair comparison. The Home and Student Edition is limited to home (and probably academic) use. NeoOffice can be used by anyone for any purpose, and they only use this early access period to get some income, then thereafter it is free anyway.
But all things coupled together, the cost of the Early Access Program struck me as something questionable.