> Maybe you are right and I'd better put all my statements with some
> reservations or put IMHO after them.

IMHO is not the point, reservations about scope is. Giving things away
can be a very sensible marketing strategy. 

> Still Wisp628 is not totally open

The term 'open' has a wide range of meanings - the wisp host software,
firmware and circuit design are all 'open' for various values of 'open'
:)

> you have set limit on the PCB design

Indeed. Most values of 'open' have some limits. Some would say that the
GPL is the most limited of all (in some sense it is).

> And it may benefit you but will harm others.

This I don't understand, or maybe you just mean that I can harm others
by doing perfectly legal things? Of course.

> Now PICkit 2 is doing a similar thing --> it will hurt third-party
> vendors once the chip supports build up. Microchip can afford not to
> earn much money from PICkit 2 since they earn money
> from chips sale but small vendors may not be able to do that.

But once PICkit2 supports all PICs small vendors like me can concentrate
on other things like high-end programmers and gang programmers.
Personally I would probably concentrate on target boards. As a vendor
you can't be lazy.

> They
> can even give free C18 and C30 (now almost free) but other compiler
> vendors will suffer. I am not so sure if that is a good thing or not.

Neither am I, but I am sure that it is their good right to do so.

Wouter van Ooijen

-- -------------------------------------------
Van Ooijen Technische Informatica: www.voti.nl
consultancy, development, PICmicro products
docent Hogeschool van Utrecht: www.voti.nl/hvu
 

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