Author: Odd Gunnar Malin
Date: 23:37:20 01/31/05
Go up one level in this thread
On January 31, 2005 at 14:25:52, Vladyslav Kosulin wrote: >Sandro, >Both Chessbase and your announcements raise serious doubts on where we're headed >to. >In ideal world we'd have a list of GUI choices (ChessBase, ChessAssistant, >ChessPartner, Chess Academy, Chess Informant Expert, Arena, Winboard/Xboard, >jose, Shredder Classic, etc), a list of engines (hundreds to mention), a list of >database formats, and a list of interfaces (UCI, winboard, ChessBase). Also in >this world we'd be able to combine the pieces (GUI and engine) as we prefer >using protocols and file formats they support. >Unfortunately, Chessbase is commercially successful in tying GUI and engines: I >can't get Junior working outside the Fritz GUI. Also, even already having Fritz >GUI (like Deep Junior 9), I have to pay full price for another engine like Deep >Shredder 9. This is Chessbase decision, and I am sure they will become more >flexible if they feel the increased pressure from competitors, and not before. >As a matter of fact, both Shredder implementations (Chessbase and UCI) are >direct competitors, and I believe, you get more money from selling Shredder with >classic GUI than from selling with Chessbase GUI. But because of market >situation there is no doubt, Chessbase version will be more successful, and one >of main reasons is you try to put engine and classic GUI together: I'd like to >use your engine with both Chessbase and ChessAssistant, but there is no way to >buy engine without GUI, which is useless for me, and there is no way to use your >book outside of your GUI, which is (again) useless for me. As a result, if I go >with Chessbase version, I can't use it with UCI GUI, and if I buy your UCI >version, I can't use your book at all! >This means I lose anyway. Even if I pay $225 to get both Deep versions, I still >get only limited functionality for extra price. And I don't like it. And this >means I am not going to buy it. Just wonder why you want to use the engine outside its own enviroment. If you buy Shredder Classic (9 UCI) you allready have a good interface to play your game at. Good method to lower down the playing strength, very good to play blindfold, easy to play thematic games. And if Mr. Necchi book isn't wide enough in your pet line it is easy to create your own book for your training session. There is one thing that isn't clear by the add. I have seen, this is if Shredder 9 is able to use the UCI(2) method of lowering down the strength, but hopefully he add the classic engine to the package if this isn't true. Else I would go for SC 1.2 and upgrade to S 9 if I didn't have SC 1.1 allready. I too use the engine outside its own gui, but this is because I want to use it for something more than just playing. Eg. as an analysis engine in Chess Assistant, could just as well been Chessbase since CB9 also can use uci engines, or any gui specialized on analysis, most if not all can use uci engines. But here I never have the need for the book, in fact sometimes it is a problem to disable the book. Odd Gunnar
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