Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amd.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!amd!jimb From: jimb@amd.UUCP (Jim Budler) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: Cheap Software vs The software industry Message-ID: <969@amd.UUCP> Date: Tue, 12-Feb-85 23:50:01 EST Article-I.D.: amd.969 Posted: Tue Feb 12 23:50:01 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Feb-85 07:41:48 EST References: <205@gcc-opus.ARPA> <> Reply-To: jimb@amd.UUCP (Jim Budler) Organization: AMD MOSCAD Lines: 42 Summary: In article <> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: >All you people calling for the world to move to cheap software don't realize >your pushing for the demise of the good in the software industry. > >It's expensive software that fuels the entrepreneurial fire in this business. >It's expensive software (and hardware) that allows the small startup to >come in with a good idea and make enough money to grow. Can John Doe >without many $M start a car company? Not a chance. Can you start a software >company in a garage? Not often, but it does happen, and that's what makes >the computer industry great. > >If the world moves to cheap software like some people are pushing for, you'll >get an industry populated by about 10 to 15 giants who can afford the >volume to sell software at those prices. The small companies will die or >be bought out. No program will ever get real sales unless it is approved >and taken by a small group of people at the large companies. > >Software is not like books either. Good books are written as a labour of >love for the most part. Good software isn't. Sure interesting software is >developed as a labour of love, but the effort to turn that into a polished >product that is well-documented, bug-free, nicely packaged and SUPPORTED >is a lot of hard work. People aren't going to do it unless they are paid >and paid well. > >Besides, the book industry IS controlled (essentially) by a small group >of major publishers. > >So stop yelling for $10 software - you'll destroy the major source of >good innovative software - the entrepreneur. >-- >Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473 Contrast this with Borland International. Good software, innovative, useful, CHEAP. I agree that asking for $10 software is stupid, you get what you pay for, but I don't think $795 for dbaseIII is good either, especially when the reviews and user info all talk of the bugs in this release. -- Jim Budler Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (408) 749-5806 UUCPnet: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amd!jimb Compuserve: 72415,1200