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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
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