Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!rutgers!mailrus!uunet!fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com!FelineGrace
From: FelineGrace@cup.portal.com (Dana B Bourgeois)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: An issue for the entire Amiga Community.
Message-ID: <30508@cup.portal.com>
Date: 4 Jun 90 17:50:38 GMT
References: <1990May17.001308.29541@csmil.umich.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 43

Well, this is a very interesting topic and lots of people have some
very strong opinions about the subject.  I hope the guy who first asked
the question has made up his mind what he wants to do.  There hasn't
been another message from him.  

Marco, I was intruiged by one of your comments.  The one about how you
buy software mostly from mail-order but were very glad there was a 
dealer nearby from whom you could obtain a CIA chip.  Does this mean
you don't support your dealer?  Hmmmm.....   :)

I don't use ATalk, I use VT100 because it does what I want done and the
price is right.  All I want is a good solid terminal for talking to
Portal.  Zmodem uploads/downloads and ARexx support are now necessities 
but I wouldn't pay $$ for a product (say ATalk) to get them.  If I were
start using the packet-switched networks and had several serial ports
and stuff then I would probably buy ATalk at once.  My point is that
this PD product serves my needs adequately without support so I don't
need a commercial product.  I was one of the original Online! users.
Terrible.  I still have it and haven't upgraded because it is not as
easy to use as VT100.  Anybody want it cheap?  Full docs, box, manual.

I'd have to say that shareware/PD doesn't drive out commercial products
much at all.  I don't know yet if I need to swap files with an IBM.  But
I have MessyDOS just in case.  If it doesn't do what I want then I'll buy
Cross-DOS no-sweat to get what I need.  If Cross-DOS doesn't fill the bill
I will put up with MessyDOS until one or the other does.  As was pointed
out before, price is not the only factor.

I read the story of getting into the independant software business with
great interest.  It all made sense until I got to the part about stores
asking "who's your distributor?".  I know what in theory the distributor
does but maybe somebody who's been through it all could comment on what
the distributor really does to justify 20% of the price.  And who knows 
why stores won't simply buy from the independant developer, (assuming he
or she has some idea of business practices and is grounded in some sort
of reality.  Not all software dweebs could be counted on to deliver
disks to order on time.), I used to see that at our local dealer but now
he only sells the boxed stuff from houses like EA and Oxxi.  Maybe burned
too often?

Dana
- sorry I can't quote from previous messages.  Maybe when rev 12 of Portal
is up?