Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!samsung!umich!pmsmam!wwm From: wwm@pmsmam.uucp (Bill Meahan) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: Re: Bloat costs Message-ID: <1990Jun11.200217.23315@pmsmam.uucp> Date: 11 Jun 90 20:02:17 GMT References: <1990Jun1.200333.10672@pmsmam.uucp> <10342@hydra.gatech.EDU> Reply-To: wwm@pmsmam.UUCP (Bill Meahan) Organization: Ford Motor Co EFHD Ypsilanti Plant, Ypsilanti MI Lines: 44 In article <10342@hydra.gatech.EDU> kt4@prism.gatech.EDU (Ken Thompson) writes: >>In article <266577FA.6D99@tct.uucp> chip@tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg) writes: >> According to jtc@van-bc.UUCP (J.T. Conklin): >> >> [stuff deleted] >> >>One of the wonderful things about 20Mip 32Mb workstations is that I >>don't have to worry about eff. when writing most code. I can >>concentrate on other issues such as clarity of code, speed of >>execution, speed of development, fancy features, ... >>> >>by "eff." i mean "frugal of code and data". >> So far, nobody has addressed my major point: "improved" software/hardware MUST have an economically justifiable benefit TO THE USER in order for it to be worth purchasing. Certainly, nobody in their right mind would suggest that programs ONLY be written for 256K PC/XT's or equivalent, but it does mean that "features" and benefit to the software WRITER must be tempered by the benefit to be gained by the end user. For example, suppose your new package allows the processing of some data 10 times as fast as whatever I'm using now. And suppose that it requires me to replace 10,000 PS2/50Z's in the company. The question is, what will processing that data 10 times faster allow me to do? Can I get rid of 90% of the PS2's ? How about the people whose desks they are on, can I lay off 9000 clerks? 5000? 1000? 10? 1? Can I cut my overtime expenditures by enought $$ to offset the costs of buying the super software AND workstations at least enough to get a 30% TARR (Time Adjusted Rate of Return)? If not, then no matter how wonderful the technical aspects of your super software, I simply can't afford it, even if the company has a few $billion sitting in the bank since I can get a BETTER financial return with another investment. So, YOU lose. My point is this: customers do not have unlimited funds so that only the technical wonderfulness of software matters - it's got to give enough real-world return to be worth buying it! Bill Meahan WA8TZG uunet!mailrus!umich!pmsmam!wwm I speak only for myself - even my daughter's cat won't let me speak for her! -- Bill Meahan WA8TZG uunet!mailrus!umich!pmsmam!wwm I speak only for myself - even my daughter's cat won't let me speak for her!