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From: jgreco@archimedes.math.uwm.edu (Joe Greco)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: Piracy and Software
Message-ID: <5187@uwm.edu>
Date: 20 Jul 90 03:41:21 GMT
References: <1990Jul16.221811.7115@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <1990Jul16.222043.7094@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> <5105@uwm.edu> <1990Jul18.150659.30066@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
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Organization: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - Department of Mathematics
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In comp.sys.cbm article <1990Jul18.150659.30066@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>, wlj1@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Wayne L Jebian) wrote:
:the reason why I asked is basically to find out if anyone here believes piracy
:is killing the 64 <like it supposedly killed Atari>. On a few BBS's I'm on, 
:we've gotten into a discussion about it and several people feel that piracy is
:helping add fuel to the demise of the 64.

If piracy were a major factor in the demise of a machine, the 64 would have
been dead around 1983.  Protection, piracy, and copiers have been around at
least that long.

What really kills a machine?  Obsolescense.  The 64 was designed with a disk
interface that was obsolete when it was introduced.  8 bit micros are
actually becoming difficult to find.  Look at prices.  I paid perhaps $1400
for my initial setup of 64, 1540, and 1525.  Nowadays, you can get a clone
with HD and minimal VGA for that price.  I can build a pc532 for around that
price.

A perfect example is my Commodore calculator.  In the '70's, it was a nice
calculator.  In the '90's, they integrate twice the functionality into a
wristwatch at half the price.  What brought about the demise of this model
of calculator?  Software piracy?  No.  Better technology and other
improvements.

I'm as favorable towards Commodore as the next fellow.  Perhaps more so.  I
learned most of what I know about computing on them.  Knowledge which has
served me well.  But it is my opinion that the 64 was a wonder machine in
the early 80's, and unfortunately it is just outdated in the early 90's.

... Joe

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Greco - University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - Department of Mathematics
jgreco@archimedes.math.uwm.edu		USnail: Joe Greco
Voice: 414/321-6184				9905 W. Montana Ave.
Data:  414/321-9287 (Happy Hacker's BBS) 	West Allis, WI  53227-3329
#include <witty_and_humorous_saying.h>
Disclaimer: I don't speak for the Math Department, the University, or myself.