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From: rh@smds.UUCP (Richard Harter)
Newsgroups: alt.security,alt.folklore.computers,comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Feedback on Computer Crime
Summary: Free has its advantages
Message-ID: <158@smds.UUCP>
Date: 11 Aug 90 00:01:57 GMT
References: <14462@wpi.wpi.edu> <9008091507.AA06792@stc06.CTD.ORNL.GOV>
Followup-To: alt.folklore.computers
Organization: SMDS Inc., Concord, MA
Lines: 39

In article <9008091507.AA06792@stc06.CTD.ORNL.GOV>, de5@STC06.CTD.ORNL.GOV (SILL D E) writes:

> >Some do work, granted (Minix comes to mind immediately), but I dont
> >think that the quality of the freeware in the world will ever match
> >the commerical stuff.

> Patent nonsense.  GNU Emacs is far superior to the commercial
> alternatives; a UNIX Review comparison of GNU and Unipress Emacsen
> backs that claim.  The GNU C Compiler outperforms many commercial
> compilers and is the standard compiler for NeXT and DG AViiON systems.
> The X Window System as distributed by the MIT X Consortium is not only
> commercial quality, but is in fact the basis of most--if not
> all--commercial X software.

Some would claim that the problem with X Windows is that it is of
commercial quality.  :-)

> Commercial software is not inherently superior to freeware.  Don't
> underestimate the effort a dedicated hacker will put into his freely
> distributed work.

Some comments.  The creator of freeware has an intrinsic advantage
over the commercial vendor -- his costs are lower.  This is more
important than you might think.  Commercial software must sell for
enough to pay for development, for sales, advertising, equipment,
the corporate infrastructure, training, manuals, etc.  The slice
of the budget that goes for development in a commercial vendor is
much smaller than that of a freeware developer (or organization.)

The catch in freeware is not the intrinsic quality of the software
which may be, as you note, quite high.  What freeware generally lacks
is the user support infrastructure (professionally written manuals,
user support hot-lines, etc.)  The result is that successful freeware
is restricted to niches.
-- 
Richard Harter, Software Maintenance and Development Systems, Inc.
Net address: jjmhome!smds!rh Phone: 508-369-7398 
US Mail: SMDS Inc., PO Box 555, Concord MA 01742
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