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From: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Feedback on Computer Crime
Message-ID: <9008172021.AA03084@world.std.com>
Date: 17 Aug 90 20:21:42 GMT
References: <1990Aug17.170439.20396@spectrum.CMC.COM>
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From: hub.ucsb.edu!spectrum.CMC.COM!lars@ucsd.edu  (Lars Poulsen)
>I am a firm believer in white bicycles and free software, but the above
>argument shoots itself in the foot. The reason there is professional,
>mass supported quality off-the-shelf software in the MS-DOS world is
>probably *PRECISELY* because that culture has been disconnected from the
>"free" "user-supported" "hacker" culture.

Well, who can be sure, but I suspect it also has a lot to do with the
fact that many, many useful MS/DOS software packages are under $100
which mostly removes the motivation to roll your own. Borland's (C &
Pascal) compilers are $79.95 at Egghead, how hard would you work to
save that much? Perfectly useable spreadsheets and little database
packages are around that price or less. You'd be amazed (if you don't
frequent those stores) at the number of useful packages for under $50.

Sure, these things may not be good enough for big production work
(actually, I think Borland's stuff always shocks people at how good it
is for the price, often much better than the $500+ compilers), but
that sort of customer doesn't care a lot about buying top-shelf stuff
either. So the same customer who might write or provide audience for
the freeware in the MS/DOS world can buy it for almost free. A lot of
people rely on services like Compuserve for "freeware" also, and it's
easy to spend $50 locating and downloading free software from those
services.

>Look at the difference between VMS and SUN. VMS comes with a software
>support contract that maximizes your performance, and provides an
>escalation mechanism if your system does not work. SUN tries to mimic
>this, but the telephone support center takes up to 3 days to return your
>call.

I think the reason this topic is at all interesting on this list
(INFO-FUTURES) is that a lot of those types of deals are doomed, the
industry is due for a major reorganization.

Those of us who remember LCG (DEC's TOPS-10/TOPS-20 large computer
group) also remember how the vax really cranked *down* service
quality. Simple economics, my 2060 cost $1M, most vaxes were less than
$250K and dropping fast on average when uVaxes became popular. Sun has
pushed their systems down to under $10K and they're doing a lot of the
same computing jobs, often better from a price/performance point of
view (at least in terms of predictability of response, which seems to
be quite important to former time-share users.)

My 2060 field service person was responsible for only four or five
sites, he dropped in at least once a week to just sit and read error
logs for an hour or two and otherwise sniff around for potential
problems (I remember him volunteering to redo a bunch of cables he
didn't like the looks of, for example.) You don't get that kind of
thing from DEC anymore, in general (I suppose if you have a room full
of 9000's they give you some special attention.) The economics have
changed for the average customer, they may be spending more money on
computing, but all of it on lots of small systems.

Times are changing, fast.

        -Barry Shein

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