Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!ashing
From: ashing@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Shing)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Why do people pirate software?
Message-ID: <6832@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 29 Aug 90 18:25:21 GMT
References: <2643@anomaly.sbs.com> <90239.093316F0O@psuvm.psu.edu> <1990Aug27.220656.22537@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 41

In article <1990Aug27.220656.22537@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> mikew@proton.LCS.MIT.EDU (Michael B. Williams) writes:
#In article <90239.093316F0O@psuvm.psu.edu> F0O@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
#>      One of the great advantages of buying a product is the updates and
#>price breaks you can get on new software.  Borland has been wanting me to
#>buy Quattro Pro from them for $99 for the last 6 months.
#>                                                  [Tim]
#
#I must have gotten at least half a dozen letters from Borland offering
#me the ``$99 Quattro Pro'' upgrade either because I'm a Lotus 1-2-3
#user or because I'm a registered owner of Turbo C 2.0.  (The funny
#thing about the Lotus 1-2-3 letters is that I have never owned, used,
#or needed to use 1-2-3.)  I wonder if there is a polite way to tell
#Borland that it's nothing personal, but I DON'T NEED OR USE SPREAD
#SHEETS and would they kindly stop sending me these $99 upgrade
#letters. :-)
#

As a registered owner of Turbo C 2.0 (yes, I do buy my own software), I also
received the $99 Q Pro offer, and also didn't consider myself in the spread-
sheet market, since I already had MS Works.  However, I did take them up on
the offer, on the theory that any time you can buy a $495 piece of software for
$99, you should do it, and lo and behold, I all of a sudden have lots of 
uses for a professional quality spreadsheet.  

Borland can send me these offers any day.  I am aware that Q Pro is probably
going to be upgraded fairly soon, and that the upgrade fee is probably going 
to be considerably more than $99, but I'll probably go ahead and get the
upgrade.  

This strategy is a lot like that of the drug pushers, and IBM - start 'em off
cheap and get 'em hooked, and then hit 'em when they can't do without your
product.  Too bad other vendors haven't figured this out.  

#Of course, a $99 upgrade to Turbo C++ Professional, now we're talking...
#

The price will come down to around $150 pretty soon, so don't hold your 
breath waiting.

-- 
    Al Shing (ashing@cac.washington.edu)