Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!nosc!humu!pegasus!richard
From: richard@pegasus.com (Richard Foulk)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: OS costs
Message-ID: <1990Aug30.032304.84@pegasus.com>
Date: 30 Aug 90 03:23:04 GMT
References: <350@usaos.UUCP> <1990Aug28.182758.29036@ico.isc.com>
Organization: Pegasus,  Honolulu
Lines: 19

>
>The trouble with this thinking is that the numbers for 386 UNIX systems
>don't yet work right for a commodity market.  Obviously, one important
>number is quantity; [...]

Don't forget; the selling price of the OS could have a lot to do with
demand and hence quantity.  Especially in a market where the software
is currently approaching the cost of the hardware.

Guessing the optimal price is perhaps a marketeers most difficult job.
But there's always the possibility that if you reduce your price by 50%
you'll increase your sales by 200%.  With no way to prove it except to
try it.

It is my distinct impression that ISC and SCO are erroring on the high side.


-- 
Richard Foulk		richard@pegasus.com