Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!travis!hardy!leoh
From: leoh@hardy.hdw.csd.harris.com (Leo Hinds)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Shareware Poll: The Results
Message-ID: <1141@travis.csd.harris.com>
Date: 3 Oct 90 15:39:57 GMT
References: <6208@uceng.UC.EDU> <27380004@hpcvra.CV.HP.COM>
Sender: news@travis.csd.harris.com
Reply-To: leoh@hardy.hdw.csd.harris.com (Leo Hinds)
Organization: Harris Computer Systems, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Lines: 38

In article <27380004@hpcvra.CV.HP.COM> everett@hpcvra.CV.HP.COM (Everett Kaser) writes:
>
>The problem here, Peter, is that many people will find a reason to justify
>their use of a program without paying for it, regardless of the means of
>distribution.
>  1) if it's commercial software they've pirated, they "would have bought
>       my own copy if the price wasn't highway robbery!"

I used to fall into that category ... primarily because (1) highway robbery, 
(2) I was a poor student, (3) I only occasionally used the SW, (4) it was 
freely available.

Personally I find it hard to justify spending $400+ (list) for a piece of SW 
that I will use no more than once or twice a month.  Now this total expenditure
amount would increase dramatically if you consider the fact that one "needs" a 
spreadsheet, a wp a database, a comm program ... if those items cost $50 
each ... well so what if I only used them occasionally.

My first "real" purchase was PCOMM+ when it went from Shareware to 
commercial ... it did not meet my $50 criteria, but it was something I used 
often, so I decided it was the right thing to do. 

The same is true for other programs ... including Quattro PRO ... i got it @ 
$99 as a registered owner of Borland products ... better than 123 IMHO, again 
past the $50 criteria, but (now that I working) a reasonable purchase ...

Bottom line, sure some people feel guilty ... I didn't.  When It was 
appropriate (either right cost of frequency of use justified it) I went legit.  

Nowerdays I hardly ever touch my home system (original IBM PC) as I use enough 
PC's at work (a 386) with company supplied legitimate copies of all the 
software I need.  I get PCed out at work ... plus it's kind of slow at home :-)



leoh@hdw.csd.harris.com         	Leo Hinds       	(305)973-5229
Gfx ... gfx ... :-) whfg orpnhfr V "ebg"grq zl fvtangher svyr lbh guvax V nz n
creireg ?!!!!!!? ... znlor arkg gvzr