Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!emory!att!pacbell.com!tandem!zorch!xanthian From: xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Kent Paul Dolan) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: HAM-E Message-ID: <1990Dec10.073330.15018@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> Date: 10 Dec 90 07:33:30 GMT References: <1990Dec4.201207.22116@ims.alaska.edu> <1990Dec9.144547.4006@ncsuvx <2762ef31-36f4.5comp.sys.amiga-1@tronsbox.xei.com> Organization: SF-Bay Public-Access Unix Lines: 51 bleys@tronsbox.xei.com (Bill Cavanaugh) writes: > The more I hear about (and from) this company, the less I want their > product. >>So, you can get the software upgrades, for a $10 handling charge >>and whatever the shipping is to Europe for it. >Are they actually suggesting that putting the upgrades on a disk, putting >the disk in an envelope, and sealing the envelope costs them $10?? I can >get disks at the local Software Etc. for $1 each. Mailers are less than a >quarter. It takes less than two minutes to duplicate a disk. Yeesh! >Sorry, guys, too little, too late, for too much. Much as I agree with the rest of your article, and your conclusions, I have to defend the $10 as a realistic price. I'd be _amazed_ if they could break even at $10. That doesn't say that cost of bugfixes shouldn't be factored into the price of the released product, instead of existing as a hidden add on cost later, to make the product look more price competitive up front, but to run an upgrade service, you must, at a minimum: o Maintain a registered user list so you aren't upgrading pirated copies, and so that you can inform legitimate users that upgrades exist. o Write, print, stuff, frank, and distribute upgrade notices. o Gather, sort, prioritize, and track incoming mail. o Pay a disk duplication service to duplicate your diskettes. o Transport the disks to your facility. o Pay for printed labels, diskettes, mailers, mailer labels. o Pay for a materials ordering and inventory function. o Pay for heat, light, water, taxes, rent, furniture, filing, telephone, vacations, salary, SSI, Workman's comp, etc. for the person(s) doing the processing. o Address, label, stuff, frank, and post diskettes. o Handle complaints about unreadable diskettes. And probably lots more along the same lines I've missed. To go with Piet Hein's "Things. Take. Time." you can add my "Things. Cost. Money." Chuck McMannis did this all a lot better in his article on the cost of selling your own software, perhaps two years back. Kent, the man from xanth.