Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!paul.rutgers.edu!njin!limonce From: limonce@pilot.njin.net (Tom Limoncelli) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications Subject: Re: When will new WordPerfect be available? Message-ID: Date: 14 Jan 91 23:59:42 GMT References: <1991Jan14.002805.1@ccvax.iastate.edu> <1092@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz> Organization: Drew University/NJIN Lines: 48 In article <1092@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz> ifarqhar@sunb.mqcc.mq.oz.au (Ian Farquhar) writes: > Yes, but it was WordPerfects amazing stupidity that lost money. Let's > look at a prime example of how to release a product that nobody will > loose money: > > a) Release a product that does not support the user interface of the > target machine properly. They were close enough. All of WP's versions of WP go by the function keys, but the Mac, Amiga, ST versions ALSO permit you to use the the pull-down windows. I've helped (Amiga only) people get up to speed on AmigaWP and they didn't have any problem. > b) Release an older version of a product when newer versions are being > released one other machines. > c) Promise updates versions and don't deliver. Both true... though I think c) is more due to rumors started outside of the company not coming true. Your first statement about losing money is not completely correct. WP made BIG bucks on AmigaWP when it was first released. They were often quoted as paying their development costs in 2 or 3 months. That's a great trick. They lost money when they didn't think before they moved into Germany. They heard that there were tons of Amigas in Germany so they paid big $$$ to translate the manuals, etc. What they didn't know (though they could have asked ANYONE) is that piracy is so bad in Germany, you can't spend big $$$ and still make a profit. If you're going to produce products for Germany you have to spend very little money. WordPerfect Corp. refuses to do that. They will only make a top of the line program with a better-than-top manual. So, they lost big. Tom's big tip for the day: :-) "Remember folks, if you want to make money by selling software in Germany, you have to do a rush job and spend as little as possible. Sure this means you'll produce total crap and most likely a useless product, but it's caled Economic Reality. Software piracy leads to crappy software." Tom -- tlimonce@drew.edu Tom Limoncelli "Flash! Flash! I love you! tlimonce@drew.bitnet +1 201 408 5389 ...but we only have fourteen tlimonce@drew.uucp limonce@pilot.njin.net hours to save the earth!"