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From: lhaider@pro-beagle.cts.com (Laer Haider)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Shareware
Message-ID: <27675.chatter.infoapple@pro-beagle>
Date: 12 Jan 91 05:43:22 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 54

In-Reply-To: message from greyelf@wpi.WPI.EDU

>Shareware is a nice idea, but my suggestion to new authors:
>Forget shareware.
>Go Commercial.

Most small developers (hackers) can't afford the expense of going
commercial, and there are fewer and fewer commercial marketeers 
picking up contracts to sell Apple IIxx programs.  Shareware is too
important to just forget.  Everyone keeps complaining that the only
market the shareware concept works in is in MS-DOS.  I feel there 
is a reason for that.  Most successful MS-DOS shareware packages 
that I've seen are major development efforts, and usually very high
quality packages with complete documentation.  Some of these share-
ware developers even advertize in major publication to attract new 
customers.  They can because the programs are successful.  However,
just as in the MS-DOS market, mediocre shareware programs don't 
attract much attention from Apple users.

In you case, with Daemon, I've never seen a copy of it; much less
tried it out.  I've never seen it on a BBS in the San Diego area
and have heard VERY little discussion of it.  Maybe the problem you're
experiencing is more on the side of marketing and support than in the
shareware concept itself.

I know your argument is going to be other shareware efforts in the
Apple market has fail abysmally as well.  Yet, have you seen any 
shareware programs like PC-Write, ProCOMM Plus, Money Counts, etc.
made available for the Apple market?  It's applications and utilities
of great power, good documentation and good support that people are
most interested in purchasing.

I pay for what I use.  But, like most I'm sure, I don't pay for some-
thing I try out a couple times and say "Oh.  Neat" then stick in my
desk drawer and forget about.  And certainly not for something I boot
up and say "Oh. Crapware" to.

Try developing a program that makes ProTERM look like dung; give it 
good documentation and aggressive marketing and support, then tell me
"Forget shareware."  Until I see some outstanding programs bomb in the
Apple shareware market, I can't believe it won't work for it.  There 
are several dozen members of the Association of Shareware Professionals
that are making a killing.
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