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From: braner@theory.tn.cornell.edu (Moshe Braner)
Subject: software upgrades (was Re: Paying for Shareware)
Message-ID: <1991Mar25.175223.12305@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Summary: what ever happened to them?
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Organization: Cornell Theory Center
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Date: Mon, 25 Mar 1991 17:52:23 GMT

Perhaps this forum can discuss this and bring up some advice.

I have been getting the feeling that, in the commercial software
world, the bug fixes and minor updates have gone extinct.
It goes like this: a major new program comes out.  It promises
to be great.  You buy it.  There are some bugs or unfinished
details or other undocumented features.  You wait for bug
fixes.  6 months later you get a letter telling you about
the fine "new" product that is replacing the old one, and
that due to your loyal buying in the past you have the great
and unique opportunity to buy the new product for "only" $100,
which is what you paid for the original, but much less than
the mythical "list price".  What ever happened to $5 (or even
$30) software updates?  Suppose I don't need the fancy new
features of the new version -- shouldn't I be entitled to
have the old version fixed so that it will do what it was
supposed to do?

Examples?  Well how about Borland's Turbo C++, or Quattro Pro.
($500 list?  What ever happened to the $50-Turbo-Pascal company?)

So I am more and more leaning towards restricting myself to
freeware and shareware.  How are updates announced and
distributed in the world of shareware?

- Moshe