Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!samsung!raybed2!rayssd!anomaly!mpd
From: mpd@anomaly.sbs.com (Michael P. Deignan)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: A better reminder/cripple? (Was Re: Shareware is junk)
Message-ID: <1991May07.224227.7659@anomaly.sbs.com>
Date: 7 May 91 22:42:27 GMT
References: <1991May1.153211.21245@agate.berkeley.edu> <1991May3.133447.21207@nmt.edu> <1991May3.161211.2382@dsd.es.com> <1991May4.195941.20614@unhd.unh.edu> <22240@duke.cs.duke.edu>
Organization: Small Business Systems, Inc., Esmond, RI  02917
Lines: 47

kds@physics (Kevin Stokes) writes:

>  I disagree with the above statement, as a shareware author, I can say
>from experience, that few people will register unless there is a reason.
>How many people use PKZIP everyday, and of those, how many do you think have 
>registered it?  

If you took the time to do a "pkzip -l", twit, you would see:

<start quote>

You are free to use, copy, and distribute PKZIP for noncommercial use IF:
	NO FEE IS CHARGED FOR USE, COPYING, OR DISTRIBUTION.
	IT IS NOT MODIFIED IN ANY WAY.

<end quote>

Guess what that means? That means I don't have to pay a DIME to use PKZIP or
PKUNZIP!

>with a note saying "You may borrow this $50 if you need it, but please
>return it with interest after a couple weeks."  How many bills would be
>returned?  One must be realistic.

Most shareware is shit. Good shareware packages eventually become 
commercial.

>  Most of the shareware which use and don't register is software which
>I would never buy in the store if at that cost.  Who would go out and buy
>a keyboard buffer extender for $50, when Power C compiler with 600 page
>printed manual costs $20?

Maybe if the author put a reasonable price on the package to begin with,
he/she would get more registrations.

>  My product notes the date when the user installs it, then allows full
>use without reminders for 1 week, and then asks for registration, or
>else the user must reinstall it.

And, if for some reason, the user only uses it once that week?

MD
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