Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!isi.edu!schur
From: schur@isi.edu (Sean Schur)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics
Subject: Re: Animation Journeyman: Wayne Knapp's Reply
Message-ID: <18139@venera.isi.edu>
Date: 4 Jun 91 07:27:26 GMT
References: <193b58af.ARN1010@cbmami.UUCP> <1991Jun2.221830.1635@techbook.com> <1991Jun3.022713.4109@techbook.com> <1991Jun3.070812.11563@news.iastate.edu>
Reply-To: schur@venera.isi.edu (Sean Schur)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Information Sciences Institute, Univ. of So. California
Lines: 56

In article <1991Jun3.070812.11563@news.iastate.edu> skank@iastate.edu (Skank George L) writes:
>In article <1991Jun3.022713.4109@techbook.com> waynekn@techbook.com (Wayne Knapp) writes:
>>waynekn@techbook.com (Wayne Knapp) writes:
>>
>>I meant that we are NOT going to sell non-copy protected versions of JMan.
>>Every copy must be personalised, or it isn't shipped.  This is our way of
>>protecting our investment.  (Don't try to convince me that there is not
>>any illegal coping of software in the Amiga market.  It is just as bad as
>>the IBM/Mac markets.)
>>
>
>     I think a lot of people here may not realize that *much* commerical
>software on larger systems, mainframes and workstations particularly, CANNOT
>BE BOUGHT!  You have to LICENCE it!  Take the DEC C compiler for VAX/VMS
>systems for example, I've heard that the software licence here at Iowa
>State costs $10000 annually, just for the C compiler.  We also have COBOL,
>BASIC, FORTRAN, and OPS5, which all have similar licences.  And that's the
>educational price.  Some Mentor Graphics software costs $50-100,000 annually!
>You should be happy that Wayne SELLS JMan rather than licencing it.
>
>					--George
>-- 

I wasn't going to get involved in this argument, but a good point has
been made here. There has been recent discussion about ALIAS and WAVEFRONT
software as well. This policy holds true not only for C compilers and system
software, but for other high end animation/raytracing software as well.

We just were donated 6 SGI Personal Irises, great. ALIAS software is
$8000 for each piece. Each piece will only work on 1 particular machine.
Most of these software companies use a hardware "key" that enables
the software on that machine. This is even how some IBM software works,
look at TIPS or Truevision. On top of that you have to pay several thousand
dollars per year (I don't have the exact figures in front of me right now) 
for phone support, plus several thousand more per year just for upgrades!!!
This is the same situation for Wavefront. And ALL of these companies ONLY
sell direct. And of course, as pointed out above this software is only
licenced to you.

Hash offers you free upgrades and free software support for a $500 piece
of software with really only minimal copy protection (a minor screen
stating who bought the software when one module is started). Let's get
real here. Lightwave has a $1500 copy protection scheme. Yes, it has
been publicly stated that Lightwave will NEVER be available as a standalone
package, not because it needs the Toaster, but because the Toaster is
Lightwave's copy protection. And Newtek is asking at least $100 for the
first software upgrade (2.0).

Just wanted to throw in my 2 cents worth.

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Sean Schur		    			USENET: schur@isi.edu	
Assistant Director Amiga/Media Lab		Compuserve: 70731,1102	
Character Animation Department			Plink: OSS259	
California Institute of the Arts
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