Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 7/1/84; site wuphys.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mgnetp!we53!busch!wuphys!fek
From: fek@wuphys.UUCP (Frank Kramer)
Newsgroups: net.micro.apple
Subject: Re: An open letter to software pirates
Message-ID: <237@wuphys.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Mar-85 13:44:27 EST
Article-I.D.: wuphys.237
Posted: Fri Mar 22 13:44:27 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 24-Mar-85 03:55:07 EST
References: <1180@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Physics Dept., Washington Univ. in St. Louis
Lines: 26

One myth you forgot about is the one that says "Well geewhiz, I mean
things like books and records and movies aren't copy-protected and
those folks manage to get rich.  The same should apply to software."

This is one of the rationales that people like Jerry Pournelle use to
argue with software developers.  The difference here is quantitative
(you know, numbers and stuff) rather than qualitative (motherhood,
patriotism, solar energy for the masses).  How many people can read?
How many can get to a theater?  How many have access to a record
player?  Now..... how many people have computers?  

Every business in the world that plans on being here for more than a
couple of days has to have information on the market for which his
products are intended.  He needs to apply this information in his
overall retailing strategy.  And this includes the price he must
charge for those products.  Right now *ALL* computer software is
distributed to a vertical market because, let's face it, the average
consumer does *NOT* own a computer.


That's all,

Frank
wuphys!fek