Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rochester!ur-tut!ur-cvsvax!jea
From: jea@ur-cvsvax.UUCP (Joanne Albano)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Amiga's Worst Enemy
Message-ID: <613@ur-cvsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-May-87 09:30:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: ur-cvsva.613
Posted: Fri May 22 09:30:41 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 23-May-87 15:41:37 EDT
References: <18006@sun.uucp> <857@sputnik.COM> <1640@sphinx.uchicago.edu> <136@l5comp.UUCP>
Distribution: world
Organization: Center for Visual Science, Univ. of Rochester
Lines: 34
Keywords: Developers programmers comercial software MCC EA DeluxePaint
Summary: PD vs Commercial S/W Revisited
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.amiga:5086 comp.sys.ibm.pc:4281

In article <136@l5comp.UUCP>, scotty@l5comp.UUCP (Scott Turner) writes:
> The toolkit also comes with a top notch disassembler. This item by itself was
> worth the price of the toolkit...
> :) I have also NEVER had any trouble with the MetaComCo
> Shell, I can't say the same for the various PD/shareware shell's I've tried.
> Even the ConMan had (or should I say 'has'?) his problems. The MCC stuff worked
> OUT OF THE BOX, and came with PRINTED, BOUND documentation. I also get a company
> I can yell at if anything does go bump.
>  ...
> To summarize, I eat or starve by the quality of my tools. It's also not enough
> for them to show up any ol' day, they have to be there when I need them. I don't
> care WHERE the tool comes from but it has to be quality and be there when I need
> it. I use both PD/shareware and commercial. I tend to find most commercial stuff
> to be useless trash which makes my praise of MCC's tools all the higher.

I know that more than enough has been said about the alleged damage
that PD S/W is/has effected upon AMIGA ADVANCEMENT, but I think
Scott's comments make clear the fact that PD and Commercial
software should fill two entirely separate NICHES. Public
Domain is really a "swim-at-your-own-risk" proposition. Running
such software typically means that you accept the fact that it
may not come with adequate documentation, may not perform as
advertised, and may require an investment of your time to get
it "working" in your environment. On the other hand, for your
BUCK$ you should expect that the Commercially-available product
be fully tested and that hand-holding be available either through
extensive clear documentation and/or free telephone support.
I think the problem lies not with the Public Domain S/W that is
available but with the Commercial Software. If it cannot compete
when there are these two separate NICHES then maybe the Commercial
Product does not have a market or asks it customers to "Swim-
at-their-own-risk".

rochester!ur-cvsvax!jea (Joanne Albano)