Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!labrea!jade!ucbvax!ECLA.USC.EDU!BHUBER
From: BHUBER@ECLA.USC.EDU
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: disillusionment (aka software rip-offs)
Message-ID: <[ECLA.USC.EDU]27-Dec-87.05:40:51.BHUBER>
Date: 27 Dec 87 13:40:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 30

It has been my experience that little software pirating went on in the computer
dealers I frequented.  These have been primarily Apple oriented enterprises
since that is the hardware I use.  Some of the computer stores frequented are
"bi-vendored" (Apple and the other company I can't recall at this time).  I am
not saying that those dealers are pristinely pure, however.

Whole new scene now:  doing more checking for a pending PC Transporter, I
learned that the "system" from Applied Engineering does NOT include the
operating system; that must be purchased separately.  So, yours truly spent
some time yesterday driving around to a new genre of computer stores --
those that specialize in the other kind of machines or cloning said stuff.
I was aghast at the rampant, blatantly open software copying.  One store
owner was candid in stating that he would not be in business if he did not
provide "pre-loaded" hard disks on the machines he sold.  I found it difficult
to locate a legal copy (ie., unopened from the manufacturer) of MS-DOS.

I don't consider myself a prude, and I certainly don't have my head stuck in
the sand, but WOW!  To add insult to depression, the fourth store didn't
want to sell me a real copy of MS-DOS.  He tried to make me feel like a
misfit for considering doing things the way I do.

Then I found out why -- MS-DOS, in the one store that actually had a legal
copy, was on sale for $119.00!  I could talk him down to $100.00; but that
still is over 10% of the total hardware cost for a PC Transporter I am
planning (fully loaded for a GS) -- just for the operating system.

Shock and depression in one healthy dose!  Maybe I just went to the "wrong"
places (most of the "name" brand computer stores were closed yesterday).

Bud