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From: lharris@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Leonard Harris)
Date: Sat, 23-Jan-88 12:41:34 EST
Message-ID: <1988Jan23.124134.16121@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Software (and other kinds of) copying
References: <8055@g.ms.uky.edu> <174@piring.cwi.nl> <14257@oddjob.UChicago.EDU> <111@ritcv.UUCP>
Reply-To: lharris@gpu.utcs.UUCP (Leonard Harris)
Keywords: technology changes things

I think one of the main problems of copying software is the attitude of the
software companies.  If they implemented a 30 day money back system so proper
evaluation of software could be made, then I think sales would fall (if it is
a crappy piece of software) or the number of legit sales would increase (it it
is good and usefull).  Take for example microsoft C, or Wordperfect for the atari - both are full of bugs, both don't have return policies - but how do you
find out that the software is bad without spending $400 on it?
Wordprocessors are another point - what to buy - microsoft word or wordperfect.  
No matter how many reviews you read it boils down to personal choice - again
you have to buy both packages with no return to see which one you prefer.
With some packages you can get limited demo disks but they still don't model
a real application.
In Canada it is now a criminal offence to copy software - I think the law
should be ammended to allow proper evaluation of software with a reasonable
return period.
Enough said - things will never change anyway ...
/Leonard