Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ames!lll-lcc!pyramid!voder!apple!korn
From: korn@apple.UUCP (Peter "Arrgh" Korn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Is MacRecorder what BMUG sold for $20?
Message-ID: <7435@apple.UUCP>
Date: 18 Feb 88 04:04:13 GMT
References: <8802162345.AA05719@jade.berkeley.edu> <507@aimt.UUCP>
Reply-To: korn@apple.UUCP (Peter "Arrgh" Korn)
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, USA
Lines: 42
Disclaimer:  I wasn`t hired to give Apple`s opinions.

In article <507@aimt.UUCP> breck@aimt.UUCP (Robert Breckinridge Beatie) writes:
>
>  [MacRecorder was a BMUG product, sold `not for profit` a while back...]
>
>Now I'm not saying that Farallon hasn't done a lot of work with MacRecorder
>(and PhoneNet by the way) to turn it into a real "product".  I suspect that
>in fact they have.  Nor am I saying that Farallon doesn't deserve, either
>legally or morally, any money they can make off these products.  But it does
>seem pretty stupid to pay Farallon when you can get something similar from
>BMUG for a lot less.  Of course, it might not be possible to get these kits
>from BMUG.  It's been a long time since I was a member.

Several people on this network have suggested that charging $200 for
Farallon`s MacRecorder isn`t all that kosher, considering that the original
MacRecorder kit from BMUG was $50.

I want to point out that that $50 was relatively close to BMUG cost.
Farallon, on the other hand, took it out of kit form, put it into a hard
plastic molded case, removed the need for a power supply, added in software
written by Steve Capps that is extremely impressive (and you thought that
the old software was impressive), and is selling it through the normal dealer
& distributer networks.

First, the store that sells it to you for $200 list is probably getting
it at $120.  They get it from a distributer, who is in actuality paying
probably something close to $80.  If $50 is anywhere near the parts cost that
non-profit BMUG charged, and we have the addition of software, printed manual,
hard case, etc. etc. one cannot guess that Farallon is making money 
hand-over-fist on this one.

Having played with both products (BMUG`s and Farallon`s), I certainly
feel that the new MacRecorder is four times the older one in capabilities,
interface, ease of use, manual, hypercard stack interface, etc.  I would
also seriously doubt that most stores are demanding the list $200 for it.

Nice as our capitalistic modern distribution system is here in America,
it comes not withough cost.  The dealer`s cut; the distributer`s cut;
(oftentimes) the salesperson`s individual cut; all add $$s to the cost.

Too bad shareware doesn`t work.

Peter