Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!oberon!cit-vax!elroy!ames!pasteur!agate!ig!uwmcsd1!leah!itsgw!steinmetz!uunet!actnyc!gcf
From: gcf@actnyc.UUCP (Gordon Fitch)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Piracy
Keywords: copy protection piracy
Message-ID: <895@actnyc.UUCP>
Date: 20 May 88 15:05:16 GMT
References: <9160@cisunx.UUCP> <1801@uhccux.UUCP> <807@netxcom.UUCP> <1641@looking.UUCP> <174@proxftl.UUCP> <1654@looking.UUCP>
Reply-To: gcf@actnyc.UUCP (Gordon Fitch)
Organization: InterACT Corporation
Lines: 34

In article <1654@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes:
>In article <174@proxftl.UUCP> rafael@proxftl.UUCP (Rafael Mayer) writes:
>>You are implying that Lotus's production costs are in excess of $150 dollars
>>and I don't believe that.
>>
>...and then...
>>
>>Actually, something is only worth what people are willing to pay for it.
>
>I have to admit I am confused by this argument.  What on earth do
>the production costs of 1-2-3 have to do with how much it is worth?

Precisely.  People are misunderstanding what Lotus is selling.  It
is not "software" but a larger object which may have software at its
core.  The larger object includes glossy plastic packaging, manuals,
a visible corporation which can be called up, written to, and sued, and
many intangibles such as the comfort of dealing with a business able
to buy expensive advertising with good graphics and copy. These qualities
not only bring peace to the heart of the DP manager, but may cover his
nether parts in the event that something goes wrong in a big way.  The
fact that a corporate officer made $26,000,000 simply adds to the value
of the product.

Also, we shouldn't forget that the expense of the product may be a
valuable attribute in a corporate environment.  If you pay a few
hundred dollars for an "off" brand, all you get is functionality and
risk.  If you can justify paying fifty thousand, you've enlarged
your province in the corporate empire.

If all you want is 1-2-3 functionality, you can buy a clone from Public
Brand Software (distributors of shareware and public domain stuff) for
a few dollars.  Their telephone number is 800-426-DISK, or so they say.

                          Gordon Fitch (...!uunet!actnyc!gcf)