Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pro-generic.cts.com!sb
From: sb@pro-generic.cts.com (Stephen Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Piracy, etc.
Message-ID: <8905280819.AA04304@crash.cts.com>
Date: 28 May 89 06:40:28 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: pnet01!pro-sol!pro-simasd!pro-generic!sb@nosc.mil
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 25

I am not trying to condone piracy.... BUT to those who speak about prices
being inflated... you're right.
 
I have seen the dealer markup on software, and its 40 to 60% (in Canada at
least).  This is consistent across the board. Now, I haven't seen lists of
distributer costs, but I can only suppose that THEY make 40 to 60% too.  This
makes a cheap package FAR more expensive. Perhaps if there were fewer handlers
in between publisher and end-user, prices would be a bit more reasonable.  No
one quibbles about the prices of Diversi-stuff and ProSEL, both of which are
marketed directly.
 
People would not bother to pirate if prices were more reasonable... of course
some packages take a lot of time (=money) to develop, and cannot be priced
inexpensively. I have no problems with that. Of course, the vast majority of
II-line programs aren't great.... I'll go further: Most programs for ANY
computer are crap. The good ones stand out, but for every good one, there are
dozens (in Canada, tens) of bad ones.  These programs were developed with the
hope of making a fast buck with as little quality and support as the market
will bear.  And though I may not pirate them, I have no sympathy when I hear
about someone who does.
 
Stephen Brown

 >>> sometimes you feel like a nut.
                   sometimes you don't <<<