Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!fluke!ssc-vax!coy
From: coy@ssc-vax.UUCP (Stephen B Coy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Pirating on the ST in the USA
Message-ID: <2697@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 7 Jun 89 19:31:30 GMT
References: <8905291145.AA23176@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <382@nixpbe.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Corp., Seattle WA
Lines: 37

In article <382@nixpbe.UUCP>, mboen@nixpbe.UUCP (Martin Boening) writes:
> In the same interview Mr. Louie also stated, that there aren't as many STs
> around in the US as there are PCs, MacIntoshes or Amigas. However, in
> order to justify his remark about pirating on STs in the US, maybe he
> could tell us, how many PCs, how many MacIntoshes, how many Amigas, how
> many STs there are around in the US. Then we might be able to put the
> sales figures for Falcon into relation with the number of machines around.
> If the percentage of copies sold for STs is significantly lower than for
> Amigas, THEN I might accept the claim that the ST is a pirating machine and
> the rest aren't. Otherwise I have to put it down as policy for covering up
> that Falcon ST appeared later than the other versions or that it's going
> to be dropped.

Does it really matter?  The real bottom line for the developer is
"Will I make a profit porting program X to machine Y?".  If the
answer is yes then the port should be done, if no then not done.
Percentages don't mean a thing.  What we're interested in is how
many units can be sold in relation to the cost of producing,
advertising and supporting the product.  Claims of piracy, true or
otherwise, are just so much noise.  The real issue is low sales
numbers.  It just seems that developers would rather claim piracy
than crappy code, non-existent support, or bad advertising.  And
users will never admit that there's just not enough machines and
owners willing to spend money to make writing for their system
profitable.

> Martin
> (Disclaimer: In this issue, I speak for myself, if at all)
> Email: in the   USA ->  ...!uunet!philabs!linus!nixbur!mboening.pad
>        outside  USA ->  {...!mcvax}!unido!nixpbe!mboening.pad
> Paper Mail: Martin Boening, Nixdorf Computer AG, DS2,
> 	    Pontanusstr. 55, 4790 Paderborn, W.-Germany

Stephen Coy
uw-beaver!ssc-vax!coy

		There's always room for Jello(tm)