Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Distribution: world
From: David_B._Lamkins@fourd.com
Organization: 4th Dimension BBS
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 13:26:50 EST
Subject: Re: Why the Piracy? Here's why...

> >> Can you say "copy protection"...? 
> 
> I don't see how this would really dent the "pirating industry" that
> much. Seems like most of the pirating I've seen by people (notice I
> said "seen", not "done") has been to pitch in as a group and buy
> something and then copy the master disks so they each have a copy. I
> actually sympathize with this way of being an all-around illegal
> crook, as the people I have seen do it are almost always extremely
> unable to pay for full-price (should I say outrageously priced? Boy,
> I can feel the flames coming already ;) software. It is to me a pity
> that so many people can barely afford, even with taking out loans, to
> buy a half-decent machine, and then find that to be legal means they
> can't run any software on it but perhaps shareware. I know that
> "educational pricing" is sometimes a big help, but sometimes it isn't
> enough. Things like Pagemaker still go for $200 educationally, and
> few but the students with RICH parents could afford more than one or
> two such apps. 

Seems like you're trying to use the old "uninformed buyer argument."
Kinda silly when you think of it -- "Gee, I got this really great deal on
my new Mac, but now I have to steal software to use it." If it's really a
problem, why not bring it back to the dealer within the ten days or so
it takes you to discover that you're in over your financial head, apologize
profusely, and get your money back? Maybe because it's easier to steal
software -- who's gonna catch ya?

> I find it amusing at times to read Apple ads touting
> such things as "it can run IBM PC software, control your finances,
> let you do page layout, process words till you drop, etc.." They
> always show these fancy apps on the screens of the happy-faced Mac
> users, and I have to smile with amusement as I add up in my head the
> prices of all these apps Apple is selling you the machine for. It
> gets ridiculous. Of course, Apple would sell perhaps fewer macs if
> their ads told the whole truth, like this maybe: "it lets you run PC
> software for just $200 more, keep up with your finances for just $130
> more (for the high-tech spreadsheet they always show), design nice
> newsletters and such for only $200 more, process words till you drop
> for only $90 more, etc etc" It adds up so quick that to really do
> much at all with your mac would cost you hundreds if not thousands
> more.

The same is true of _any_ computer.

> I also have a beef with companies that rip you off in a big way
> if you buy the "eductaional" package. Case in point: Wolfram
> Research. They will sell you a "student version" of Mathematica for
> ONLY $175, BUT that version SUCKS THE BIG ONE. It won't even use a
> math-coprocessor! WHY? ISN"T THE NAME MATHEMATICA? The notion that a
> software's ability to utilize a math-coprocessor should be an option
> that costs you HUNDREDS of dollars more is BULL- S__T!

Agreed. Wholeheartedly agreed. After we kill all the lawyers, we can start
in on the marketing people <grin>.

> [...] When you get
> right down to it, the reason I don't pirate software is that for the
> few apps I really NEED to have, I can afford them, albeit barely. (I
> only run THINK Pascal/C, THINK Reference, and MS Word, anything else
> is shareware or freeware)

I think when push comes to shove, most users _do_ live within their means.
Big-time piracy seems to be mostly a corporate issue -- Joe down the hall
decides to buck the trend and use some new word processor "because it's so
much better," and suddenly everyone "needs" a copy so they can read his
missives. Software manufacturers would do well to develop low- or no-cost
readers. What ever happened to Farallon's Disk Paper?

> One more beef about software prices... Why
> in the heck do so many shareware writers ask for SO MUCH for their
> stuff? I am talking about the init that does some stupid thing to the
> finder or something like that and then you get this message saying
> "please support the shareware concept by sending me a check for $35,
> I also take MC/Visa" I mean, BE REAL! Most cdevs and such are worth
> at MOST $5 or maybe $10. You have these people who yell and scream
> about Apple charging $100 or whatever for a FULL-FLEDGED OPERATING
> SYSTEM and then they expect you to pay $25 for a HACK! That doesn't
> make sense to me...

Me either. I avoid downloading obvious hacks that request a shareware payment.
Most of the stuff I see that sneaks past the obvious hack test is so poorly
done
that I wouldn't pay $1, let alone $5 or $10... My trash can gets a lot of
use...

There are a few shareware authors who provide well-designed, well-executed
shareware programs, and I _do_ support them. Andrew Welch is one such 
example. Boris Tsikanovsky (SaveAll) is another. And don't forget, there is a
_lot_ of very good _free_ software out there from people like James Walker.

Dave Well, I have my asbestos suit on, so bring on
> those inevitable flames...

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