No one has demonstrated a way to increase software quality dramatically without a corresponding increase in costs. Minasi supports this contention with a series of astonishing quotes from interview subjects. If the market realigned itself to focus on bugs rather than features, then we definitely could produce code with less bugs. Therefore, users can effect a quality transformation on the entire industry simply by demanding better software. The weak link in this logical chain is Minasi's suggestion that software publishers could produce bug-free software readily if anyone bothered to ask for it.
Software engineering is a larger and more complex field than The Software Conspiracy suggests.
The Software Conspiracy is 271 pages long. DeMarco has a way of stepping back from provocative issues and questioning all the assumptions. If you are looking for an inquiry into the factors that influence the quality of commercial software, DeMarco's is the deeper and more constructive analysis. In fairness, it must be noted that DeMarco wrote for professional developers and development managers while Minasi's book is directed toward an unsophisticated audience of computer users. It is appropriate for Minasi to skip over details and simplify complex arguments.