Re: How does this software work??

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To: mi400@midrange.com
From: jamesl@hb.quik.com
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Reply-To: jamesl@hb.quik.com
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 12:17:27 EDT
X-Mailer: EMUmail
Subject: Re: [MI400] How does this software work??

My Fellow Geeks:

Deliberately crippling, or otherwise doing extra work to
reduce the value of, a
cheaper product is hardly unique to IBM, or even to
the computer/software
industry.

Years ago, when I worked for Oxxi, we
published the leading Amiga (yes, Amiga!)
spreadsheet, MaxiPlan. We had two
versions, MaxiPlan Plus, which had macros and
a desk accessory calculator,
and MaxiPlan 500, which didn't. Near as I can
determine, the only
differences were the packaging, a few extra chapters in the
manual, and a
slight change in the process by which the developer (a
freelancer) used to
build the product.

With QuestView, the software is exactly the same whether
you buy it with or
without program creation, and whether you buy it on a
model-size based or
user-based license. It's all controlled from the
authorization code.

When I work for my friend in the video business,
videotaping figure skating
competitions, we charge one price for just the
individual skater, and a
somewhat higher price to include the entire group
he or she is competing in. It
has happened on a number of occasions that
people have ordered the
entire group, then decided, AFTER their tape was
already ready for them to pick
up, that they couldn't afford the group. If
we have to give them a refund on
that basis, we actually go to the extra
effort to erase the group and re-dub
the individual skater.

Why would we
do extra work for seemingly negative revenue?

In the case of software, it's
done because some users simply don't have the
budget for the full product,
and selling a cheapened version beats
losing a sale entirely. Dummying-out
features (in the case of MaxiPlan) or
disabling them (in the case of
QuestView) is cheaper and easier than creating
an entirely separate product,
and (particularly with QuestView) allows the
users to upgrade to the full
version (or an unlimited number of users) later
without having to physically
install new software.

In the case of the video work, it's done because to
refuse to "downgrade" the
order once completed might drive customers away,
and to issue a refund and let
the customer keep a group he or she didn't pay
for would invite customers to
take advantage of the company.

And in both
cases, to let people have the more expensive version for the price
of the
cheaper version is manifestly unfair to those who paid for the full
version,
and tends to drive prices up
overall.

--
J.Lampert
Professional_Dilettante