🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Aug12.015856.13142@fsg.com> chuck@fsg.com (Chuck Yerkes) writes:
>
>Having followed this thread for a while, I must comment on some things.
>I'm going to extrapolate a bit to all computer systems instead of just next.
>
>    I find that an application for Unix costs a great amount more than
>a functionally similiar application on the PC or the Mac (single
>tasking machines).  I have found accounting software for unix that
>costs $1500 that isn't much better than $600 software on the PC/Mac.  I
>have found, though that NeXT software is much more reasonably priced
>(compared to Unix software) in general.
> [deleted]
>   This often happens in Unix.  It's a more complicated to program in
>than DOS (or at least you can't write the junk code that is found in
>many DOS programs - you have to write programs correctly), but often
>programs are used the same way - 1 user plugging away at it.  This does
>not justify the price differences that one finds in general purpose
>apps (like word processors and simple databases) that one finds.
>

  It is much easier to answer questions like these when you consider
the economics of the situation.  I am a developer with products on the
NeXT and the PC.  The PC products are priced lower than the NeXT
products.  This has nothing to do with personal greed.  It has
everything to do with the size of the market base.  The NeXT will sell
to fewer people, so it needs to be priced higher to recoup its nearly
equal development and support costs.

  Also bear in mind that most people with Unix machines are in
business or education still, and are not individual home users with small
budgets.  Businesses often by in bulk and receive discounts that bring
the software costs much closer to the PC costs.

  Thus, same program, different price, which seems unfair but remains
necessary in general.

Shane