Re: OMG!

["Christopher D. Heer" <chris-heer.nospam@home.com.nospam>]

J.Q.P. <jqp@hotmail.com> wrote in message
3AEBD50B.BF1808D@hotmail.com">news:3AEBD50B.BF1808D@hotmail.com...

> Kelli Halliburton wrote:

> > The reality is, in these days of 0 effective market, what is at best a
> > hobbyist interest, and the existence of the FSF and the GPL, the Apple
II
> > platform simply cannot economically sustain any new development.

> Phooey.   The Apple II platform is as able to sustain as much
> development as any other ground-zero platform -- such as a non-Palm/
> WinCE PDA, or a non-Sony/Nintendo/Sega/Xbox off-brand console
> game (as, for example, the Indrema would have been).   Most people
> dont care what's in the box, only what it can do for them.

Errr, that's not a fair analogy.  A WinCE PDA, for example, is at least a
recent hardware platform.  A non-Sony/Nintendo/Xbox console would indeed
have serious viability problems (see "Dreamcast").  You can't call the Apple
II ground zero, because of its age and more limited hardware.

> If you can come up with something new and compelling, people
> will buy it.

How many?  That's the point.  Almost nobody will seek out an Apple II
because of some terrific app or game for it.  So any developer is catering
to an existing, eroding base, whereas Compaq may sell some more WinCE PDAs.

> The II is only in it's current state because of hardware stagnation,
> and (if someone thought it was worth the risk) that is easily remedied.

Ah but they don't, do they?

> > Those
> > authors who have continued their efforts to provide the community with
new
> > applications, utilities, operating systems, and games are to be
commended
> > for their loyalty and enthusiasm,

> Agreed.

I agree too.

> > but to be chided for expecting monetary
> > compensation for their efforts.

> Not at all agreed.  The market will bear what it can bear.  If they're
> getting enough out of it to make it worth their while, more power to
> them

I agree here as well; certainly if they can get money for their efforts,
they ought to.

They had best be realistic about their prospects, however.

> I dont presently own a GS, but if I did, I'd pay for Spectrum, or
> pay shareware fees for Marinetti  (even though it's a good thing
> that _THAT_ bit of software is free and widely propagated), or Arachnid.

As would I.  As development projects, however, they're sustained by love,
not a solid market.

> Piracy is never justifiable.  If a company like Broderbund or Origin
> or EA had objected to their programs being put on a FTP site, they
> would have had legal recourse.  Copyrights dont expire becuase a
> computer system falls from popularity.

Agreed.  Sadly, many of these companies neither sell nor support these
products, yet are unwilling to make them freely available.  Not much to be
done there.

I do think, however, there are legal precedents when a company does not
defend its copyright.  Not clear on those as I am not a lawyer, but a friend
of mine is.  I'll ask him and post what he says if anyone is interested.

> Who decides that the market is dead?

Let's not stick our heads in the sand, here.

> I dont know what kind of
> volume Allelec or SHH is getting, but apparently they dont agree with
> you.

Alltech Electronics doesn't rely on Apple II hardware to stay in business!
Scan their site sometime.  My guess is they do it because (A) they do indeed
get some revenue from it, (B) there's little or no overhead because they can
subsidise from their more mainstream products, and (C) perhaps someone there
has a fondness for the Apple II line.  That last one is pure speculation, of
course, but A and B seem obvious.

That hardly means the market is sustainable on its own.  Try going into
business selling only Apple II hardware; it won't work.

Can't speak for SHH; don't really know much about them.

> At this point, a few authors are (apparently) getting enough
> shareware fees for their programs that they continue to make new
> releases...then the market isnt dead.

But very, very small.  Again, these authors no doubt survive on (A) other
income and (B) love.  That's great for us, because we reap the benefits.

> Pirating their programs
> only discourages them from further development.

If you're going to develop software, you need to come to terms with piracy.
It happens at every level, and there is simply no way to stop it.

> "I think the market's dead, so it's okay to steal" is not morally
> or legally defensible.

I agree.
--
  Christopher D. Heer -- chris-heer.nospam@nospam.home.com
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