Re: trading policy for IIe

["Paul Grammens" <grammens@svn.net>]

"Jeff Blakeney" <CUTjblakeney@sympatico.ca> wrote
>
> The problem with this is, if you are giving away copies of Wizardry,
> why would anyone pay for Silvern Castle?  This is just an example, as
> Silvern Castle is now freeware because Jeff Fink got so few people to
> actually pay the shareware fee but it does illustrate my point.
>

Jeff, you just don't get it. I can get Apple II software by the
wheelbarrow-load from the Salvation Army, for a song. More games than I
could play in a lifetime.  Utils and apps that major companies produced.
This is great. I'm a collector, I don't want new stuff, I want classic
stuff. The hardware is moribund. It's never going to play MP3's, let alone
rip them. It's never going to run a CD burner. I'm never going to hook up a
digital camera and download, edit, and print color pictures.  But hey, I've
got an old 700 mhz Athlon to do that.  I don't care about new apps any more
than I care about 32 bit Apple II's.
There is very little money to be made selling anything for the Apple II. Get
over it. That phase is gone forever. It's ridiculous to make Tom a scapegoat
for that.

> Just in case my point isn't clear enough, here's another example:  Why
> would anyone buy a new word processor, database or spreadsheet program
> if they can simply download AppleWorks or any of a huge pile of other
> programs that do the same thing?

The basic hardware hasn't changed in 10 years. Very few people, and surely
zero new users, are using Apple II's for word processing.  I have AppleWorks
GS, which came on a IIgs I bought. I looked at it, fooled around with it a
bit. Am I going to type up my resume and print it on an Imagewriter II?
Um... no.  I'm sure some people are going to say they would. But they
already have AppleWorks, and I doubt they are in the market for a new word
processor. That's the reality, and it makes perfect sense (heh heh... can
you imagine submitting a resume online... in AppleWorks format?).


 Because people are gaining access to
> illegal copies of older software, there is no need for them to seek
> out legal software, request certain types of software be developed or
> purchase any new software that might exist.
>
> And people wonder why Apple II software development has slowed down so
> much.  :-)
>

Without hardware improvements, there is little need for new software. That's
the reality. It has nothing to do with Tom.
-Paul