Re: [NTLK] Shareware "issues"

From: Brian Pearce (bpearce_at_cloud9.net)
Date: Wed Aug 14 2002 - 00:16:12 EDT


>So does anybody know what I do in this situation? I have no real
>objection to paying shareware fees but in this instance it seems kind of
>absurd. Paying fees for shareware that isn't going to ever be updated...
>For a platform that is, in terms of money-making prospects, pretty much
>dead. Does anybody see where I'm coming from?

Generally, when I pay for a piece of software, all I'm paying for is the version of the program I'm purchasing, and maybe some tech support. I know full well that the software may be superceded by a later, better version, and I may well have to spend more money to purchase it if I choose to. Practical experience has shown that I can't expect that software updates will always be free (or in this case, even forthcoming).

Regardless of the present state of the Newton platform, a software developer has every right to a return on his investment of time and effort, in whatever small increments he can get it (and no matter how long it takes).

I think the right thing to do is pay the small amount of money for shareware that you find genuinely useful, wherever possible. After that, use your best judgment. (That said, there are probably free alternatives to many of the StandAlone programs that cover much of the same ground, and this is a good place to ask for suggestions.

 
BRIAN/bpearce_at_cloud9.net

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