> Mike Masnick writes:
> > Which brings up the problem I didn't address, but you have brought up
> > inadvertantly: How the fuck do companies make money if they should be
> > giving away their product?
>
> Hmmm... I can't recall when the marginal cost of even large software
> products, in terms of media, was anywhere near $100.00, but software
> is routinely sold for far more. Some of this is the cost of support
> services --- but then again, it isn't hard to find software packages
> distributed over the net for four-figure sums for which support will
> set you back even more.
In a move to rival cigarette makers giving out free Cigarettes, few years
ago at the Los Angeles Mac Users Group Microsoft said they were going to do
a "full featured demo" of Office. Well appearantly that was a code word for
giving away Office. The user group had to move to the dept of water and
power building to fit everyone in and true to their word Ms handed out
something like 350 copies of Office.
Tim
P.S. As a foot note, MacWeek refused to cover the story in print