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General Software Discussion / Re: Why is so much software cracked?
« Last post by Carol Haynes on May 29, 2006, 02:21 PM »I think a really good point that was made is that some of the software is so expensive that there are people (like me) who would never pay full price for it, therefore the company would not get a sell from them.I understand this point of view, but if you apply it to the real/physical world, would you suggest that stealing a bottle of 16-year-old whisky is okay? "I'd never pay full price for it, so it's not like they lose money". I think that kind of arguing is a bit silly, but it *does* have a point, too.
-f0dder (May 29, 2006, 01:54 PM)
Not supporting piracy but it is rather different issue.
If you pinch a bottle of whisky they have lost a sale - it is in you hangover.
Downloading a cracked copy of software doesn't cost them a cent because you weren't going to buy it anyway, and you haven't even used their bandwidth to get the download.
In some ways I can see it rather more akin to using an old fashioned library - I want to use an ecyclopedia ... my local library has a copy so I go and use it ... come home and think that is crap (don't buy it and never use it again) or that is great (I'll buy a copy).
It's the same with software - cough up $600 for a piece of software that you aren't sure does what you need? I think not ... I just won't buy it.
I have always though that music companies, film publishers and software companies could solve all their problems really simply. Reduce the price and many more people would be prepared to buy your product.
Let's look at Adobe Photoshop. I have had legit copies of versions 6, 7 and CS2 and think it is simply the best piece of photo software around - and it gets better in each version (not always equal leaps - which is why I didn't upgrade to CS). The big problem is that most home users won't pay the price (I'm luck I get an ed. discount). Now if instead of chaging $450 they charged $45 for the program they would wipe out all opposition in a stroke - they wouldn't have to prodece an extra version (Elements) and so reduce development, marketing, production and support costs and they would be absolutely guaranteed to sell more than 10 times the volume. Make it $30 and download only and they would cut out all production costs and everyone on the planet would have a copy. As it is they introduced product activation (but at least you can deactivate it and move it to another computer unlike MS) which has totally alienated users and is a PITA to anyone who wants to install it on a laptop or a second home computer - and doesn't stop the cracked versions.
