CompuServe Messages

Brian, Thanks for the comments on my columns. >>I am not sure what NewTek's wholesale pricing is, but I'm not sure it matters. I am not looking at from a dealer's point of view but as a consumer. The whole problem with Newtek's pricing structure is that it has a trickle down effect that eventually will hurt the consumer. First, dealers aren't likely to support a product that they don't make much money on. Since LightWave is relatively easy to use, this isn't a huge problem. Second, with the price where it's at, how could a developer like Positron (my company), justify charging half the retail price for a plug-in? So, the developers have to lower their prices to stay in line with Newtek's structure. This is enough to keep many developrs away from porting their routines. To stay afloat, a price point needs to be a fine blend of what the consumer will pay, how many potential units can be sold, and enough for the developer to continue to support and add features to a product. Third, Newtek places themselves in a pricing trap for future LightWave upgrades. If they were to come out with a version beyond 4.0 down the line that had an enormous amount of new features, how much could they ask their existing base to pay in upgrades? Does this force them to offer less in upgrades, but increase their frequency? I still enjoy using LightWave, but have really enjoyed the wonderful communications with Autodesk during the development of our products. Their level of support has been unmatched! Brent