CompuServe Messages

Hi Lee! Regarding Penello/Xaos: This is really a shame because as far as I know every Beta Tester I talked to including myself warned them that they were coming in to a completly different market and that they would do well if they paid attention to the current perceived Values attached to the present IPAS Routines. I had no problem agreeing that their product had Value in this market but that they would have to pay attention to current market forces and go for the larger market share. Their Pricing was simply out of line with reality. I reminded them also that as a Beta tester/Dealer I felt insulted that they would offer to sell me a final copy for $300. while as a dealer I could sell "Educational" Copies to "Students" for $195. I thought that both insulting and inconsistant with their expectations regarding the $1000.00 price for the "General Population". So as a Dealer & Beta Tester my value was percieved by Xaos as being less than that of a Student who most likley would use this product to compete unfairly with those clients of mine that I would have sold their product to for $1000.00 Completly undefensable in my humble opinion. I'd like to see this Group stick around and continue to work on these types of programs as IPAS plug-ins for 3D Studio but if they don't get a better feel for the realities of this market place they're gonna loose it. This ain't the SGI Market Fella's….I told em' that outright and was met with major attitude…So I gave Em' a Pass…. There are Some Programs that we can live without, especially at unrealisticly high prices. To quote myself again I argued with them that at $1000.00 most of my clients would be spending that kind of money on upgrading thier 486 machines to Pentiums, NOT an IPAS Routine! Totally Deaf Ears! Well I'm sorry they screwed up their marketing plan because I really would like to see the Kind of "programing" talent that the Xaos People represent contribute to the overall 3D Studio Package. I hope they can recover and have learned a valuable lesson. BTW this is also why I've decieded that Beta Testing can be a Huge Waste of Time and I no longer consider doing it. Why Do It if the company isn't going to listen to Ya'. I guess I'm smart enough to to tell em' what's broken but not smart enough to realize current market forces. Go Figure! <BG> End of Rant: Murph'