CompuServe Messages

OK, first let me point out that I misunderstood the message, because it was actually two replies to two different questions, and the upgrade to the Benchmark product would not be so high. Assuming that a company WAS charging 50% of list price for an upgrade (purchased directly), I just feel that the upgrader (user) would be paying too much. Upgrades (unless they are MAJOR like you pointed out) don't take near as much effort as programming a product from scratch. I feel that the programmer should be compensated for his work, but the user should get a break because : 1) he has previously made an investment in the company (by buying the product), and 2) because the middleman (distributor) has been eliminated. Also, the programmer will be paid through continued sales of his product which is now even better. I definitely think programmers/companies should be compensated, but 50% for an upgrade is excessive — if it is only a "maintainance upgrade". If a program was radically altered and had billions of new features, then such a price might be warrented. But many programs such as Pro-Page, excellence!, Word Perfect, and Photon Paint have all undergone substantial upgrades for reasonable fees (a lot lower than 50%) and the companies seem to be "paying the bills". Pagestream was being updated for free to correct flaws in the original program, and the new 2.0 version will cost money because there are new features — perfectly fair. I just know that as a consumer, I would feel betrayed if a company made more off of my minor upgrade than it did from the guy down the street that I recommended their product to, regardless of what I am paying. Also, I don't give out company loyalties to the lowest bidder — I give them to those who make a quality product, and conduct themselves respectably.