CompuServe Messages

Let me give my spin on what you said: We agree that Amiga prices are low; I think it's due to two factors: One, Amiga companies started in this market, almost every one – we don't have Symantec or Borland in this market. Also, users tended to be former Commodore buyers, which means they were probably home users, not business users. I think the combination led to lower prices: both from companies who didn't understand how to price the software in order to cover the cost of making it and to get the profit necessary to support, advertise and stay around for another year, and from that assumption that Amiga owners are cheapskates, and are willing to waste $30 on a program that doesn't really perform like the $200 PC version. If the Amiga market ever "grows up", prices will go up because the remaining Amiga companies will be "real" companies – the ones who turn a profit, as opposed to serving as an interesting hobby for the owners. Also, if users become more serious, they'll demand better, more professional software. That is, developers will discover the customers who are willing to pay for a real product.