Re: Free Hawaii trip if you buy my Ada products

[prism!jm59@gatech.edu (MILLS,JOHN M.)]

In article <186@mlb.win.net> mbayern@mlb.win.net (Mark Bayern) writes:
>
> 
>In article <CC0Bo8.MLE@inmet.camb.inmet.com>, Mike Ryer (ryer@dsd.camb.inmet.c
om) writes:
>>So, given unwillingness by DOD to prime the pump, Ada will continue to strugg
le
>>along growing at 10-20% per year.  I believe that I'm seeing increasing
>>dissatisfaction with C and C++, and think that Ada will do even better, on
>>its own merits, over the next few years.
>   [stuff deleted]
>The folks who should have a reall interest in priming the pump
>should be the vendors!  After all, they'll be the ones to profit
>if it takes off.  If you need an example, I can try to find my old
>$29.95 copy of JRT Pascal for CP/M.  

Unfortunate example, I'm afraid.  JRT Pascal sold for near $300 for a
couple of years, with lukewarm response, the took off like a ruanway fire
engine when they re-priced it at $29.95.  Problems were that (1) the compiler
is pretty fragile, spinning its wheels when it hits some source errors, and
(2) the libraries, especially the trancendentals, were "unsafe" and inaccurate
in limit conditions.  That meant that each $29.95 sale generated a fair load
of customer support and some irritation.  (I had to rewrite some math source.)
The company went rich, then broke in a hurry.  I understand JRT Pascal has been
released for free public distribution.  I wonder who was still around to
release it.  (I can supply copies on 8" diskettes, BTW. [8*>)

Interestingly, the language had some nice features (automatic loading and
purging provided a primitive form of virtual memory, for code), and wasn't
_badly_ reviewed when it was expensive.  Borland's Turbo Pascal 3.0 was a
better value at $99.99 than JRT at $29.95.  Much significant commercial
cp/m software at that time sold around $300, so TP 3.0 was also a bargain, and
a lot of "production" code was written with it.

I think that one moral to draw from all this is: "Nothing can kill
a bad product faster than good advertising."  (paraphrase from David
Oglyvie [sp?], _Confessions_of_an_Advertising_Man_)

The sales-generated demand for customer support has been touched on here in
connection with pricing.  It is surely important.  The mass marketeers of
personal computer software must provide as routine, installation and on-line
help which must be the envy of most other computer users.  (I use "personal
computer" in the inclusive sense -- no silly Mac/PC/NeXt flames, please.)

Regards --jmm--
 
-- 
John M. Mills, SRE; Georgia Tech/GTRI/TSDL, Atlanta, GA 30332
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Internet: john.m.mills@gtri.gatech.edu
Say "Goodnight," Gracie.