Re: Proving Correctness (was Java Portability)

[Larry Elmore <ljelmore@home.com>]

nicolas wrote:
> 
> "Stephen Leake" <stephen.a.leake.1@gsfc.nasa.gov> a �crit dans le message
> news: uelqpgmrx.fsf@gsfc.nasa.gov...
> > Actually, they do. Part of the cost of the TV set is paying for the
> > mortgage on the current factory, and investing in the next factory.
> > Same for Ada libraries; somebody has to pay for them. Part of the fee
> > we pay to ACT for support goes to building new libraries.
> 
> What you pay a specific company like ACT for what they provide is your
> decision.
> We were talking about Ada and libraries in a much more global way.

It was a specific example to illustrate a general principle. ("...
_like_ ACT...") You're free to substitute any other company name you
feel like, Nicolas. Unless there's one you know of that's an exception
to that statement?
 
> > The difference is in scale. When you sell millions of TVs, the
> > incremental cost of the next factory for each TV set is very small.
> > But ACT only sells hundreds (I'm guessing here) of support contracts,
> > so the incremental cost is higher.
> 
> No the difference is that you pay for the product you want to buy, once the
> product is finished, available, working, if you like it, and if there is not
> a cheaper better one besides.

Duh. And the price charged is calculated to cover all the costs of
development and doing business (including taxes), plus a certain
percentage for profit (some of which will be reinvested in R&D and other
parts of the company). If you sell fewer units, you need a higher profit
margin per unit to make the equation balance. From your statements
relating to economics, I'd guess you either have nothing to do with the
business side of your company, or else it's customers consist mostly of
government agencies or other companies dealing mostly with government
agencies.

> You don't pay to build the factory, the company invest a lot, and can count
> on an income only if the result is good.

You _don't_??!! _WHO DOES_, then, if not the customer?

> I'd really like to see you in a TV store :-)
> "Stephen, give me money now, I'm going to develop a great TV set, build a
> factory, and I promise you will have a great TV set within a few years ..."

Duh... What do you think investors do every day? How in the world do you
think the vast majority of companies got started in the first place?
Government mandate, or magic?

Larry