Re: Why is OSS Commercial Software So Expensive?

["Randy Brukardt" <randy@rrsoftware.com>]

"Michael Bode" <m.g.bode@web.de> wrote in message
news:eh0qfk$7hu$1@online.de...
> Pascal Obry <pascal@obry.net> writes:
...
> So selling the same software for $$ would not result in lost revenue,
> because existing and new customers in need for support would buy the
> $$$$ version anyway. It would not result in additional support cost,
> because there is no support. It would not result in additional
> development cost, because the software is already there. It would not
> result in additional distribution cost, because there is already a
> download site for a GPL version. The only additional cost I can see is
> the cost of collecting the money from buyers. Assuming $$ is more than
> what it costs to cash in $$ there is some (maybe small) net profit and
> a chance to get more people interested in commercial development with
> said Ada toolset. Where is my error?

I think you're working from a fallacy here. You cannot sell software without
at least limited support. When you sell something, it has to (within reason)
do what it is supposed to do. That's likely to require at least fixing some
bugs (or refunding some payments). And that will cost some money. Whereas,
when you get it for free, there is no such implied expectation -- if the
compiler you download won't compile a generic, you just have to work around
it or pay someone for support.

Now, you might say that Microsoft doesn't seem to do that. But that's not
really relevant (and they do provide some limited support, too) -- they are
in a much better position to deal with any legal issues and/or customer
unhappiness issues that come up. Smaller companies simply can't afford it -- 
unhappy customers are very bad for business.

So, I expect that AdaCore thinks that selling compilers with limited support
for $$ will either cannibalize they're other business (because some of those
customers only need the limited support) or that they will need to provide
$$$ worth of support -- which doesn't make sense. "No support" is only an
option for "free", not $$.

                               Randy.