>I find "pay-as-you-go" for my personal use to be a frustrating experience. I >prefer to pay once and forget it. Then I know that the software is good to >use as long as I like. Some of my software is 15 years old and still runs >fine. I paid in the low hundreds for it but the latest version is over >$1000.00.
I'm inclined to agree with you. If there's a "service" that I need delivered on a continuous basis, and that service is provided by software, then I'm willing to consider paying for it in installments. But to me, a word processor, a spreadsheet, a database, an image editor..these are not services. They are "devices" that operate via software. They should be sold on a onetime basis and continue to work as they once did forever after. If they have bugs, bugs should be fixed for free. Bugs are defects; manufacturers are responsible for repairing defects at no charge to the customer. Software should not be an exception to this rule. If I want new features I will decide whether I want to make an additional one-time payment to receive them. When companies try to convert what used to be a one-time software purchase into a "service" that stops working when I stop paying, I get angry and I won't participate. And when companies try to tell me that I have to pay for "support" on an ongoing basis that I may never use--or may use only once in three years--I get really angry. And if, when I drop support because I never use it, then need to use it once, they tell me not only do I have to pay for the new support, I have to pay for the "back" support that I dropped or they won't help me, I get worse than mad. I think that's extortion and should be illegal. It's certainly immoral. I've been screwed over by two different providers who do this, and they have me over a barrel--they are the only ones who can give me the software I need. It's disgusting. How do they sleep at night? Ken Dibble www.stic-cil.org _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[email protected] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
