Popular Post astrotoy Posted July 31, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 31, 2018 Very interesting topic. I am seeing several different threads of arguments. First, it is really great to have free software. The question immediately arises is whether this is an eleemosynary activity, like the people who volunteer to clean up parks and riverbanks on the weekend for the benefit of others. I contribute to Mozilla, Wiki, CA just because I think the world is better off with them. Or is there some deeper purpose. Or is it just some form of theft of intellectual property. Here I am thinking of software piracy or the "wonderful" Napster as an example. I remember , not quite 20 years ago Scott McNeeley, then CEO of Sun Microsystems, offered a free open source Office Suite to compete with MS Office. His goal was to have the software eventually on the cloud, so that someone could easily move from one computer (workstation) to another and not have to carry their work with them. Of course, he had an ulterior motive, a few years ahead of his time. Now Google Voice and Google docs, etc. are free software in the cloud, with a catch. Are consumers willing to get a "free" service if it means control by a big company that can afford to provide the free service in exchange for something else - something that you don't realize you are giving - a hidden "Faustian Bargain". Second, buying one time. Is this a viable business model? Quick infusion of capital to support the R&D costs, but is it enough to sustain the enterprise. A lifetime license is the lifetime of the company. I purchased a Roon lifetime subscription because I think it is a good product, but I know there is a very good chance that I may not recover my subscription cost. The point made that the economics of Roon may mean that the initial lifetime subscription may well be underpriced to sustain Roon, but is the way to develop a user base and pay for improvements that attract more subscribing customers. Third, annual or monthly subscription. Success occurs when you can grow the subscription base to pay for the ongoing expenses of the company and some profit. Clearly, you need to have an attractive enough service to hold onto the subscriber base long term. Ideally, the subscriber becomes addicted to the service (like cigarettes) and the addition spreads. Fourth, creating a "need," not just a "want". Cybersecurity is one such need. You can't stay on an old version, because it becomes unsafe to use, with devastating consequences. Of course, the service must be so attractive that abandoning it is not a good option. That latter point can be difficult to maintain in a technological world. Another example is that using the same software (e.g. Microsoft Office) if adopted universally, at least by an interest group, means if you use a competitor, then you are at a great disadvantage. Not too long ago Lotus 1-2-3, Word Perfect, Netscape were all big name players. In those days, businesses, colleges and universities, etc. would often allow their employees and students to choose their own software. This quickly became a disaster and everyone standardized. Having a de facto monopoly makes the subscription model much easier to maintain. Larry Nikhil and The Computer Audiophile 2 Analog-VPIClas3,3DArm,LyraSkala+MiyajimaZeromono,Herron VTPH2APhono,2AmpexATR-102+MerrillTridentMaster TapePreamp Dig Rip-Pyramix,IzotopeRX3Adv,MykerinosCard,PacificMicrosonicsModel2; Dig Play-Lampi Horizon, mch NADAC, Roon-HQPlayer,Oppo105 Electronics-DoshiPre,CJ MET1mchPre,Cary2A3monoamps; Speakers-AvantgardeDuosLR,3SolosC,LR,RR Other-2x512EngineerMarutaniSymmetrical Power+Cables Music-1.8KR2Rtapes,1.5KCD's,500SACDs,50+TBripped files Link to comment
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