cck@deneb.ucdavis.edu (Earl H. Kinmonth) (08/07/89)
Okay, the software companies say I'm really renting. Suppose I have a fire. I loose my complete Xenix system, not a small piece of change. I file a claim under a personal property floater. Is the insurance company going to make a distinction between my (allegedly) rented software and things I (allegedly) own? My guess is that outside of the shysters who write the slips that go into blister packs and the brilliant people who read this newsgroup, no one else on the face of the planet ~knows~ that software is ~really~ "rented." I'd like to see a different analogy prevail, one with drugs. For example, you get a drug to cure your zits but instead it makes you impotent. Instead of waiting for version 2.69 of the zit medicine, you call your lawyer and sign up for a class action suit. As an example, I would offer Norton Utilities. As it first went out the door, the Norton Disk Doctor not only failed to fix your disk zits, it would, under some circumstances, make your disk impotent. Presumably those who were diddled and lost days of work deserve more than just a free upgrade to a version that is not as destructive.
lee@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Greg Lee) (08/08/89)
From article <5064@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, by cck@deneb.ucdavis.edu (Earl H. Kinmonth): > ... >My guess is that outside of the shysters who write the slips that go >into blister packs and the brilliant people who read this newsgroup, no >one else on the face of the planet ~knows~ that software is ~really~ >"rented." I guess you're right. But what's the difference whether software venders call their sales `rentals'? Let them call it what they want. A cat can have her kittens in the oven and call them `biscuits' -- doesn't make it so. Greg, lee@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu
plb@cbnewsi.ATT.COM (peter.l.berghold) (08/08/89)
>may have her kittens in the oven....
<hehehe> That's sick! :-)ronald@ibmpcug.UUCP (Ronald Khoo) (08/09/89)
NO! You *do* pay sales tax because the software itself isn't what you're paying for - it's the installation kit (a product) - the software license just comes with it. Free. But only if you buy the installation kit. :-) [see summary above] -- Ronald.Khoo@ibmpcug.CO.UK (The IBM PC User Group, PO Box 360, Harrow HA1 4LQ) Path: ...!ukc!slxsys!ibmpcug!ronald Phone: +44-1-863 1191 Fax: +44-1-863 6095 Small is beautiful, but small & broken is ugly--(Marty)Leisner.Henr@Xerox.COM