don@trsvax.UUCP (01/28/88)
> What is the consensus about software vendors offering free upgrades > and bug fixes? It seems to me that other industries have always > charged for upgrades, especially in a consumer environment. For > example, dish washers are not upgraded each year for free -- if you > want a bug fix, you buy a new one. I don't think the analogy applies too well. If I buy a dishwasher which malfunctions due to manufacturer error, I expect the manufacturer to cover the cost of repairing or replacing the product. By analogy, a software vendor should cover the cost for replacing software which fails to perform its specified function, i.e. "The program crashed when I tried to ...." However, if software comes out which adds functionality rather than fixes bugs, I see no reason why the vendor could not justify charging the full rate to owners of previous versions. I am not a software vendor myself, so I make no claims about the analogy holding up, in fact I find practices in software quite different from what one would expect in other industries. Don Subt Tandy Corp. The opinions expressed above are strictly mine, not my employer's. I hold no copyright on the opinions, and waive all rights to any personal profit which I may accrue as a result of the above text.