[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] C++ upgrade

ching@brahms.amd.com (Mike Ching) (08/31/90)

In article <6832@milton.u.washington.edu> ashing@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Shing) writes:
>In article <1990Aug27.220656.22537@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> mikew@proton.LCS.MIT.EDU (Michael B. Williams) writes:
>#In article <90239.093316F0O@psuvm.psu.edu> F0O@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
>#>      One of the great advantages of buying a product is the updates and
>#>price breaks you can get on new software.  Borland has been wanting me to
>#>buy Quattro Pro from them for $99 for the last 6 months.
>#>                                                  [Tim]
>#Of course, a $99 upgrade to Turbo C++ Professional, now we're talking...
>#
>
>The price will come down to around $150 pretty soon, so don't hold your 
>breath waiting.
>


I just got an upgrade offer of $80 for C++ and $125 for C++ Professional.
Are we talking or holding our breath?

Mike Ching

mikew@proton.LCS.MIT.EDU (Michael B. Williams) (08/31/90)

In article <1990Aug30.183242.21304@amd.com>, ching@brahms.amd.com (Mike
Ching) writes:
|> In article <6832@milton.u.washington.edu>
ashing@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Shing) writes:
|> >In article <1990Aug27.220656.22537@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
mikew@proton.LCS.MIT.EDU (Michael B. Williams) writes:
|> >#Of course, a $99 upgrade to Turbo C++ Professional, now we're talking...
|> >#
|> >
|> >The price will come down to around $150 pretty soon, so don't hold your 
|> >breath waiting.
|> >
|> 
|> 
|> I just got an upgrade offer of $80 for C++ and $125 for C++ Professional.
|> Are we talking or holding our breath?
|> 
|> Mike Ching

You know, we really should get on Borland's case about their so-called
``upgrade'' policies.  When I upgraded to WordPerfect 5.1, it cost $85, 
%17 of the list price ($495) and %38 of what I paid ($219) for
WordPerfect 5.0.  Borland wanted $89 (I think) just to upgrade to Turbo
C++, which works out to 59% of the list price ($149?) and 89% of what I
paid ($99) for Turbo C 2.0.  They wanted $139 (I think) to upgrade to
Turbo C++ Professional, or 46% of the list price ($299).  What's worse,
for a while Egghead Software was selling Turbo C++ for $99 and the
Professional for around $159, and that's retail with no upgrade.

I guess the results of the upgrade plan were underwhelming, because now
I get this ``Second notice'' which offers me Turbo C++ for $79 and the
Professional for $125.  They should be ashamed of themselves!  I'd be
really upset if I had sent in the first notice.  Of course, paying $79
to ``upgrade'' software that you paid $99 for doesn't seem like much of
a bargain, either.  Do you think that perhaps if I wait a little longer....
______________________________________________________________________
Michael B. Williams		      |	       /|  /|   )  /|  /   
Room 527			      |	      / | / |--<| / | /   
Laboratory for Computer Science	      |	     /  |/  |___)/  |/
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |	Internet: mikew@athena.mit.edu
545 Technology Square		      |	CompuServe: 73667,3264
Cambridge, MA 02139		      |	AT&T: (617) 253-6015

ashing@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Shing) (08/31/90)

In article <1990Aug30.222112.27445@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> mikew@proton.LCS.MIT.EDU (Michael B. Williams) writes:
#|> 
#|> I just got an upgrade offer of $80 for C++ and $125 for C++ Professional.
#|> Are we talking or holding our breath?
#|> 
#|> Mike Ching
#
#You know, we really should get on Borland's case about their so-called
#``upgrade'' policies.  When I upgraded to WordPerfect 5.1, it cost $85, 
#%17 of the list price ($495) and %38 of what I paid ($219) for
#WordPerfect 5.0.  Borland wanted $89 (I think) just to upgrade to Turbo
#C++, which works out to 59% of the list price ($149?) and 89% of what I
#paid ($99) for Turbo C 2.0.  They wanted $139 (I think) to upgrade to
#Turbo C++ Professional, or 46% of the list price ($299).  What's worse,
#for a while Egghead Software was selling Turbo C++ for $99 and the
#Professional for around $159, and that's retail with no upgrade.
#

You are right.  I can buy Turbo C++ today at Software Etc. for $89, which 
is just a little bit more than I paid for Turbo C 2.0 ($79).  

By contrast, I paid a whopping $15 for PC Tools 6.0 from Central Point 
Software, which listed for $159.   The point of an upgrade is to get you to
the current release, with all the bugs fixed, without having to buy the 
product over again, or at least to give loyal customers a break over the
new customers.

On the other hand, Turbo C++ is really a separate product from Turbo C, and 
both continue to be available.  So in this sense, why should a customer 
get two compilers for the price of one, especially a hot new compiler 
that required a lot of work and research.  

If I get the upgrade offer, I'll probably take it up to get the Turbo C++
Professional package, because I didn't get the Turbo C Professional package.
The Debugger and Assembler package is currently selling for $119, so for
$6 more, you get the Turbo C++ compiler, which is a pretty good deal.

#I guess the results of the upgrade plan were underwhelming, because now
#I get this ``Second notice'' which offers me Turbo C++ for $79 and the
#Professional for $125.  They should be ashamed of themselves!  I'd be
#really upset if I had sent in the first notice.  Of course, paying $79
#to ``upgrade'' software that you paid $99 for doesn't seem like much of
#a bargain, either.  Do you think that perhaps if I wait a little longer....

Borland is obviously trying to improve its cash flow in order to build up 
funds to fight the Lotus suit.  If you support the Borland side of the 
issue, it wouldn't hurt to send in your "donation", and get the use of some
great software in the bargain.

-- 
    Al Shing (ashing@cac.washington.edu)

mikew@proton.LCS.MIT.EDU (Michael B. Williams) (08/31/90)

In article <6910@milton.u.washington.edu>,
ashing@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Shing) writes:
|> On the other hand, Turbo C++ is really a separate product from Turbo C, and 
|> both continue to be available.  So in this sense, why should a customer 
|> get two compilers for the price of one, especially a hot new compiler 
|> that required a lot of work and research.  

I didn't know that!  But that explains it.  I'm glad to hear that
they'll still be selling and supporting Turbo C 2.0, since I really
don't need to use C++ right now.  I would like to see mouse support in
the next version; right now, I'll settle for using Mouse Menus.

|> Borland is obviously trying to improve its cash flow in order to build up 
|> funds to fight the Lotus suit.  If you support the Borland side of the 
|> issue, it wouldn't hurt to send in your "donation", and get the use of some
|> great software in the bargain.

begin(EDITORIAL); {
By the way, the MIT League for Programming Freedom is selling T-shirts
for $10 that have a statue of liberty on the front (holding a floppy
disk and a tape) and ``Stop Software Monopolies'' written on the back. 
There was an article in Newsweek on a march on Lotus that was held Aug.
2.  (Unfortunately, I didn't get in the picture!)  We really should get
behind Borland and SCO!
} end(EDITORIAL);
______________________________________________________________________
Michael B. Williams		      |	       /|  /|   )  /|  /   
Room 527			      |	      / | / |--<| / | /   
Laboratory for Computer Science	      |	     /  |/  |___)/  |/
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |	Internet: mikew@athena.mit.edu
545 Technology Square		      |	CompuServe: 73667,3264
Cambridge, MA 02139		      |	AT&T: (617) 253-6015