From: cono...@inow.com
Subject: Re: Software upgrades: More harm than good
Date: 2000/04/08
Message-ID: <set6jrhfcqv166@corp.supernews.com>#1/1
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References: <38EDE52C.2B47@temple.edu>  	<20000407105045.11103.00000213@ng-fn1.aol.com>  	<38EE21BB.4781@temple.edu>
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d...@temple.edu writes:
> > Dan writes:
> > >The basic question is:
> > >do the marginal benefits (more bells and whistles) of upgrades outweigh
> > >the marginal social costs ($ spent AND creating incompatibility).
> 
> SUSUPPLY wrote:
> > The market says they do.
> 
> Unless people are forced to buy the upgrades in order to communicate
> with others.
> 
> Put it this way: suppose Office Suite 2000 is no better than Office
> Suite 97 (which I think is the case).  Then why would anyone buy it? 
> Because: 1)if you bought a new computer and you want to send/receive
> files with all the others using MS, you gotta buy it. 2)if you already
> have Suite 97 but you keep receiving files from the 2000 people, you
> have to buy 2000 too.

I believe the term they use for it is "innovation."

	John

-- 

John Conover        cono...@inow.com   http://www.johncon.com/
631 Lamont Ct.      Tel. 408.370.2688  http://www.johncon.com/ntropix/
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