Re: Innovation in software (was RE: IBM loses its Unix license -Jun. 16, 2003)

[Chris Rehm <javadisciple@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hans Boldt wrote:
> Now I'm no economist, but I know that the cost of some commodity is
> based primarily on the cost to reproduce an instance of that
> commodity. Computer software takes that fundamental principal to the
> extreme, and the cost of reproduction can be essentially zero for the
> manucturer.

There's got to be some flaw in this logic, Hans. Cost to reproduce what? 
The bits? Or the application? If I have a great idea for an application 
and I spend a year or two churning it out, where does that set the 
"cost" as you evaluate it above? Zero? Not worth my time to bother?

Now, I'm a happy Eclipse user. The "cost" of the product to me was zero. 
But I sure can't say I'd require everyone simply publish their work for 
free, because I can't afford to do that either. I think it might hamper 
software development.

> What's different today is that you can now run "free" software
> exclusively on your computer and not lack anything. But that's not so
>  much an "innovation" as it is a return to the roots of personal
> computing, as well as a consequence of capitalist economic theory.
>
> Cheers! Hans

--
Chris Rehm
chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself.
Gal. 5: 14