Re: "Overpriced" software

[Kelly Hoffman <kelly -at- NASHUA -dot- HP -dot- COM>]

Stefan Fielding-Isaacs <sfi -at- VERITY -dot- COM> writes:

> The last time I looked in a catalog the list price of FrameMaker
> for the Mac (my chosen platform of late) ran $795. True, one can
> get it for less.

Have you checked the *list* price of QuarkXpress or PageMaker lately?
I think you'll find those prices are also in the ballpark of $795.

> But this is a very, very high price for a product that has been
> so poorly marketed.

So if it were marketed better, that would justify a high price?
Some of us prefer to pay for features...

> I have a number of service bureaus I deal with in the City whom I just
> convincing to buy FrameMaker. Their reluctance stems from the fact that
> it is just starting to make inroads in the DTP market.

Hm, things must be different on the left coast; I haven't noticed
any problem finding service bureaus that can handle FrameMaker.
In fact, I haven't dealt with a service bureau that didn't already
have FrameMaker.  Maybe I'm just lucky.

(By the way, "City" and "Valley" have different connotations in
different areas.  I checked your area code to verify your location.
You might remember that this list reaches a large, dispersed audience...)

> Frame Technology is pricing their product up around the price of
> Illustrator, or PageMaker.

Yes, Illustrator and PageMaker are fine products.  They serve
different needs than FrameMaker, although there's obviously some
overlap.  I use FrameMaker for most of my work because it offers
capabilities that the others lack, and I need those features.

> These are well established products used by designers every day.

I wasn't aware that what "designers" use "daily" should determine
the price of a product.  I'm also sure that FrameMaker is used every
day (by me, at least, but I'm probably not a "designer" in the sense
that Stefan is using the term :-).

> They give a lot of bang for the buck and deserve a premium price.

and FrameMaker doesn't "give a lot of bang for the buck"?  Why do
you use it, then?

kkh

I have no connection to Frame Technology other than as a satisfied
user of their products.  (I also have no connection to Aldus, Adobe,
or Quark, except as a user of their products.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kelly K. Hoffman                            kelly -at- nashua -dot- hp -dot- com
Learning Products Engineer
Hewlett-Packard, Network Test Division      "Reading the manual is
One Tara Blvd., Nashua, NH 03062               admitting defeat."