Subject: Re: Upgrade Paths
From: [email-masked] (Syndesis Corporation)
To: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 1995 16:42:04 +0600

[email-masked] (Stuart Ferguson) writes:

>I normally try to stay out of these discussions, but perhaps I can shed
>some light here.  The reason for the upgrade paths the way they are is
>completely economic.  The inexpensive upgrade from 3.5 standalone to
>4.0 is to prevent the announcement of the future 4.0 product from harming
>the sales of the existing 3.5 product.  Since people no longer have to
>buy Toasters to get LightWave, the announcement of 4.0 has no effect on
>Toaster sales.  In fact, NewTek would prefer if Toaster owners upgraded
>their whole system rather then trading it in for the less expensive LW
>standalone.

People (y'all, in general :-) need to realize that software companies
are always pressed by their customers to have all sorts of special
deals, and it'll make you nuts to try and predetermine all the possible
permutations, and to try to decide if they are fair, just and not un-American.
The trick is, the market will find every crack and hole in the logic
and simultaneously exploit and complain.

For example, people ask for a special upgrade price for owners of InterChange 
for the Amiga to purchase InterChange for Windows.  InterChange for Windows
is twice the price of InterChange for the Amiga, similar to the price
difference in LightWave.  

Now if the price difference for the side-grade is greater than the street
or retail price of InterChange, then people will say "let me buy InterChange
for the Amiga, but don't bother to send it to me, then give me the upgrade
price for IC for Windows."  All this to save a few bucks.  Can you blame
them?  No, not necessarily.  :-)  But what's a better solution?

>This is why no competitive trade-in offer has been announced for other
>systems like 3D Studio.  We want the 4.0 announcement to hurt their sales,
>so we do not announce any trade-in offer, although the more daring consumer
>might take a risk that such a thing *might* exist after the product comes

Well, I'm sure Autodesk shareholders are grateful for your restraint.  :-)