Subject: Re: 3DStudio MAX
From: [email-masked] (Larry Shultz)
To: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 16 Mar 1996 10:46:59 -0800

>I also just saw a review of 3DS MAX.  I have been using LW for over 3 years,
>but after reading about 3DS MAX, I will be purchasing it in the very near
>future (as soon as it is released).  With 3DS MAX going for $1200 student price
>
>and LW going for $900 with no student price, the choice is becoming very clear.
>
> Newtek are you listening?  You are about to lose a customer who has used your

>product for over 3 years!  I know that LW is a very good product, but without a
>
>student discount I can't afford to buy it.  I can justify spending extra for
>3DS MAX considering all the extra things it can do.  I can't justify spending

>$900 on LW when a mere $300 more can give much more power and flexability with

>3DS MAX.  Now if NewTek had a student version of LW for about $300 I would buy

>it in a second and forget all about 3DS MAX.  But in the current situation 3DS

>MAX and LW have very similar prices, and 3DS MAX appears to be the superior
>package.  I really like LW, but I'm not afraid to jump to another 3D package.

Where did you get the $900.00 figure for Lightwave? Thats LIST price. Ive seen Lightwave
mailorder for $750.00. Also, several dealers are participating in a competitive upgrade
program regarding Lightwave; if you send the first page of the TrueSpace or 3DS manual you
can get it for around $680.00. I also just returnded from a Sony Playstation Developers
conference. A vender was trying to demo 3D Studio Max, it looks cool but not cool enough for
me to shell out that kind of money. Lightwave with all the plugins available still cost less.
Anyway the salesman told me that he doesnt recommend trying to run it under Win95 "due to 
instability" but is designed to run under NT. Keep in mind also if youve been running LW for as
long as you say than you should be able to get some kind of upgrade price.
Larry Shultz