Subject: LW pricing, live for yourself
From: [email-masked]
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 17:36:24 -0700

On Tue, 16 Apr 1996 [email-masked] asks:

> > New list price for all LW 5.0 versions is $1495. Upgrades from 
> > 4.0 are supposed to be $495.
>
> Isn't this kind of high? A program that cost me $735
> should not have a $500 upgrade. Thats over half the price!

The LIST price of LW 4.0 was $995; this upgrade is to a program which costs
$1495. I am more inclined to think that you are getting the bargain of a
lifetime, every time you buy/upgrade to a new version of LightWave.

Others comments:

On Tue, 16 Apr 1996 [email-masked] (Gord Davison) notes:

> I'm not _really_ complaining, mind you. I've enjoyed working
> with LW and feel that it compares favourably to other higher-priced
> packages [they know who they are ;-)]. In short: I feel that
> I've gotten _my_ money's worth. 
>
> Other people's mileage may vary ;-)

and

On Tue, 16 Apr 1996 [email-masked] (Andrew Weiler) comments:

> IMHO I think LW is way underpriced. I enjoy not having to
> shell out a fortune for it, but I don't know how NewTek makes a
> profit off of it. Lets face it, LW is worth it, there's no other
> program that comes NEAR LW's functionality at this price,
> and even more so now with 5.0!

Don't be fooled by LightWave's very low price; it is a professional level
product, aimed at professional animators who make (sometimes a fair bit of)
money with it. We are happy that many hobbyists and those who have only a
marginal need for 3D can afford to buy it too (unlike any other product of
LW's quality and power).

<speaking only for myself mode ON>

We sympathise with those are just starting out in the "business" or otherwise
have trouble coming up with this much money; however, we can not sacrifice
ourselves for these peoples' sake--just as people who don't need, can't
afford, or don't want what LightWave can do shouldn't sacrifice themselves
for our sake. I have seen several posts recently to the effect of 'we
shouldn't complain that NewTek raised the price of LW because they need the
money'. Thank you for your concern for our welfare, but you shouldn't
consider this when making your purchasing decisions.

If LightWave isn't worth TO YOU what we're asking for it, DON'T BUY IT. This
is true of everything in the world, not just software. You should make your
purchasing decisions based on what tools you need, what you can afford, how
much money you can make with them, etc.

<speaking only for myself mode OFF>

David Hibsher
Technical Writer, NewTek