Smalltalk and Python

[Tim May]

In article <qEs%5.39707$n51.728728 at e420r-atl1.usenetserver.com>, "Steve 
Holden" <sholden at holdenweb.com> wrote:

> Tim May <tcmay at got.net> wrote in message
> news:tcmay-E53C56.15191615122000 at news.got.net...
> > In article <steve976915950 at serf.org>, steve at serf.org (A SERFer) wrote:
> >
> >
> > > Indeed we are!  We keep hearing a circular argument:
> > > 1. Cincom are committed to Smalltalk in the long term.
> > > 2. We must charge these prices if Smalltalk is to survive within 
> > > Cincom.
> > >
> > > Its like a sort of quantum mechanical uncertainty thing... each
> statement
> > > on its own makes sense, but put together, they are meaningless.
> >
> > Really? Translate it to this:
> >
> > 1. Intel is committed to the Pentium in the long term.
> > 2. We must charge these prices if the Pentium is to survive within 
> > Intel.
> >
> In fact, this is quite different from what Intel say.  They are fairly
> openly charging what the market will bear, more or less along the lines 
> of
> (John Erlichman's?) "When you've got them by the balls, their hearts and
> minds will surely follow.  Intel claim to be maximizing shareholder 
> return
> by setting their pricing at the level which optimizes that parameter.

Precisely my point. That is, "what the market will bear."


> > Or translate it to any number of other softare tools, such as chip
> > layout software, PCB software, design rule checking tools. Or factory
> > management tools. Or data bases.
> >
> > 1. Oracle is committed to its database products in the long term.
> > 2. We much charge these prices if these products are to survive withing
> > Oracle.
> >
> Again the same philosophy would seem to be in place at Oracle, who have
> never claimed to me (not that I have much to do with them) that their 
> prices
> *NEED* to be that high.  It's just that demand for the products is so 
> high
> they can afford to ignore those who do not choose (or cannot afford) tp 
> pay
> them.

Again, precisely my point.

Cincom charges what it charges because it _can_. If enough purchasers 
think the price is too high, and they don't buy, then sales will decline.

Arguments that some price is "too high" rarely matter...what matters is 
whether sales continue.

I cited Intel and Oracle to illustrate the point. 


--Tim May

-- 
Timothy C. May         tcmay at got.net        Corralitos, California
Political: Co-founder Cypherpunks/crypto anarchy/Cyphernomicon
Technical: physics/soft errors/Smalltalk/Squeak/agents/games/Go
Personal: b.1951/UCSB/Intel '74-'86/retired/investor/motorcycles/guns