Author: Robert Hyatt
Date: 07:42:24 09/06/98
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On September 06, 1998 at 01:20:24, Larry S. Tamarkin wrote: >Hi Bob: Who did decide to post these questions? Especially as you have stated >for a long time that crafty will never became commercial (do I have that >right?). No idea about the origin. However, you do have the non-commercial part correct. > >I have never downloaded crafty, partly out of inattention, partly out of always >seeming to run out of extra disk space on what ever computer I've bought, and >mostly because I have Fritz5, Rebel9 (not on the computer just now), and >Genious5 Gold, and others. But I really want Crafty! I'd love it, if it became >available on a CD with a custom opening book, and a feature set unique and >different (hopefully better then a lot of other programs), and a game database >which includes those many secrete battles between Crafty and Seirawan, Dzin and >other famous GM and IM's on the ICC! If those players gave (were payed to >give?)permision to 'out' themselves, so that we knew who they were, I'd pay >whatever you wanted, just for that feature alone!! > >Of course I am something of a chess addict - I spend money that should go to the >rent on chess stuff, so I know I don't represent the average guy who buys >computer chess! (or do I?) > >What I do know is that: > >1. I'd love to have Crafty on a CD with its own interface and features that you >designed, hopefully for a very reasonable price like $25 dollars. this will happen at some point, but probably for 10 dollars. A couple have done this a couple of times and it can be convenient with the code, opening book, winboard/xboard interfaces, tablebases, etc. 10 bucks is about what it would cost to produce a CD without going to a commercial "CD burner" that would require burning a thousand or so to get a break in price... It won't be done as a "profit-making" approach, just as a "break-even" attempt to make the installation/set-up easier... > >2. If that can't happen I'd love to have Crafty, with its own opening book, as >an engine in Fritz5, for a reasonable price, like $25 dollars. > >BTW, I think that all engine's for Fritz5 should be lowerd in price as their is >now such a huge choice & variety. > this might happen for fritz 6, although the Crafty engine will remain free, just like it is under chessbase 7... >Lawrence S. Tamarkin >mrlsug - the inkompetent chess software addict! > >PS - I've never played crafty (as far as I know), but I've watched some battles >on the ICC. I'm always most interested when the GM's or IM's identify >themselves of course! > > >On September 06, 1998 at 00:14:54, Robert Hyatt wrote: > >>On September 05, 1998 at 21:27:22, Fernando Villegas wrote: >> >>>I wonder what conclusion can be drawn from the fact that only 14% of people >>>that answered the question would purchase Crafty, if commercially available in >>>CD with the complete Book stuff, etc. Too pricy at 100 theoretical bucks? The >>>percentage would have been better if Steven asked the same question but with a >>>50 dollars mark? Refusal to pay for something that has been given since ever? >>>Not enough valued as a program to be worthy of some expenses? A signal -I don't >>>believe it- of saturation of the market? The feeling that "I already have Crafty >>>and the new commercial version would be almost the same thing"? >>>I wonder all this as much if we could answer it we could, at the same time, >>>begin to discover the hidden and misterious secrets of the chess professiional >>>market. What make a guy with already 30 programs to steal some dollars from his >>>maybe narrow budget and ask for a new one? Which are the factors that makes of a >>>program almost an irresistible temptation and that make of another, maybe >>>better, a total failure? And finally, whatever the reasons, are the same we >>>consciously would answer if asked about it in a poll? >>>Yes: this is one of the most weird markets I have never known. >>>Fernando >> >> >>IMHO, it's a pointless question. How many have played crafty? interesting, >>but only in the framework of how many have played Rebel, or genius, or whatever. >>Otherwise, the number doesn't mean a thing. How many would buy it? Again >>pointless, since it won't ever be for sale. However, maybe it is not >>particularly worth much to most, which is the way I would interpret the >>responses... >> >>I didn't pick the questions, and wouldn't have picked the ones asked given the >>chance myself... I think it would be much more interesting to list all the >>commercially available programs along with all the freely available programs >>and see who has played against which...
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