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Subject: Why are chess engines so expensive?

Author: Lawrence S. Tamarkin

Date: 21:36:43 05/11/99


With the large number of availble engines now availble for both Fritz &
Millenium Chess Genius, I can't help but wonder why they are so expensive.
$59.95 for Zarkov5, or Shredder3 or WChess, or $45 for Hiarcs6, (with Hiarcs7
coming), or Junior5 (to be used in Fritz5, or the same interface).  And then
there is the Chess opening books you can buy seperately.  I guess only
relatively small books come with the program?  Anyway, after having been
addicted to this buying this or that engine, opening book, training software or
whatever for several years now, I think it is a little too much for the maker's
of this stuff to want more than say, $15.95 per item, (about the price for a new
music CD), for any single one of these products. I mean, hell, maybe they really
do have enough of an extensive customer base (World Wide?), to still be making a
profit on this stuff, but I wonder, how many of us software addicts! are there,
really?

We've seen the average cost of a new playing program come down from around $150
per program, (In 1992, I think), to around $50 currently.  Can it be much longer
before supply and demand requires these prices to be much less that that, even
for the manufactuers to continue their product line.  I don't suggest this out
of resentment, but more out of the realization that my desire to keep buying
these products will continue, even though I certainly don't use all of the
programs I have, or need all of the programs I want.  And I do want to keep
buying to support companies like Rebel, but am always mindfull of my limited
funds - Opinions?


mrslug - the inkompetent chess software addict!



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