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Subject: Re: The Bickering Debate

Author: Micheal Cummings

Date: 00:22:42 10/31/99

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On October 31, 1999 at 00:09:48, Robert Hyatt wrote:

>On October 30, 1999 at 22:44:17, Micheal Cummings wrote:
>
>>On October 30, 1999 at 17:42:36, Robert Hyatt wrote:
>>
>>>On October 30, 1999 at 16:12:12, Pillsbury wrote:
>>>
>>>>Hi
>>>>
>>>>I must appreciate the programmers who do a fine job of creating a grandmaster
>>>>who waits for me round the clock, ready to play chess anytime. I even deside how
>>>>strong he can play depending on my mood! The price I paid is very small. I must
>>>>appreciate the commercial programmers. There is competition to make sure that
>>>>there is contribution, improvement etc., This is the way nature works. The
>>>>fittest will survive.
>>>>
>>>>I do not believe in 'free stuff' especially when I want the best!
>>>>
>>>>karthick
>>>
>>>
>>>Sorry you feel that way, because you are going to miss Linux, Xwindows, gcc,
>>>and a zillion other things that are as good or better than anything you can
>>>get commercially.
>>>
>>>However, there is always someone willing to take your money, so you won't
>>>be disappointed on that front.  :)
>>
>>From my point of view I have nothing ahinst free stuff, I have found some handy
>>free programs.
>>
>>But when it comes to chess I have always had the impression that freeware chess
>>programs are not up to standard of commercial. This is clear in the interface,
>>but from tourmaments that people have run, commercial program always seem to be
>>better than freeware.
>>
>>Many freeware programs seem to be written more because it is a hobby. This does
>>not include the larger companies which produce internet broswers and the such,
>>cause they have other agendas to push.
>>
>>I do not use any chess program that run on winboard, cause I hate the interface.
>>For ICC I use Blitzn.
>>
>>If you wrote an nice interface for your program years ago, you could have been
>>rolling in allot of money, thats if you are not already.
>>
>>Mental thought dictates that Freeware is cheap in both quantity and quality.
>
>
>That thought is wrong.

Not really, the only freeware I use, is my web browser (that is only free cause
netscape and microsoft want to battle it out to dominate the web) and a image
viewer Iview32.

There maybe one or two other programs that I use that are free, but these
usually are web download managers which you have to put up with advertising.

Freeware chess programs might be strong. But from all the freeware and even
shareware stuff on the market and net. 97% of FREEWARE is just crap. And people
would only use it cause it is free, I used alot of shareware and freeware, but
when I find a good commercial product is is way ahead and I buy that.

eg : Lotus organiser, I have many shareware and freeware in PIM, they all got
deleted once this thing hit my computer.

Biggest difference is games, no freeware game can come close to 95% of
commercial games.

For me, after all the freeware and including lesser shareware that I have seen
and used and tested, 85% of it is crap compared to a commercial equivalent.

So you answer the thought is wrong is in my opinion only for a very very small
percentage of the freeware market. Maybe 3%, if even that.



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