Author: Christophe Theron
Date: 09:34:26 11/02/99
Go up one level in this thread
On November 02, 1999 at 10:08:25, Christopher R. Dorr wrote:
>Looked at another way, if you purchase a $100 commercial program, you are
>spending approximately $1 per rating point (at the most) for the strength
>differential. Seems pretty expensive to me, looked at that way.
>
>Also, considering that a good free program (Crafty) will be USCF 2500-2600 blitz
>on a reasonable machine (and perhaps 2400-2500 USCF standard), and the
>commercial is the same 100 points higher, and that the average player is a USCF
>1500, then you are paying that extra $100 to be beaten 999 times out of 1000
>games rather than 998.
>
>I have nothing at all against commercial programs (I own several, and will buy
>several more if I can come up with a good enough excuse for my wife), but in
>terms of strength, the *vast* majority of players will notice *no* strength
>difference between Crafty and a commercial. I'm a USCF Master, and it makes
>little difference to me....they both smoke me on a regular basis...imagine how
>much less the difference might be noticed by a USCF 1500.
>
>Chris
That's a good point, but if people were all thinking this way nobody would sell
chess programs anymore.
I think that there are still people out there that learn quickly the weaknesses
of the programs and still want to buy the new things to find what their
weaknesses are.
Also people want to best thing available, no matter if what they have is already
enough. This applies very well to cars and computers for example. Human kind is
like that...
You need also to consider all the features you get with a commercial program:
graphics, database management, Internet connectivity, and on and on...
Some people want to have all the chess programs, simply to collect them, or to
make them play against each other, and enjoy looking at the games. looking at a
game, when you are a connaisseur, is like looking at a good movie. Or at a good
soccer or tennis match. You don't play soccer or tennis that well yourself, but
you can appreciate good players when you see them.
For all these things you definitely want to have the latest, strongest programs.
Christophe
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