>     free software can only survive providing quality product to an
existing
> community of users. On the opposite software company can use their
> commercial force to spread their products (who has ever  seen a PC
> configuration including Pov in any shop) and create needs or envies at
> customer level (even with blue screen).

Not true, the goal of any public software project (free or otherwise) is to
attract users, inwardly looking to an existing user base dooms your project
to obscurity

you will never see pov pre installed on a new home PC, but on that note, you
never see any other 3d rendering system installed either.

>     Pov is a ray tracer, and if it is not physically reallistic, it is
> dedicated to people who prefer refined work rather than productivity. I've
> played with 3DS max. and I did'nt like the menu appoach, the fake
> effects...; but I have to say that I would use this tool (3DS) in a
> profesional context (huge quantity of features, plugins, models..).

again, not true. pov & max are both tools that in capable hands can create
stunning works, the amount of 'refinement' often depends on the project in
hand and the users skill level.

Max is a very deap and powerful tool, its not something you can grasp from
just 'playing'

>     Generally, companies fear to work with freeware. One of the reason is
> that their main cost is not license fees, but the human workload. That's
why
> they often prefer to pay for software, from market leader, assuming that
> they will find  a better (paying) support, a longer product life, more
> skilled people... I do not totally agree with this, but it is the trend I
> can see (in europe).

from a commercial perspective, free software is good only for the short
term, as the continued success of said software is not dependant on its
popularity (and sales) but on its developers personnal, finicial and time
constraints.

>     Playing with a freeware make me feel to be part of a community of
> people, sharing the same hobby. Using a software make me feel to be a
> consumer: less positive.

you are a consumer regardless of the software's price.


--
Rick

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