On Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:20:40 +0100, Orchid XP v8 wrote:

>>> I should point out that MathReader is simply Mathematica with a few
>>> features turned off. The "development costs" should be minimal. (They
>>> probably spend more on testing it to make sure the requisit features
>>> really are switched off...) But sure, it's a cost analysis.
>> 
>> Part of that cost analysis, then, is what amount of revenue is likely
>> to be lost when (not if) someone figures out how to unlock the full
>> product features and posts it on the Internet.  If it truly is
>> Mathematica with a few features turned off.
> 
> Well, I would guess that they probably "turn off" this stuff by omitting
> the code necessary to do it for the most part. That way the download is
> smaller, and to "turn on" these features again would require basically
> reimplementing them.

Perhaps; some eval software (which this *could* be seen as) has stuff 
just "turned off", while others have elements ripped out.  Ripping out 
bits, though, requires more work and regression test - especially for 
gratis software, since you don't want to leave the prospective customer 
with a bad impression.

> Then again, I'm no expert. I don't know how exactly they did it. (It's
> something like a 100 MB download.)

It's always hard to know for sure unless you have access to the code, 
that's for certain.

>>> (Actually MathReader *is* free - it's just that you have to jump
>>> through hoops to get at it. But it doesn't cost any actual money, no.)
>> 
>> The hoops probably (I haven't looked) involve you giving them something
>> of value - like your contact information so they can market to you.
> 
> Oh yeah, you gotta give them a whole load of personal data. Plus the
> installer scans your PC and generates a hash code based on your
> hardware, and you have to send this code to get the license key. So
> they're determined that you should only install this program on *one*
> PC. (Which seems somewhat counter-productive to me... I mean, it's not
> like they gain anything by making it harder to install on several PCs.)

If that's the case, then they've done a fair amount to identify the value 
of that to them.

>> See?  You pay something, just because it isn't money, doesn't mean what
>> you offer them in exchange has no value.
> 
> Heh. Not "what you offer" but rather "what they demand". ;-)

Well, no, you "offer" it in exchange for the goods or services.  If you 
don't offer it, then you don't get the goods or services.

Jim

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