Why is Corel out of their mind?

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Moose777

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Seriously. They are like Microsoft with their rediculously high program prices.

I'm certified in AutoCad 2000. Though, I've never owned the program and never have used my cert because Corel wanted $8k for the program back in 1999.

I also write. I've got several books due and I haven't been able to finish any of them due to the fact that I redid my computer and lost Wordperfect 12.

I just re-ordered it from Newegg for $66 but when I went to Corel's site they wanted $90 for the school edition and well over $100 for the home version.

Is there a reason why it's so damn expensive?
 
Moose777 said:
Seriously. They are like Microsoft with their rediculously high program prices.

I'm certified in AutoCad 2000. Though, I've never owned the program and never have used my cert because Corel wanted $8k for the program back in 1999.

I also write. I've got several books due and I haven't been able to finish any of them due to the fact that I redid my computer and lost Wordperfect 12.

I just re-ordered it from Newegg for $66 but when I went to Corel's site they wanted $90 for the school edition and well over $100 for the home version.

Is there a reason why it's so damn expensive?
Click to expand...

Relative value..

Lets give an example.

If you are an architect (i'm going autocad for this one) and it would take you, say.. 6 weeks to draw up (you know, by hand) plans for a shopping plaza.. and you are paid $20 an hour... then your employer has just invested $4,800 in your plans

[I am using arbitrary numbers, and of course, exaggerating the example]

If you can draw up those same plans in autocad in say.. a week.... Your employer has saved $4000.
That also means that you can turn out 600% more product a year. So, lets say that your same employer sells plans for $10,000.
at 6 weeks per draw-up, you can make 8-9 plans a year - Income? gross sales? 80-90K
[minus of course, your salary..]

at 1 per week, then your employer can make over 500K a year. [minus of course, your salary..] Using this information, you can see why investing $8,000 into a piece of software that can improve your efficiency even 30% [90k per year becomes 117k per year] is worthwhile.

The same is true with so called "Office" Suites

You could use a typewriter and colored pencils to do a business report with pie charts. and take a week to get it done.

Or you could use notepad and paintbrush (free parts of windows) and take 5 days..

You could use openoffice / and take 4 days.

You could use corel and take 3...
Or you could use MSoffice and take 1-2 days..

At $160 a day for your pay... multiplied across years of pay.... The improved software is justified.

(I contend that microsoft makes a better office suite.. it's an opinion, please do not flame, or comment on this opinion. If you think ms-office sucks the big one, just keep it to yourself.)

Corel has it's place in the world. Microsoft Works costs about the same and is not as good as office (with it's baby version of word, and such)

You could write your book by hand.. it might take you a year... especially when you have to cross check references you made in earlier chapters (as a thrice published author, I know the horror of this) - or you could use notepad.exe which will at least let you go back and edit spelling mistakes manually.

The better the program, the faster you can get the product finished. Had I done my 2nd book "the old fashioned way" - It most definately would have NEVER gone to print.


The other factor is that.. honestly, it probably costs around the same amount of capital to make wordperfect 14 as it would to write autocad 15. - Autocad is more indepth, but has fewer programmers, where wordperfect has a much larger programming staff (because of all the intricacies) . Lets say (again, completely arbitrary number) it costs $10 million dollars each in R&D and programming staff salaries... and licensing.. and legal fees, etc...etc..etc.. (not unreasonable, in fact, for some programs, quite a bargain) to create autocad 15 and wordperfect 14

Autocad is going to sell a LOT less copies than wordperfect 14.
While there may, arguably be 5 million sales of wordperfect...
I would be hardpressed to believe autocad even hits the 100K mark.

The cost of production for autocad becomes $100 per sold license.
The cost of production for wordperfect becomes $2 per license.

As wordperfect sells a lot more than autocad (more audience).. it can sell for $100.00

If autocad had a 5 million user audience (arguably, there are probably more pirated copies out there than legit ones... - I'd say, easily, a 5:1 ration of 'warezed' to 'legit' - just look at photoshop - How many people use it expressly for turning gifs into jpgs?) It's price could drop considerably.

But..
If they drop it to $200.. it doesn't mean it's going to suddenly sell 5 million copies.. - cause.. there aren't 5 million people who need autocad.
 
Moose777 said:
I'm certified in AutoCad 2000. Though, I've never owned the program and never have used my cert because Corel wanted $8k for the program back in 1999.
Click to expand...

Corel never sold Autocad, it's sold by Autodesk and it never cost $8K in 1999, more like $2000.
 
TheBluePill said:
Good Post.
Click to expand...


I try.. but being an author and software programmer, I can see it from the other side of things.


pigster said:
Corel never sold Autocad, it's sold by Autodesk and it never cost $8K in 1999, more like $2000.
Click to expand...
I was going to mention that part too, but.. ah well.. I didn't want to point out his ... erm ... mistake. A legit owner of said software (and an autocad certifed person...) should know that it's an autodesk product.
 
Oops...sorry. I though Corel and Autodesk were owned by the same company.

I am certified in AutoCad 2000 though. It's just been a long time since I've used the program (I never did get the job I wanted so I don't use it anymore).

But in either case, the point still remains the same. Wordperfect 12 is rediculously priced as is AutoCad 2k.
 
pigster said:
Corel never sold Autocad, it's sold by Autodesk and it never cost $8K in 1999, more like $2000.
Click to expand...
True. Autodesk also made / makes Autosketch. It works for most stuff that I am likely to do. I bought it years ago for Win2K, and I remember that when XP was released Autodesk insisted that it would not work with XP, so I would be required to replace the program. I had e-mailed them about it when I was using a beta XP. Anyway, they lied, so that they could line their pockets a little deeper. It worked then, and it works now. Is it overpriced? You bet.
 
Yeah, my original point was that both AutoCad and Wordperfect are both overpriced.

I did recieve Wordperfect today. Unfortunately I haven't installed it yet due to the fact my office is under attack by the excessive rain hampering Sussex County New Jersey, it's rained for 7 straight days with no breaks in the weather and my roof has sprung a leak and it's above both my computers.

And yes, I am AutoCad 2000 certified. however, I have not used the program in over 6 years due to the fact I'm don't have a job that requires the use of it. So, I guess I could say my cert is no good now.
 
Moose777 said:
Yeah, my original point was that both AutoCad and Wordperfect are both overpriced.

I did recieve Wordperfect today. Unfortunately I haven't installed it yet due to the fact my office is under attack by the excessive rain hampering Sussex County New Jersey, it's rained for 7 straight days with no breaks in the weather and my roof has sprung a leak and it's above both my computers.

And yes, I am AutoCad 2000 certified. however, I have not used the program in over 6 years due to the fact I'm don't have a job that requires the use of it. So, I guess I could say my cert is no good now.
Click to expand...


And my post point was that autocad is a freaking bargain! --- Relatively speaking, anyhow.

Technology and Innovation cost money, usually.


Oh, and there is certification.. and expertise.

I am lifeguard certified..
but at 270lbs, I'm not going to be pulling anyone out of the water.
 
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