>...
>
>If the help files and tutorials were complete, easy and accurate....
>so that the customerrs could buy the software out of the box and run
>with it.... then no 2,000 dollar a year maintenance fees would be
>required...with access to the help desk etc... just occasional minor >upgrades
>
>
>....... not saleable by themselves for a third the original cost of the
>software ... so the help desk is made into a vital component of the >business model...
>
>
>If simple video's were made of each new release in operation, easy to
>produce with streaming screen shots.. then a person wanting to do a
>set of comands, they could simply find the video, and run it.
>
>But no... these are not available from the software vendors in many
>cases. .. a few are. but only say 1% of their capability a the most. >
>
>
>
>To get past the wall of bugs, bogus tutorials, and dirth of
>tutorials... you have to call their help desk...at $2,000 service
>fee per year.,... kachingggg. ....... for life... thats a 20k sale
>with maybe 90% profit ...as the help is needed primarly on the front
>end...but not so much later.
>
>(and yes you do get the bug fixes etc in that also...but its not
>saleable for that kind of money.
>
>
>
>***
>
>The legitimate aspects
>
>Such bugs and bogus instructions also help them in regard to people
>pirating their software....
>
>if someone pirates their software, they get all these bogus tutorials
>and help menu's...so for newbie pirates at least, life is hard. If
>a person pays for the software they get real good help from der help >desk.
>
>
>That would be a legitimate reason to produce bad help files, and
>tutorials etc. I suspect that is the case.
>
>
>****
>
>If that is indeed the intent, it sure as hell makes life tough as hell
>on new users... old users can get past the bugs, and arcane
>instructions fairly easily... (or users that have friends who know the >software)
>
>
>
>***
>I am trying out some cheaper software as well, solid modeling
>included, and with direct modeling, no history... TurboCAD.
>
>I notice an absolutely vast difference in is instructions and help >menu's...
>
>I got mechancal PRO, 1,000 dollars.. not worth pirating ... if you
>dont get the book with it...and it costs money to print and ship the
>book,.... so its not pirated to any great degree.
>
>
>
>The book that comes with it, so far, is clean...simple directions,
>1500 pages on how to do everything, 4 lines of words, where the more
>costly vendors would take a page or two....
>
>....Help desk is available *free. thats probably because they dont
>need to do a lot on the phone, the book is pretty clear...and the
>software pretty clean, short on bugs or arcane baloney.... its all
>boringly straight forward.
>
>
>why? they do not have to fear pirates like the higher end vendors
>do... these make their money on huge volume, one high end vendor I
>know is apparently trying to make it on 3 guys.... I wish them well. >
>
>
>
>I think this might be whats going on.
>
>
>
>
>
>Phil scott
Conspiracy theories are alluring, but I suggest the explanation is simpler:-
There are not enough brains in this world to correctly program and document all the computers that we rely on. If you were smart, would you prefer to work for a bemoth like Microsoft/Dassault or a small CAD company?