In <318i3o$dpv at netnews.upenn.edu> smoore at mail.sas.upenn.edu writes:
> Why does it cost so damn much to get software for the PC (or MAC)
> to do DNA sequence analysis? --
...
> - now i realize we're dealing with a small market...
> and it does cost quite a bit to have some group of programmers write
> software for a topic they have no interest in...
Exactly! Imagine how many people on the world could need a text-processing
program compared to the number of biologists. And then how many of the
biologists need a program for DNA sequence analysis? Not every biologist
is doing molecular biology.
And then I realized the mentality of people in science not to pay for software
but to use illegal copies. A recent study in Austria & Germany reveals the
percentage of illegal copies on personal computers: in industry around 15%, in
acdemia around 40%. Even if both markets were equal in size you would have
to pay a fee that is around 25% higher than an "industrial program".
> I think that the software industry is taking advantage of the
> grant-writewr's money...sucking up to places such as the NIH for large
> contracts...telling them that there is nothing better available....
> I SAY PHOOEY!
Try to write a cheap program and sell it or hire a programmer and tell him
to write the program. You will be rich afterwards if you are right ...
Regards
Christoph Gartmann
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| Max-Planck-Institut fuer Phone : +49-761-5108-465 Fax: -221 |
| Immunbiologie PSI : PSI%(0262)45050160374::GARTMANN |
| Postfach 1169 Internet: gartmann at immunbio.mpg.de |
| D-79011 Freiburg, FRG |
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