[arachne] Re: Marketability of DOS software

Arachne at FreeLists---The Arachne Fan Club!

Hi Folks,

On Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:22:39 +0000
"Udo Kuhnt" <048321887-0001@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> > Since DOS programs *will* run in Windoze, turning out a functional DOS
> > program makes sense.
> 
> No, it doesn't because there is no point in compiling a program for
> DOS if it is to be run only in Windows. Making it a DOS executable
> only makes sense if one assumes that it would be run in DOS, otherwise
> it is best to make it a native Windows executable.

   I would agree with Udo. Except that I have another reason to compile DOS 
executables that run in Windows - I don't know how to compile Windows 
executables, but software that I do sell IS mostly run under Windows.
 
> Mind that these companies do not consider the added bonus of DOS
> compatibility since they do not even consider the possibility that
> someone is using DOS. To them, DOS (if they ever heard of it) is an OS
> that ceased to exist many years ago, and all of its *former* users
> either stopped using it or also ceased to exist.
> 
> Nothing they find in the market analyzes they base their assumptions
> on indicates that DOS is still being sold, let alone that it has a
> significant market share, and this is the only thing they need to know
> about it. They are not interested in open source versus closed source
> or in numbers of anonymous downloads, they are only interested in the
> number of people who pay for something. Only if somebody is willing to
> pay for his OS he is in their target group; pennyless freeloaders do
> not count.

  Absolutely right. Commercial software companies are just that: commercial. 

  The purpose of a software company ?  

  To make software ?   

  No !

  It's purpose is to make money, and writing and selling software is just the 
way they do it.
 
  So DOS software is left to the enthusiast, the hobbyist, and programmers who 
enjoy the intellectual exercise for its own sake.

Regards,
        Ron

-- 
Ron Clarke 
AUSREG Consultancy      http://www.ausreg.com
Tadpole Tunes           http://www.tadpoletunes.com
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