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Re: Another point about Mathematica 8.0

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg116457] Re: Another point about Mathematica 8.0
  • From: AES <siegman at stanford.edu>
  • Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:34:24 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <ijdo86$f6n$1@smc.vnet.net>

In article <ijdo86$f6n$1 at smc.vnet.net>,
 "Benedetto Bongiorno" <bongiob at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> It appears that under your business model, innovation will not include the
> rights and rewards of ownership.

1)  I didn't propose a business model -- I described Wolfram's, as seen 
by us users.

2)  My view of a good business model is one that includes that most 
sacrosanct of values (the values so hypocritically endorsed by most 
Repugnicans): some reasonable level of competition.  What level of 
competition does Mathematica face?  

And, suppose there were two competing products of any kind, of roughly 
equal quality and price, one which you buy and own, one which you had to 
license: which do you think would be more successful?

3)  I don't think Wolfram is much interested in what my business model 
for Mathematica would be (and that might be good judgement on their 
part!).  But if they asked, I'd say that I'd like a tiered or modular 
(or whatever you want to call it) approach where increasing more capable 
versions of Mathematica were available at increasing price points -- 
just like most every other product in the marketplace.

Of course, this may be impossible for Mathematica, because of the way in 
which it is fundamentally "all one big, monster program that does 
everything, and could never be 'modularized'".  Well, if true, that's 
just one of the serious negative side effects of Mathematica's "all one 
big monster program" approach.


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