My Archives: September 2003
Sunday, September 14, 2003
O'Reilly and Associates publishes most of the best computer books on the market. When I need a book on a computer-related topic, I go to the bookstore looking not just for a book, but an O'Reilly book. From experience, I know that their books will be accessible and in-depth.
Not only does ORA publish great books, but they know how to provide excellent customer service. They understand a key point of superior customer service: some expenses contribute a lot to your bottom line in ways that never show up on a balance sheet. [more]
Posted by Rob @ 07:19 PM ET [Link] [No Comments]
Friday, September 12, 2003
I can understand why software makers are concerned about piracy. If people don't pay for a product, how can the company pay the programmers who sweated to create it?
I can also understand why some people pirate software. Often, a company prices their program at a "what the market will bear" price. When that happens, it's no shock that some people will take the risk of making an illegal copy in order to use the program once or twice.
Some companies understand this better than others. Apple understood that there are people who need better video-editing software than iMovie, but who aren't about to pay $999 for Final Cut Pro. They came out with an intermediate product, Final Cut Express, that has all the features of Final Cut Pro needed by the advanced amateur, but lacking a few features that the pro market needs. By pricing Final Cut Express within the reach of the average camcorder owner, they've reduced the risk of piracy.
Macromedia, on the other hand, has decided to take the "customers are all thieves" method of piracy reduction. The result is bad customer service. [more]
Posted by Rob @ 01:12 PM ET [Link] [2 Comments]
Please read our privacy policy before posting comments.