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From: Roberto Baccioni <bccs21k1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 21:57:27 +0200
At 18.57 29/04/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Full-time students and faculty and save up to 75% off popular design
>software list prices.
>
>AutoCAD Release 13 with AutoVison: $798.98
>Autodesk Collection Plus: $298.98
>Softdesk Auto Architect Bundle: $368.98
>Alias Sketch! 2.0: $199.98
>Autodesk 3D Studio MAX: $995.98
>Autodesk 3D Studio 4.0 with Animator Pro & Liquid Speed: $798.98
>Autodesk Props (Commercial & Residential): $89.98
>And much more!
I know that students can find Bentley's Microstation pack for about $100!
(At least here in Italy, where Microstation street price is $6000 c.ca and
AutoCAD 13 about $5000)
Isn't it more fair for us Students?
I hope Autodesk too will understand that Students don't have enough money to
buy something that costs like a Pc (even if 25% of the original price) and
that helping future professional users learn to use CADs will be far better
than trying to make few premature money. Standards are made by the largest
base of users and if honest Students are allowed to buy a comparable
Software for so few money as $100-200 they will do that instead of piracing
something else: this will lead to an enlargement of the users base (with
consequent future gain for the software hose), to the opportunity for
Students to learn CAD (with consequent future gain for us) and to no more
Piracy for this kind of expensive technical software (as the problem of
Students is solved, Professional users can be controlled by Fiscal Authorities).
Students do not make money with CADs, they mainly learn to use them for
future work. I think that a price of $6000 is fair when software helps you
saving money and time but when you are a student, you aren't doing eihter
(and even $800 can be too much).
Even Microsoft got that... and let Students buy Office Pro for about $100.
Roberto (A Florentine Student of Architecture)