EDUCATIONAL VERSION IS A SCAM

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I think we do need to be realistic in this. It did cost MM money to make the product. So they would at least need to get that back, no matter who the buyer is, Comercial or Student.

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Originally posted by mwilber

These companies should be greatful to have the free advertising, yet they can't resist to squeeze every little bit they can from our wallets.

While it would indeed be a wonderful world if everyone could get everything they want for free, we live in a money driven society. Whether you're from a capitalist country or not, something is given in exchange for something else. Until there is a very solid ROI (return on investment) created for giving software to students, that won't happen.


The Trial version of Macromedia products is completely free and allows you a reasonably long period of time to test it out.

Students who use software, whether it is free or not, do provide some sort of future sales numbers, Macromedia and most other companies aren't in a fiscal position to bank money on that.

Then there is the whole other side of the educational market, the educational establishments themselves. Why should a school get a free copy ( or copies ) when every other business has to pay? The technology department at a college has a budget just like a division of a company has a budget. They make money through tuition to take a class, there is no reason that they shouldn't be considered a company just the same. However, the focus of a productive capitalist society must be on encouraging new growth while maintaining current growth. So like many other companies, Macromedia is trying to enable the lifeblood of the next generation while not giving the wrong people a free ride.

In any case, I believe Macromedia's education pricing is targetted at the institution, not the student. They could break it down further and have Educational pricing AND student pricing and maybe they will, but that still falls back on the need for an tangible return. It would take several years to come up with numbers to prove that sort of investment works. So it will take at least one company sticking its neck out, and I don't believe Macromedia is in a financial position to do that and a company like Microsoft would probably be slapped with an anti-competitive lawsuit.

So yes, there is much more to business than just making money, but it is a law of the capitalist jungle that if it costs nothing you probably make nothing (i.e. the whole internet banner ads thing).

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[bit-101]

So you don't think a student's future commercial contribution to software sales is payment enough? Then why have a student discount in the first place?

personally, no.
if i had made some software (or any product for that matter) and someone said "let me have it free and later i'll get others to buy it from you.".... i don't think so.

[mwilber]

You're missing my point...

Macromedia is getting payed, just not right away. The reality in sales of professional grade software, is that 99% of revenue comes from businesses that shell out thousands each for multiple copies and site licences. Even if every student in the world pirates a copy of Flash, Macromedia won't see a big hit in revenue.

Now, consider that those students who pirated flash get a job as art director for X-company. Suddenly that $99 dollars Macromedia lost on a student turns into a huge corperate customer.

Don't believe it? I'll admit to "stealing" my first copy of Flash, 4. But the reality is that I couldn't afford $99 dollars to buy it anyway. However, now that I'm making money off of Flash, macromedia got $300, plus another $200 when I upgrade to MX. That's $500 dollars in their pocket (plus the price of future upgrades), that is a direct result of my piracy of a product I couldn't afford to buy in the first place.

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Originally posted by mwilber
You're missing my point...
That's $500 dollars in their pocket (plus the price of future upgrades), that is a direct result of my piracy of a product I couldn't afford to buy in the first place.

But it could have been $600 in their pocket. That's 20% difference in revenue.

I think your argument would benefit if you proclaimed a desired differentiation of Educational Institution pricing, $99, and Student Pricing which doesn't exist but would be $0 or maybe a nominal fee to prevent abuse (a la free healthcare).

Free and capitalism don't mix. There are more sales to companies who buy flash because it has become an industry standard for multimedia content over the web (probably 99.9%) than there are companies who only bought it because a student who got it for free became the company's art director. But, like I said previously, if Macromedia could prove this to be a tangible return on investment, they would be much more likely to consider it.

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[bit-101]

ah. forget it. i've never won an argument with one of these, "it's really ok to steal!" guys.

go steal your software. it doesn't hurt anyone. grab a couple of cars and rob a bank while you're at it. after all, once you get the money, where will you put it? right back in the bank! so everyone will be happy!!!