What Would You Pay?

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

I have a general poll question. You see i have some software applications that i would be putting on a website. For example some of these applications are a spread sheet, a html processor, a word processor, an archiver/unarchiver and many more. The thing i don't know what price to set for these software applications.

For example the spread sheet is a clone of microsoft's excel written in java swing and i am thing of charging about US$20. Is it too pricey??

Another application is the html processor which is also a clone of microsoft's front page written in java swing and i will be charging about US$15 for it. Is it too pricey??

The thing is what is reasonable range of prices would you guys would pay for the above named software applications.

Another question i have is what are the kind of software you guys find useful in your workplace or home?
An example for me is Adobe reader but what about the rest of you guys??

Please don't ask me why i have built clones of commercial softwares - maybe i don't have an imagination of my own

Any kind of comments would be helpful

Thank You

Yours Sincerely

Richard West

[Dani]

Are these java applications as feature-rich as their Microsoft counterparts? If so, they might provide good alternatives as portable solutions. Are they cross-platform? Do they require installers? Can they open / save in .doc format? If extraordinarily feature-rich as well as portable, I think you could charge as much as $30. Of course, since their portability would make them something unique. How much does MS Word cost? I do think that $15 and $20 are good prices though. If they're simply clones that don't offer any unique features, then maybe a tad less.

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

Let me answer your questions one by one

Are these java applications as feature-rich as their Microsoft counterparts?.

More or less yes(but still needs some work)

Are they cross-platform?

Since they are written in pure 100% java Yes

Do they require installers??

We are still deciding on that as do we just need to include a installer and install the program or simply include a jar archive where the user can simply double click on the jar file to run it

Can they open / save in .doc format?

If you are talking about Microsoft .doc format it does not seem to be multi-platform so we introduced our own doc format which is almost similar but we
still have to work on this and open to comments on this

Since my program is written in java the company i work for have tried to run the applications on a pda and even mobile phones and it works. For example we have a program which is something like Adobe PhotoShop(still needs some work) but we have managed to make it run on the pc, mobile phones and on a pda.

The thing is we don't really know is there a market for such things in the US and EU. We did do a survey and found that there was such a demand in China, India and other major asian economies.

Please note that for the running of java applications on the pda and mobile phones requires that we build our own jvm which has to be included by the various manufacturers which the company i work for are trying to strike a deal with at the moment

Hope to hear more from other users

Yours Sincerely

Richard West

[server_crash]

For example the spread sheet is a clone of microsoft's excel written in java swing and i am thing of charging about US$20. Is it too pricey??

Another question i have is what are the kind of software you guys find useful in your workplace or home?
An example for me is Adobe reader but what about the rest of you guys??

Please don't ask me why i have built clones of commercial softwares - maybe i don't have an imagination of my own

Any kind of comments would be helpful

Thank You

Yours Sincerely

Richard West

Hey Richard,
I think it's great that you can build that type of software. I wouldn't sell it seperately at that price...I think a better idea would be, to create a whole suit of applications and selling them as a whole...I think buyers tend to go for that more than a single application. As for creating "clones" of commercial software, I believe that's one of the best ways of learning.

Anyways, software I find helpful at home, is a programmers notepad(V.A.T.E) like JEdit, and I personally like math programs, although I don't use them very much.

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

I think a better idea would be, to create a whole suit of applications and selling them as a whole.

Yes we are in the process of doing that. We offer both in the sense that we offer programs individually and also as a suite.

Anyways, software I find helpful at home, is a programmers notepad(V.A.T.E) like JEdit, and I personally like math programs, although I don't use them very much.

We have a very simple to use java ide something like borland's turbo c but its for java. The only math programs i think we have are a line grapher, a pie chart grapher and a vertical bar grapher in where the graph can be exported as a png image.

I like your graphing tool on the java forum, it seem really great.
If possible please tell people of this thread so i can roughly know what the software market demands are. At this point i only have the views of two people and would really like to have more views.

At this moment in time we are also intending to include apis - something similar to what netscape did in late 1995(not sure if the year is correct).

For example we may start to include printing api's that a developer can use by wrapping his classes around them and for example to print the content of a multi-page JTable would take less than five lines of code. What do you think of selling royalty free apis'. Is it a good idea or a bad one??

What do you think is the reasonable price charge for the above described api?

Anyways I really appreciate your input and hope to hear from you on this issue again

Thank You

Yours Sincerely

Richard West

[server_crash]

Hi everyone,
If possible please tell people of this thread so i can roughly know what the software market demands are. At this point i only have the views of two people and would really like to have more views.

I'll see what I can do. I think the best way, would be puting something in your signature that points to this thread..I could also put something in my signature if you like.

At this moment in time we are also intending to include apis - something similar to what netscape did in late 1995(not sure if the year is correct).

For example we may start to include printing api's that a developer can use by wrapping his classes around them and for example to print the content of a multi-page JTable would take less than five lines of code. What do you think of selling royalty free apis'. Is it a good idea or a bad one??

What do you think is the reasonable price charge for the above described api?

I think idea of developing API's is great, especially for printing. Printing is one of the hardest concepts in programming, and if you could make an API that simlified it, there is no telling how much you could make. I'm not really good on pricing things like that, but some people will stick with the complicated way instead of paying, so you have to keep that in mind. Is there a way you could make it open source, and make the money from say advertisment's and stuff?

[jewboy]

Who is your audience - what market and demographic are you targeting your software to?

-AW

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

Is there a way you could make it open source, and make the money from say advertisment's and stuff?

There are certain apis which we may put up for use for commercial and non-commercial use but that has not been finalized yet.

would be puting something in your signature that points to this thread?

How do i change my signature, i can't seem to find a way to do it. Do you know how?

Who is your audience - what market and demographic are you targeting your software to?

I basically have three market at this moment at time but we expand the market in the future

The markets we are targetting are the database, developer and everyday office applications.

We have something in the works which is something like a clone of Microsoft access but we are trying to find out is there a market for such an application and there is is US$15 for it too pricey. What would you suggest is reasonable price??

Thank You

Yours Sincerely

Richard West

[server_crash]

Changing signature:

Go up to control panel...and then on the left hand side is a button that says edit signature, and that will take you to a screen that looks similar to that of making a post.

[tharglet]

Well, in an abstract way users like the software that does what they want, for as little money as possible. The more features that are percieved as useful, the more money ppl will pay. Me, if I can get what I want as freeware, then that'll do. I'm not so fooled by percieved usefulness. It's all a matter of marketing and hoping the prospective buyer doesn't know about about the cheaper product(s), if they exist.

[pcarlow]

I tend to like open-source software because not only is it free but typically it's not hard to find a support forum to work through any issues you have.

I'm not sure you could make much money selling Office clones with things like OpenOffice already available. You would have to add some value not already offered by the other free clones.

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

I know that some of the softwares are open-source but from what i hear is that people especially organisations tend to feel more secure about products that cost something even if its a dollar. I think its that physcologically people feel that because something is not free or cost more the product must be of a higher quality(which is not often the case).

What do you guys think of user customized databases written in java which includes open api's so that organisations with programmers can use my apis and create their own organisation specific databases if they do not like the bundled database application. What do you guys think is the appropriate price to charge for such a product. I was thinking US$20. Is this too pricey. What do you guys recommend?

I hope to hear some comments from you guys and don't forget to vote on the poll

Thank You

Yours Sincerely

Richard West

[vegaseat]

Okay Richard, April 1st has passed, when are you going to let the cat out of the bag?

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

Okay Richard, April 1st has passed, when are you going to let the cat out of the bag?

What are you talking about?
I don't have any cat in any bag. Please explain

Richard West

[vegaseat]

Hi everyone,

What are you talking about?
I don't have any cat in any bag. Please explain

Richard West

I happen to think that Microsoft Excel is a superb product. Give us a demo of the Richard West Java-Excel that does not put us to sleep!

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

I happen to think that Microsoft Excel is a superb product. Give us a demo of the Richard West Java-Excel that does not put us to sleep!

Yes i do agree Microsoft Excel is a good product. There is no demo available nor can i show you a screen shot of it due to a confidentiality agreement that i signed.

I do appreciate your input and hope to hear more comments from you and please do not forget to vote.

ps: I do not hate Microsoft

Thank You

Yours Sincerely

Richard West

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

I happen to think that Microsoft Excel is a superb product

Seriously let us not fool ourselves

Richard West

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

Any more ideas and suggestions??

Richard West

[~s.o.s~]

Well i think an opensource software for your first attempt would really give your Software company a boost.

..and well also the type of publicity you use decides the future of your company.

Good publicity = Great future

[cool_78]

open source is the best. It pools together the internets greatest mind and makes it better for us to use for free

[raj.sagit]

hi

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

Well i think an opensource software for your first attempt

Ah this is not my first attempt, i have dozens of programs on the net but the problem is that i have a legal agreement with these companies that i wrote th softwares for that i will not reveal the name of the softwares i have written, but most of them are commercial and ebven quite famous but sad i can't say their names

would really give your Software company a boost.

The company is not mine but someone's else's and i am currently working for them. These guys see to want clones of most commercial softwares written in Java, so my job is to do exactly that. This project seem to have taken up alot of time and money but judging from the guys who sub contracted this to me they seem to have very deep pockets.

..and well also the type of publicity you use decides the future

Good publicity = Great future

True, let's hope the future remains bright

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

open source is the best. It pools together the internets greatest mind and makes it better for us to use for free

true but the problem that lies with free is that although its good for consumers, it becomes non viable after a while because end of the everyone has to eat and the best option is to charge something but to charge sensibly and not like you know who as if they have lost their minds.

My question to you is would you pay say $15, for say of a clone of Microsoft Frontpage or say $50 for a entire clone of Office 2007, but the catch is that these softwares' not only run on windows platform but on all other platforms supported by Java?

Richard West

[freesoft_2000]

Hi everyone,

hi

Hi, any comments or suggestions?

Richard West