旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � 1992 SHAREWARE DISK VENDOR SURVEY � � by Steven Hudgik � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � This survey is copyrighted. We grant � � permission for information from this � � survey to be quoted, provided it is � � identified as coming from the Home- � � Craft 1992 Shareware Vendor Survey. � � Larger sections and complete tables � � may be reprinted with the written � � permission of the author. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� During March, April and May of 1992 I conducted my second comprehensive survey of shareware disk vendors. The first survey was conducted during the summer of 1990. The purpose of the 1992 survey was to determine whether the on-going recession had affected the shareware industry, identify the types of shareware disks that sell the best, and solicit vendor comments on several questions such as: what can authors do to improve and what new software is needed? To summarize the results, the answers to these questions are: - the shareware disk business was healthy and expanding in 1992 - vendors sell more games and educational disks than any other type of software. - vendors do not like crippled or demo software and they think there is a demand for more educational software. Unfortunately I faced tight budget limits with this survey. To help keep the costs down I included the survey with my latest shareware disks when I mailed them to vendors and BBSs. The mailing went to about 400 vendors and 200 BBSs. I received 82 surveys from vendors and another 12 from BBSs. The surveys received from BBSs are not included here as the questions were not appropriate for a BBS. The next survey will have separate questionnaires for vendors and BBSs. The first few questions showed that IBM software dominates by a far larger margin than it did in 1990, and vendors are carrying fewer titles and are selling more disks. The first three questions were: 1. For which types of computers do you sell shareware? 2. Approximately how many titles do you carry? 3. Approximately how many disks do you sell per month? The following table summarizes the answers to these questions for both 1992 and 1990. IBM Mac Apple II Atari Commodore Other 1992 # of Distributors 80 2 3 0 5 1 1990 # 0f Distributors 59 5 8 3 7 0 1992 # Titles Carried (avg) 1,440 800 260 NA 480 307 1990 # Titles Carried (avg) 1,727 480 194 600 361 NA 1992 Avg # Disks Sold/Month 13,108 700 233 NA 112 250 1990 Avg # Disks Sold/Month 7,856 2,100 189 1,000 325 NA The 1992 also asked about the average price charged for a disk. On the average, for a 360K IBM disk vendors are charging $2.68. Based on this information, if we extrapolate from the 82 vendors who responded to the 400 vendors on my mailing list, the result is that vendors are selling 5,243,200 disks per month (400 X 13108) for a total of $14,051,776 in sales per month. This means the shareware disk vending business is a $168,621,000 business in the U.S. on an annual basis at the retail level. After seeing the above number the first thing I wondered about was, "What would this number be if shareware authors were included?" How big is the total shareware industry? So I went back to my 1992 author survey results and found that the average author gets $55,246 in registrations per year. I have 1800 authors on my active mailing list, so this gives author's a total annual sales of $99,442,800. While I feel confident the vendor number is accurate, I do not have complete confidence in $99,442,000 as being an accurate total for authors. When I posted this number on Compuserve it was questioned by Barry Simon, a shareware author whose opinion I highly respect and whose math background is far greater than mine. Barry pointed out that it may not be realistic to assume that, if all 1800 authors where included, the average would still be $55,246 in sales per author. My own personal feeling is that successful authors are probably more likely to respond than authors with few sales. So the author number may be high. Based on this feeling, and Barry's feedback, I looked at an alternative method for calculating total author sales. Using the average number of programs each vendor has in their library from the above table (1,440) and dividing it by three, the average number of programs for each author (from the author survey) we get 480 "active" authors. Multiply this by the $55,246 average sales per year per author and the total annual registrations received by authors equals $26,518,000. So how do I feel about this lower number? I feel it is too low. Using this same method to calculate the total registrations received by authors in 1989 we get: $26,265,600 - essentially the same number. This shows no growth from 1989 to 1991, yet we know: the number of authors has increased significantly during this time and sales have increased for many authors (the SBI shows a 250% increase). The only conclusion we can draw is that $26.5M probably represents the low end, $99M the high and the true value is somewhere between these. Based on noticing several large authors who did not return survey forms, my estimate is that authors received approximately $30-$32M in registrations in 1992. So what is the size of the shareware industry? If we use author sales of $99,000,000 that makes shareware a $268,064,000 per year industry in 1991 in the U.S. Using the lower $26,500,000 number, the shareware industry in the U.S. is a $194,500,000 per year industry. This compares with an estimated $124,000,000 industry size in 1989 (based on our 1990 survey and using $26,265,600 for author sales). The only way to get better figures is to have a larger response to the survey. This should provide more accurate figures. By the way, if you did not receive my 1992 survey, and you are a disk vendor, BBS or shareware author, please send your name and address to me so you can be included in the next survey. Your participation in future surveys will help improve the accuracy of the results. My address is: Steve Hudgik, P.O. Box 974, Tualatin, OR 97062. Two other figures that may be of interest are the median sales for authors and vendors. The median sales number for authors is: $4,500 per year. The median sales for disk vendors is: $93,600. Out of curiosity I checked to see where the entire shareware industry would rank vs. individual retail software companies. I'm not sure this is a fair comparison because we are comparing somewhere around 500 separate companies with single individual companies. But, valid or not it is interesting, so here it is: Microsoft Corp. tops the "retail" list with sales of over $2,200,000,000. Using the higher author number the entire shareware industry would place 7th on the list - falling between Autodesk ($280,000,000) and Adobe Systems ($230,000,000). If we use the lower number for the size of the shareware industry, it places 8th on the list, just ahead of Symantec which has $188,000,000 in sales. IS THE DISK VENDING BUSINESS GETTING BETTER OR WORSE? The next three questions were aimed at finding out whether disk vendors were doing better or worse. The first question was: In 1991 did the shareware part of your business: % of Vendors Answering Yes Expand - 58% Get Smaller - 3% Become More Profitable - 35% Become Less Profitable - 13% Sell More Disks - 39% Sell Less Disks - 10% As you can see from the above most vendors saw their business expand and, by almost a three to one margin, become more profitable. To see if business was getting better (or worse) as a result of a change in the price vendors charged for disks the next question on the survey asked: In 1991 did you change the average price you charge for a disk? % of Vendors Answering Yes Yes, Increased It 19% Yes, Decreased It 13% No Change 52% Based on the above we can see that vendors are doing better primarily because they are selling more disks. When I conducted telephone interviews to follow up on the 1990 survey I found many vendors also were involved in non- shareware businesses - in most cases selling "retail" software. The 1992 survey asked vendors whether there is a non-shareware side of their business. We found 48% of the vendors run businesses that were fully dedicated to shareware. 52% of the vendors had a non-shareware related side to their business that, on the average, produced 29.9% of their revenue. HOW DO VENDORS MARKET/SELL SHAREWARE DISKS? The following chart compares the various methods vendors use to market/sell shareware disks showing the results for 1990 and 1992. In both years the use of direct mail and catalogs is the leading marketing method used. Most vendors use multiple marketing methods. Direct Mail/Catalog 80% 84% Magazine Ads 63% 45% Via User Groups 12% 13% Swap Meets/Flea Markets 39% 45% Through Computer Dealers 25% 48% Through Retail Stores 17% 32% Via BBS 8% 13% Via Information Svs. 3% 0% (eg. Compuserve) Other 17% 19% The most frequently mentioned marketing methods listed for "Other" were Computer Conventions and Business Trade Shows. WHAT SOFTWARE SELLS THE BEST? We asked vendors to rank 13 types of software as to how well shareware disks sell. We asked them to use a scale of 1 to 10 (with #1 indicating the best sales and #10 very poor sales). The following ranking only shows what types of shareware disks are selling, it does not show which programs are being registered. Position On A Ranking Type Of Software Scale of 1 to 10 1992 1990 Games 2.15 1 1 Educational 3.36 2 3 Business 4.61 3 2 Home 4.81 4 6 Utility 5.04 5 4 Graphics 6.12 6 5 Clip Art 6.81 7 NA Word Processing 7.65 8 NA Desk Top Publishing 8.15 9 NA Data Base 8.27 10 NA Fonts 8.35 11 NA Communications 8.65 12 NA Spreadsheet 8.81 13 NA VENDORS GET ON THEIR SOAPBOXES The final six questions in the 1992 survey asked vendors to give their comments and express their feeling about various subjects. The following provides all of the responses, word for word exactly as the vendors wrote them. Any information or comments I have added are shown in parenthesis. If you'd like to comment or respond to any of the following, please feel free to send us a letter. We will be expanding our letter section in the next issue and will try to include most of the letters we receive. Our address is: HSBJ, P.O. Box 975, Tualatin, OR 97062. ******************************************************************* What can shareware authors do to help you? - Send printed manuals for vendor use and press releases for local papers. - Supply latest updates promptly. - Be sure to include a DOC in machine readable form from within the package. - Provide catalog descriptions on paper. Make a super easy-to-use interface. - Write more Windows 3 programs. - Provide program description alternatives - long vs. short. - Give short paragraph descriptions, the version number, the registration price, and if they are sending an update what the disk number in our catalog is, and if they are ASP members. - Get on the use of the standard shareware file README.SIF. - Create desirable/affordable (registered) programs and get them here to be distributed. - Better shareware. - Give good descriptions and identify the catagory the software fits in. - Send us programs/updates and create more educational software. - Send complete information on each program. - When sending evaluation copies place each product on a separate disk with its own documentation and a printed note describing each. (So we can direct to the proper librarian). - User friendly, educational theme type software. Support more CPUs. Provide more Windows software. - Continue to send updates as they are released. Users love the latest and greatest. - Put a program description and system requirements on disk. Also, could send program disks to various consumer magazines for evaluation. - Send 360K disks ready to duplicate. Leave 10K on the disk for my file. - Include good one or two line descriptions for disk labels and a short paragraph for the catalog. Be precise and list early what the hardware and software requirements are. - There needs to be better communications - attitude between vendors and authors. BOTH need to work together - this survey is a good idea, but a lot of vendors won't take time to fill it out. - Provide clear, concise product descriptions. - Keep documentation on user level. Don't use the program to show how clever you can be. - Make sure we receive originals and updates quickly. - Non-ASP members could utilize the "VENDOR.DOC" file. Pertinent information about some programs are in a "README.1ST" file, but there are others that are imbedded within the program documentation which takes time to locate. - Provide money for co-op advertising. - Honesty. Need to get information about a product and packaging. Is it a demo or crippled? Does it require special things from the computer? - Give "True Vendors" an easier way to contact them about their programs. - More complete, easy-to-find descriptions. And what category they prefer their programs to be listed under. - Good product descriptions and hardware requirements. Documentation on disk. User friendly. - Better quality. - Stop requiring us to write a letter and send a catalog so that we can distribute their software. This gets expensive. - Send along a description and requirements for their product. A lot already do, but a lot don't. - Better documentation, setting explicit requirements for their programs (what does it need to run?). - Give us descriptions of the product. - Clearly spell out any distribution "regulations" a program requires. - Give description of program on the disk instead of having to install and run the program to see what it does. - Include an ASCII description file (called FILE_ID.DIZ). This file automatically inserts with some BBS software to provide a description. (A FILE_ID.DIZ file is an ASCII file providing a description of the software in a specified format. It may be up to 10 lines long and each line may be no longer than 45 characters. The first line should include the program name and version number). - Always include: Description, Address, Registration Amount, Requirements and updates. - Provide a description and program requirements in a separate file. Make sure programs are as bug free as possible. Continue cranking out successful programs. - Submit programs that are complete, workable and will not "self destruct." - "Nag" screens that continue to pop up throughout the running of a program is a continual complaint. UNICOM is a prime example. - Simplilfy installation procedures. - Improve documentation - menus for starting programs. - Release programs to vendors at the same time as BBSs. - Clearly show: version number, title, author address, registration requirements, short description all in one file. Your VENDOR.DOC makes it possible to list your programs from your point of view and you list all we need to know for our catalog. - Include a VENDOR.DOC and catalog descriptions. - They've all been very helpful - except make it easier to find out information about the program. - Send updates without being asked. Include full documentation on disk in READ.ME or text files. Include a VENDOR.DOC file to quickly give us catalog descriptions and hardware requirements. Clearly show the author's address and phone number if the vendor has additional questions. Please don't cripple or limit programs. - Supply professional and full functional programs. - Debug disks before distributing. Follow standardization of files (descriptions, vendor files, etc.) - Crack down on hackers, bad, irresponsible shareware distributors that give shareware a bad name. - Better shorter documentation. I feel authors know best what to say to sell their product. A bad vendor/dealer description can ruin their sales. - Provide information on hardware requirements, brief description and loading instructions. - Include hard copy descriptions for catalog listings - it saves time. - Better VENDOR.DOC file. Jim Hood's SCBF file is good place to start. Make it easier for customers to read DOC files. I have found that most people can't use their computer right!!! - Continue to improve existing software and offer new programs. Follow up on his/her vendor agreements. ***************************************************************** What do shareware authors do that you'd prefer they not do? + Put in time delays, or record locking. + Some discriminate by method of authorization and distribution. If it's shareware, all vendors should have automatic authorization. + A few do not verify their disks and we receive faulty copies. + Too many upgrades of versions - sometimes once a week - it's hard to keep up with them. Lack of hardware requirements in DOC file. + Exaggerate their product. + No crippled programs. + Provide sloppy documentation. + Some authors allow distribution by BBSs and not by disk vendors. + Send semi-functional programs. Place shareware on BBSs, this leaves the possibility of virus' and users become leary of all shareware. + Do not use self extracting archives. + Put flashing or repeat messages about registering their shareware. It would be better if the message was at the start and/or end of the program. + Place advertisements on their program's front end for 3rd party registration rather than in the documentation. We prefer not to advertise the competition. + Send updates for minor, almost insignificant, changes. Ask for registration prices that are way too high. When they ask for written authorization they never answer the requests. I have NEVER gotten a return from an author. Demand that no other program be included with their's when their program only fills a third of a disk. + Check for virus' before they send disks. + Cripple programs or send incomplete packages. + Authors need to quit acting like they are doing us a favor. + Require us to distribute their disks with the VENDOR.DOC file on them. + Write pathetic documentation. + Cripple product - and there is too much advertising in the screens. + Cripple. + Cripple programs in some way. + Leave no space on the disk. Compress everything so I have to figure out how to split on 360K disks. Not include an install utility. + Put author's information in an EXE file. + Not list a business phone or Compuserve number - some way to get a hold of them easily. Some need to organize their documentation better. + Too much about ASP. Many authors will not send programs to non-ASP vendors no matter how good the vendor is. + Include FILE_ID.DIZ or other descriptive file in archive. + Pack files as self extracting. + Treat ASP vendors the same as non ASP vendors. + Put constant reminders to send money in the software. + Require us to join an association before they will license us to distribute their product. + Set time limits or limit their program to run only on a disk. + Put DOC files in compressed format. How is an inexperienced user to get the program started if they are confused on how to read the documentation. Also, do not fill the disk 100% - leave space on the disk for the vendor to add his help and advertising files for customer ease of use. + Some are very vague about their programs - most of the people are new to shareware. + Make it necessary to search for information about the program and then sometimes it is not there. + Include only typed descriptions - ones that require vendors to retype. + Limit the software. If it's not exactly the same as registered version, it's crippled. I do not accept limited software anymore. + Let everyone distribute their shareware. + Recommend one particular dealer or source. + More should send copies of their software to BBSs. Many do not. + Submit programs that are of no value to the general public (like a list of magazines selling nude photos). + Write such complex install routines that they become a disk grabbing monster. We have an install here that is less than 10K and installs everything. If they don't do it efficiently, don't do it. + Distribution of very limited demos. + Cripple shareware to the point you can't really tell if its what you need or it locks the computer up. + Prefer no high density disks. Most of my customers do not have or know how to handle archived or zipped files. + Release poor quality software. + Require that you contact them for each update. + Provide programs that stop functioning after a period of time. + Hide their address and registration requirements. + Overall - no complaints at this time. ***************************************************************** What new software would you like to see available as shareware? - Educational (mentioned 6 times) - More and Better games (mentioned 6 times) - A good Desktop Publishing program! (mentioned 4 times) - Anything for Windows (mentioned twice) - Fonts, laser and Postscript (mentioned twice) - More tutor software (mentioned twice) - VGA Products - Better stock trading software - Educational software for children 3-12 yrs. old - Educational software for high school level - Educational software for 10 yrs old and up - A database or spreadsheet that will also print checks - Gardening software - 3rd party software manuals done in hypertext - LAN applications - More business oriented software - Ham radio software - OCR program - A good clone of PC Tools - A program similar to Disk Technician Gold, that automatically handles bad sectors on hard drives. - Autodesk clone - Education software on grammar and English - Software for new users - Clip art - A tutor for Windows - More DeskJet support included with software. - Anything that uses ADLIB/SoundBlaster ***************************************************************** The next question asked about the ASP and we got a variety of comments. Overall, just under half (45%) of the authors responding to this survey are ASP members. The question we asked was: What do you feel the ASP has done for you during the past year? What would you like the ASP to be doing for you? + I have received the new/updated disks like clock-work. Make it harder to get approved ASP vendor status and refuse to offer ASP products to nonASP vendors. There are a lot of fly by night vendors that give the industry a BAD name. + Lower the first year membership fee. + Nothing for me. I would like to see the ASP lower their dues. Why pay only $150 for the first year and then $250 thereafter. Probably would get more members if there was lower dues.. + I would like the ASP to offer a professional group for public recognition and image. + The ASP has cut down on crippled and demo junk. I don't mind putting reasonabkle limits on the product, but not when it makes it vertually useless. The ASP membership dues are just simply too high for low volume distributors to justify the cost. + I have strong feelings on this subject that I prefer to keep to myself. + We meet ASP standards, but chose not to join due to complications we had contacting the ASP when we were first established. + I would like the ASP to provide more publicity. + Gave me a chance to have the best software available for my users, and a good share of security because it comes direct from authors. + Helped very much with advise. I would like to be able to vote. + A good source of excellent shareware mailed to me each month. + They make a nice directory. They need to publish standards for documentation. + They send us the mailing packs. A catalog of all the ASP titles or BBS database where they are all cross referenced would be nice. + Lower the dues! What promotional work does the ASP do for authors, vendors and shareware in general? + The ASP has given me more files to provide to my users - highly recommended. + Gave us a feeling of belonging. They should release shareware to ASP vendors first. Membership should have priviledges. + The ASP provides a good liason between shareware authors and vendors. + Nothing. This organization hurts vendors if they are small. It should limit itself to policing the quality of the products and leave distributing to the vendors. + I like the intro for vendors. + They are not playing a fair game. We are supposed to be privileged to be members, but then all the ASP programs are loaded to local BBSs! We need faster service. + Promoted quality of shareware. + They have provided pretty good software. + They need to make vendors full fledged voting members! It is unjust (criminal) to charge a vendor up to five (5) times an author's dues rate per year and yet to allow only the privileged of being an "associate" non-voting member. Outrageous! + Do not feel that vendors are carefully selected by the ASP. + The fees are the highest in the country for association membership. Get real! + The ASP mailing is nice, but we usually don't get it until after the BBSs have had it for a month. + They have done nothing. They need to organize authors to create a standard user interface. + Keeps versions new. + Need to reduce membership fees. + Actively promote membership. I'm not aware they are doing this. + The ASP has helped to promote quality programs by authors. + Offer a more desirable price to membership for young companies and check the "quality" of shareware. + The bulk mailings are working great. I use the ASP shareware catalog as a reference frequently. + They have done nothing. Need to lower the membership fee. + Nothing. While we agree with their stand on what some vendors should be doing, their fees and limits are obnoxious. + Has kept my library up to date by sending updated programs and information on withdrawn programs. + Since I am in the early stages of my shareware business, it is hard to tell. + Trying to decide if it's worth it. + Lower their fee for small organizations! And be more fair - did you know they even refused membership to Apogee Software? + Supply authors with our names and addresses. Encourage more authors to send their software. Some authors you can't even squeeze their software from them. + The ASP has made it possible to keep our library updated. I'd like to see some kind of PR campaign to explain what shareware is to those who've never heard of it & clear up any misconceptions. ***************************************************************** What advice do you have for other shareware vendors? What are other vendors doing that you like or dislike? - I'd like to see other vendors list version numbers with the program names (some do). Stop distributing outdated programs. Better catalog descriptions. Go easy on the hype. - Work closer with authors. - Some simply list their programs without stating descriptions or requirements - think it leads to a lot of distribution. - Other vendors should raise their prices and I don't like sleazy vendors. - None. This is our first year and it is real slow. - Better describe their products to include system requirements in their listings. Some vendors evidently don't check programs to see what they have. - Explain to customers what shareware is and the benefits of what it has to offer. And support how to run programs. - If you don't belong to the ASP, run your business as if you did. - Sell registered copies of shareware. - Clearly define X-rated from legitimate. - Need to advertise program version number. - Be prompt when sending disks to customers. - Vendors need to respect the costs of doing business. Too many are just copying catalog descriptions, numbering systems, disk compilations, copyrighted help files of other vendors. And many don't bother to update versions sold regularly or to provide telephone tech support to help customers get started. Our warning is "Don't kill the goose that laid the golden egg!" Our firm is prospering in these uncertain times. Yet many are not! Rumblings of the future can be ominous (several authors have commercialized their latest versions) and the public has become somewhat jaded by poor treatment by some disk vendors. - Give shareware a better image. Don't hurt it for a quick dollar! - Be current with new revs. Write and ask permission to distribute. It's only fair and it assures current revs. - Fully support the shareware concept. Many confuse PD and shareware. Some use shareware inappropriately (w/o registering). - I don't like it when they sell out of date disks or disks with missing files - very common around here. - Be willing to do it right. Have a good return policy and a good catalog. I don't like vendors who don't update their stock. ***************************************************************** How do you find new shareware (by new authors) to add to your catalog? + Talk to programmers and look over the good vendor's catalogs. + Jim Hood's data base. Download from BBSs. And if I can find an address, write for a good copy. + Review other vendor's offerings and magazine write-ups. + We order top sellers that we have not received through the mail. + ASP is a good start. Also other vendors and BBSs that list current programs. + Contact authors, write them letters and buy from other vendors. + Review magazines for author names and addresses. + By advertising our company. + By writing letters and informing authors about our company. + Listed on company's mail outs as a vendor. Mail catalogs to authors. + Direct mail letters to authors. + ASP mailing. Some BBSs just to get the address of the author. + BBSs - ASP - Compuserve + Very little. + A good vendor/distributor does not need to solicit new programs. + Actively seek new authors by advertising. + Constantly reviewing new material and solicit authors by mail for permission to distribute. + Through friends, customers and other vendors. + Search magazines (eg. Shareware Magazine); buy from vendors and then write to the authors. + ASP, other vendors and call-ins. + Hit and miss, GEnie. + Call BBSs all over the country. Run our own BBS to get local authors. + Look around on BBSs - great place to find new stuff. + ASP mailings and catalog. + Other vendors and shareware magazine. + Buy from other vendors then contact the author of the programs I like. + Contact author personally via Compuserve...and ask for their permission and ask for diskette. + Normally we only review software which authors send directly to us. + I look on several BBSs for new programs. ******************************************************************* What criteria do you use in selecting software to be included in your catalog? - Fills a need not yet filled or fills that need in a unique or innovative way. - Full featured and documented. Easy to use and learn. Modern, intuitive interface. Quality compared to like programs. No crippled or annoying beg screens (over 3 times). - To not be crippled in any way. - I run them and also check out the reviews of other reputable vendors. - No crippled features. Try to keep an open mind and let the customers decide on value. - Try to find several of the best programs in each category. - Does it work as advertised? Is it reasonably easy to use? - That it runs correctly and serves a useful purpose. - Quality, quality, quality. - For the most part follow ASP guidelines. - We have only required the programs to do what they're supposed to do. We've only rejected and returned to authors programs that would not work. - Easy to understand DOC files; what the program has to offer as benefits. - It must work! Permission letter on file. Author actively supporting it. No demos or crippleware. - Quality above all. - Function, appearance, completeness and popularity. - Easy to use, broad appeal. - If it looks professionally done. - Type, value and design. - Classification, user friendly and menu/designs. - Business utilities; spreadsheets; databases I check myself. But the rest I give to my children to try out - they are very quick to know if it's suitable. - They must be professional, fully functional and useful for our customers. - Read author's descriptions and run programs. - Non-crippled shareware. An author with a good following, a good selection and a history. - I'm pretty open. At first, if I didn't like it I wouldn't put it in. But, it may be someone else's favorite, so now I include everything except X-rated software. - Easy of use, fills a need and salability. - Functionality must not be excessively crippled. - Does the program work? Could it be useful? - Is it well written, installation easy? As you can see there are a wide variety of opinions and ideas in some areas. Again I invite you to write to us if you'd like to express your opinion. There'll be lots of room for letters in the next issue, so we'll be including almost every letter we receive and we will print them unedited (except profanity, slander and anything illegal will be taken out). I hope to hear from you. Our address is: HSBJ, P.O. Box 974, Tualatin, OR 97062.