New PPC MCL Pricing!

[Dave@Yost.COM (Dave Yost)]

In article <1994Feb22.122853.5467@wavehh.hanse.de> cracauer@wavehh.hanse.de (Martin Cracauer) writes:
>
>Why not lift MCL's price to the level of UNIX-based Common Lisps?
>
>The quality of MCL would justify this and a PPC with MCL would still
>be a very cost-effective platoform, even if MCL costs 5 times as much.
>
>I don't know how big the difference between sales and costs of
>development currently is, but it sounds reasonable to me that the
>current price of MCL cannot cover such a hih-quality production.
>
>Better than not to have MCL at all, I think. 

Now you're talking.  Did anyone get a mailing from Apple asking
them if they were interested in a PowerPC version, and how many
they would buy, and at what price?  Just some simple market data.

The PowerMac/Regular Mac split is really an excellent opportunity
for market segmentation.  (Market segmentation is what you do to
get more money from customers who are willing to pay more.)

I bet there's plenty of money to be mined from the marketplace if
Apple would just try.  I mean look at the marketing history for
MCL.  You can buy full MCL for $495.  Period.  No trial version,
no "lite" version, no specials, no bundles, no network licensing,
in short, bare-bones marketing.

    (The following is my own idea.  I have not talked with Rick
     Fleischman or any other Apple personnel about this.  It is
     pure speculation.  Certainly not endorsed by Apple, or even
     heard of by Apple.  And who knows, maybe they've even talked
     about ideas like this already.)

What might MCL marketing look like?

Advertise new MCL pricing!  And promote MCL as a great way to
learn the new skills you'll need in the future (which it is).
Learn real high-level programming.  Learn dynamic programming.
Learn advanced programming techniques.  Get experience with one
of the best OO languages ever designed, CLOS, which will get you
ready for Dylan, which is similar in approach.  (Spoken like a
true convert.  I was mired in C/C++ until I recently moved on
to getting paid to use MCL!)

Here's the product mix:

       MCL CD-ROM
	   Has
	      MCL Online manual
	      MCL 68K Trial Version (unlocked)
	      MCL 68K Lite (locked)
	      MCL 68K (locked)
	   Later, will also have
	      Power MCL Trial Version (unlocked)
	      Power MCL Lite (locked)
	      Power MCL (locked)

  $34  MCL Manual and CD-ROM
	   Available in bookstores.
	   Includes
	      Floppy disk with unique ID for unlocking CD-ROM.
	      800 number for unlocking the locked versions.
	      APDA order form with 800 number.

	   The price to unlock an app on the CD-ROM is the price
	   of the unlocked item minus the price of the book and
	   CD-ROM.

 free  MCL-68K Trial Version
	   No maximum memory size.
	   Runs for one hour once per restart.
	   Available unlocked on the CD-ROM.
	   Also available on electronic distribution.

  $99  MCL-68K Lite
	   Maximum memory size limited to, say 3MB.
	   Suitable for small projects and for learning.
	   Includes manual and CD-ROM.

 $295  MCL-68K
	   Full-blown MCL for 68K Macintoshes.
	   Includes manual and CD-ROM.

 free  Power MCL Trial Version
	   No maximum memory size.  Runs once per restart.
	   Available unlocked on the CD-ROM.
	   Also available on electronic distribution.

 $149  Power MCL Lite
	   Maximum memory size limited to, say 3MB.
	   Suitable for small projects and for learning.
	   Includes manual and CD-ROM.

 $795  Power MCL
	   The ultimate.
	   Includes manual and CD-ROM.

  $49  Power MCL Lite Upgrade
	   Upgrade from MCL-68K Lite to Power MCL Lite.*

 $500  Power MCL Upgrade
	   Upgrade from MCL-68K to Power MCL.*

       * If your CD-ROM doesn't have Power versions, then
	 upgrading requires that you to return your old CD-ROM.
	 Return it in advance and pay the upgrade price,
	 or pay the full price, then return it for a rebate.

See how easy it is?

Can you see all the programmers who've always wanted to
see what Common Lisp was all about buying the book and
the trial version and getting going?

Now, if you believe that money talks, and you want your money
to talk to apple, send in an email message to the MCL product
marketing manager offering how many new copies of MCL or PowerPC
upgrades you would buy at these prices or pick your own prices.
Judging from his recent post, his is

    rick_fleischman@powertalk.apple.com ("Rick Fleischman")

-- 
  Dave Yost
      @    .COM