some more playing around with numbers

[Marcel Kunath]

I was myself thinking a long time about what amount to chose. Note I had
written about hidden costs. Feel free to prove my data wrong by listing other
data that proves that there are no immense costs of advertising and
tie-in tactics (new pc new software) involved.

I still feel 100 doesn't really go overboard. MS Office. 300 bucks. 3 years
right there. That doesn't even account for the interest you can earn on the
second and third 100 dollars during the years you already spend it.

Of course the data is very varying among what kind of person you are but I ask
you to jot down actual prices and then 100 dollars might not be so far off.

I bought a Kodak DVC 323 (runs only under Windows). It comes with software. You
think that stuff costs nothing. I paid for the camera but I am sure included in
the camera price was the writing of the binary driver and all that extra junk
software they give you these days and nobody ever uses.

You think AOL sending out CDs to half the world has null cost??? I may be a bad
programmer but I am half as bad of an economist. =)

Is 100 correct? Probably not but I felt it was reasonable after lengthy account
of options.

At the end of this email is your 20 dollar sample. Still looks mighty
astounding.... No wonder Bill got so rich. It all adds up.

 mk

> > $100 a year on software?  Assuming you only count things that have Open
> Source counter parts (i.e. throw out commercial games, Turbo Tax, high end
> design packages) the total needs to be a lot lower.  I'd guess the average
> person only spends $20 or so a year on things that could have been gained
> via Open Source except when they get "free software" with the purchase of a
> new machine.
>
> Christopher Bibbs
>

1   $20.00  $20.00
2   $42.88  $43.80
3   $69.05  $72.12
4   $99.00  $105.83
5   $133.25 $145.93
6   $172.44 $193.66
7   $217.27 $250.45
8   $268.56 $318.04
9   $327.24 $398.47
10  $394.36 $494.18
11  $471.14 $608.07
12  $558.99 $743.60
13  $659.48 $904.89
14  $774.45 $1,096.82
15  $905.97 $1,325.21
16  $1,056.43   $1,597.00
17  $1,228.56   $1,920.44
18  $1,425.47   $2,305.32
19  $1,650.74   $2,763.33
20  $1,908.44   $3,308.36
21  $2,203.26   $3,956.95
22  $2,540.53   $4,728.77
23  $2,926.36   $5,647.24
24  $3,367.76   $6,740.21
25  $3,872.72   $8,040.85
26  $4,450.39   $9,588.61
27  $5,111.24   $11,430.45
28  $5,867.26   $13,622.23
29  $6,732.15   $16,230.46
30  $7,721.58   $19,334.24
31  $8,853.48   $23,027.75
32  $10,148.38  $27,423.02
33  $11,629.75  $32,653.40
34  $13,324.44  $38,877.54
35  $15,263.16  $46,284.27
36  $17,481.05  $55,098.29
37  $20,018.32  $65,586.96
38  $22,920.96  $78,068.48
39  $26,241.58  $92,921.50
40  $30,040.36  $110,596.58
41  $34,386.18  $131,629.93
42  $39,357.79  $156,659.62
43  $45,045.31  $186,444.94
44  $51,551.83  $221,889.48
45  $58,995.29  $264,068.48
46  $67,510.62  $314,261.50
47  $77,252.15  $373,991.18
48  $88,396.45  $445,069.51
49  $101,145.54 $529,652.71
50  $115,730.50 $630,306.73