AppleWatcher
Tigerrr
What do you think about Macwarez? 
AppleWatcher
AppleWatcher
What's your opinion about Macwarez?!
- Thread starter AppleWatcher
- Start date
serpicolugnut
OS X Supreme Being
Well, first off all - it's illegal...
That said, I've been known to scour Carracho and download stuff from time to time.
BUT -
If I download something that I find useful, I buy it. In the last year, I've probably paid more for software than I did for hardware (look at tagline, it's quite a bit). Software developers deserve to be paid for their efforts. It's as simple as that. Pirating software hurts everybody responsible for producing the product, and in the end, usually results in the product disappearing.
I'm happy to see Adobe adopting the
30 day trial download that Macromedia has employed. It really is the best way for developers to get their products in peoples hands legally, and usually results in people actually buying the product.
As for using beta software (like Adobe's Photoshop and GoLive), I'm in a bit of quandry. I grabbed PS7 when I first saw it up on Carracho, and have been using it DAILY for the last two months. This is obviously in violation of Adobe's NDA (which I never signed). Personally, I don't care. I've stated publicly for the last year that I would have paid for the privlege to use a beta of Photoshop 7. It's my main tool, and without it, I was held back to using OS 9.
That said, I own PS6, and the minute PS7 is available for preorder, my order will be placed. Same goes for Flash and Dreamweaver.
Both Adobe and Macromedia have got my money - they just need to produce the products.
That said, I've been known to scour Carracho and download stuff from time to time.
BUT -
If I download something that I find useful, I buy it. In the last year, I've probably paid more for software than I did for hardware (look at tagline, it's quite a bit). Software developers deserve to be paid for their efforts. It's as simple as that. Pirating software hurts everybody responsible for producing the product, and in the end, usually results in the product disappearing.
I'm happy to see Adobe adopting the
30 day trial download that Macromedia has employed. It really is the best way for developers to get their products in peoples hands legally, and usually results in people actually buying the product.
As for using beta software (like Adobe's Photoshop and GoLive), I'm in a bit of quandry. I grabbed PS7 when I first saw it up on Carracho, and have been using it DAILY for the last two months. This is obviously in violation of Adobe's NDA (which I never signed). Personally, I don't care. I've stated publicly for the last year that I would have paid for the privlege to use a beta of Photoshop 7. It's my main tool, and without it, I was held back to using OS 9.
That said, I own PS6, and the minute PS7 is available for preorder, my order will be placed. Same goes for Flash and Dreamweaver.
Both Adobe and Macromedia have got my money - they just need to produce the products.
ulrik
Registered
Well, I am running pirated software. I am running PS 7 sometimes, but I own a PS 6 license and I can't use PS 7 to it's full extent anyway since it doesn't support the preasure feature of my wacom tablet yet. I will buy it as soon as it is available.
I am running some expensive 3D software because I love to play with it. It's not OK, I know, but I do it. The only 3D software I use for business anyway (since it's the only one I know good enough to be productive in it) is Cinema4D, for which I have a license.
I think everybody in the business sometimes uses warez, what I don't like are people who get angry because their PIRATED beta version does no longer work etc. etc.
My philosophie - as a programmer anyway - is, that if any application is good enough so that I use it for business, I will buy it. If it is good enough that I think the programmer or the company deserves the money, I will buy it.
If it is not good, I won't buy it and won't use it.
I have no problem with using a warez version for "evaluation" and if I need it, I'll buy it. I know this is what everybody says, but I am sticking to that philosophy.
I am running some expensive 3D software because I love to play with it. It's not OK, I know, but I do it. The only 3D software I use for business anyway (since it's the only one I know good enough to be productive in it) is Cinema4D, for which I have a license.
I think everybody in the business sometimes uses warez, what I don't like are people who get angry because their PIRATED beta version does no longer work etc. etc.
My philosophie - as a programmer anyway - is, that if any application is good enough so that I use it for business, I will buy it. If it is good enough that I think the programmer or the company deserves the money, I will buy it.
If it is not good, I won't buy it and won't use it.
I have no problem with using a warez version for "evaluation" and if I need it, I'll buy it. I know this is what everybody says, but I am sticking to that philosophy.
Let's repeat the (in)famous Kai Krause story. Standing before a crowd at a Macintosh event, he asked the people how many of them were using PowerGOO (a then famous lil software). Almost all hands were up. Then he asked how many had actually bought the software. The crowd laughed and many hands went down. Smiling Kai Krause said, that he thought this was fine with him. He loved that his software was so popular, he was glad that he sold enough copies of it and said: "However, if you actually *use* the software and don't just play with it for a while, even more so if you even make *money* with the creative software you are using: Please pay the developers."
So I'm a graphics designer, and I think I'm in the group Kai Krause directed that speech to. And I think he's right. Adobe is a very profitable company. And the best reason why I started paying for Adobe's software is that I pirated it when I was a teen. I was using Photoshop at that time merely for my own desktop pictures. Of *COURSE* a fifteen year old kid like I was at the time doesn't spend hundreds of dollars (or in my case Swiss Francs) for a software he uses for desktop pictures. But he learns the software while at it. He learns to appreciate the feature set and the development. He chooses a profession where he can use the knowledge he learned easily by playing around with the tool (at least I did). And finally, when making money with the tools he once pirated, he actually starts buying the software and upgrades.
This is how Adobe, Macromedia and even (gasp!) Microsoft make their money.
I think the state as it is, is perfect. Developers try to track down pirating and preventing it by inventing new copy protection schemes. Teens try to prevent being tracked down and cracking copy protection. And at the end of the day everyone's quite happy because everyone is having fun and makes a profit. Which means: Teens should *not* stop to pirate, but should start to pay when they start to earn money with the software. Companies should *not* stop tracking down software piracy but should mainly go for companies and people who actually *sell* pirated copies of wanted software titles, which I think is where piracy is *really* bad and *really* harming developers' profits.
Now that I explained it all, can we please close the topic? Btw. I need more serials for Marathon Infinity, we want to do nostalgic carnage-parties.
So I'm a graphics designer, and I think I'm in the group Kai Krause directed that speech to. And I think he's right. Adobe is a very profitable company. And the best reason why I started paying for Adobe's software is that I pirated it when I was a teen. I was using Photoshop at that time merely for my own desktop pictures. Of *COURSE* a fifteen year old kid like I was at the time doesn't spend hundreds of dollars (or in my case Swiss Francs) for a software he uses for desktop pictures. But he learns the software while at it. He learns to appreciate the feature set and the development. He chooses a profession where he can use the knowledge he learned easily by playing around with the tool (at least I did). And finally, when making money with the tools he once pirated, he actually starts buying the software and upgrades.
This is how Adobe, Macromedia and even (gasp!) Microsoft make their money.
I think the state as it is, is perfect. Developers try to track down pirating and preventing it by inventing new copy protection schemes. Teens try to prevent being tracked down and cracking copy protection. And at the end of the day everyone's quite happy because everyone is having fun and makes a profit. Which means: Teens should *not* stop to pirate, but should start to pay when they start to earn money with the software. Companies should *not* stop tracking down software piracy but should mainly go for companies and people who actually *sell* pirated copies of wanted software titles, which I think is where piracy is *really* bad and *really* harming developers' profits.
Now that I explained it all, can we please close the topic? Btw. I need more serials for Marathon Infinity, we want to do nostalgic carnage-parties.
Lessthanmighty
A never ending cycle...
Well if anyone pirates software its me. I have copied versions of Adobe: Livemotion, Photoshop, Illustrator, Image Ready, and Flash 5. I guess I am just too poor to buy any of these things at regular price. I should be locked away forever.
I dont really use them for anything REAL serious. Mostly for my entertainment. I still am a horrible person.
I dont really use them for anything REAL serious. Mostly for my entertainment. I still am a horrible person.
vanguard
Registered
None of my software is stolen. It's been so long since I've stolen software I don't think I'd even be able to find it. I even pay for free software (trillian for my pc) and I would pay for shareware if I used any.
It feels good to be clean. Having said that, I'll admit that it's a little easier to be that way when you make a decent salary. There was a day when I stole software (Visual C++) because even the academic prices would have created a real hardship.
It feels good to be clean. Having said that, I'll admit that it's a little easier to be that way when you make a decent salary. There was a day when I stole software (Visual C++) because even the academic prices would have created a real hardship.
AdmiralAK
Simply Daemonic
now that pirated betas were mentioned I have a philosophical debate
Assume some company gives our free betas or trial betas of trier software. Would it be pirating if you download the package, install, once it expires clean uninstall and reinstall again ? -- it's been an idea I have been toying around in my head and cant find an answer.
Furthermore, another question, lets assume that beta never expires and you keep using it, is it still piracy ?
Admiral
Assume some company gives our free betas or trial betas of trier software. Would it be pirating if you download the package, install, once it expires clean uninstall and reinstall again ?
-- it's been an idea I have been toying around in my head and cant find an answer.Furthermore, another question, lets assume that beta never expires and you keep using it, is it still piracy ?
Admiral
I got off the ground by convincing my bank that they needed an in-house design department. I got them to buy Quark/Photoshop/Illustrator/After Effects. I then left the bank and started my own business taking those licenses with me.
I then spent two years using almost all pirated software whenever I could get my hands on it. In the last six months, now that my business has grown enough (thanks to this pirated software) I have gone 100% legit with the only exception being Microsoft software, which I will never pay for. I figure it's only fair since they stole their software, teehee.
Technically it is wrong, I can't argue that. But put it this way. If I had not pirated it. I would certainly never have bought it anyway cuz I couldn't afford it. So the company doesn't get its money either way. Now that I can afford it, they got their money, just a little late. I can live with that.
I have no problem downloading "Betas", which I do NOT use in production just in case there's a critical bug or something. I also have no problems downloading software like Bryce, which I use once just to goof around with and never launch again.
I then spent two years using almost all pirated software whenever I could get my hands on it. In the last six months, now that my business has grown enough (thanks to this pirated software) I have gone 100% legit with the only exception being Microsoft software, which I will never pay for. I figure it's only fair since they stole their software, teehee.
Technically it is wrong, I can't argue that. But put it this way. If I had not pirated it. I would certainly never have bought it anyway cuz I couldn't afford it. So the company doesn't get its money either way. Now that I can afford it, they got their money, just a little late. I can live with that.
I have no problem downloading "Betas", which I do NOT use in production just in case there's a critical bug or something. I also have no problems downloading software like Bryce, which I use once just to goof around with and never launch again.
sebastiant
Registered
If you look at it this way:
I dont have any cash. I cant buy software. The software company dont loose anything if i get warez, because i wouldnt buy the software anyway. But they do get a new user of their software, who can spread the word about it.
I dont have any cash. I cant buy software. The software company dont loose anything if i get warez, because i wouldnt buy the software anyway. But they do get a new user of their software, who can spread the word about it.
ksv
web developer
Yeah, I think people who actually can afford the software, or use it for earning money, should pay for it. People like me, who can't even afford a new mac to run the new software on ( ) , simply can't pay. In other words, I have a lot of pirated software, but I have licencses for all the software I use for serious stuff (like graphics, design etc). E.g, if I'm going to make something I'll take paid for, I'll use ColorIt (a cheap photoshop clone), if I'm just going to play or make stuff for my own use, I'll use Photoshop.
My idea (to developers like adobe etc) is to charge ten times more for businesses than private people. Then, home users would start using the software legally, but won't be allowed to sell/make money out of anything they make with it. Then everyone would be happy, and probably no one would be pirating the software. And I think the developers would earn more money, too, actually. I think it'd be way more attractive to pay e.g. 39.90 $ for Photoshop for home users than 399...
) , simply can't pay. In other words, I have a lot of pirated software, but I have licencses for all the software I use for serious stuff (like graphics, design etc). E.g, if I'm going to make something I'll take paid for, I'll use ColorIt (a cheap photoshop clone), if I'm just going to play or make stuff for my own use, I'll use Photoshop.My idea (to developers like adobe etc) is to charge ten times more for businesses than private people. Then, home users would start using the software legally, but won't be allowed to sell/make money out of anything they make with it. Then everyone would be happy, and probably no one would be pirating the software. And I think the developers would earn more money, too, actually. I think it'd be way more attractive to pay e.g. 39.90 $ for Photoshop for home users than 399...