I am currently reading the Nov 2004 issue of Scientific American and it has an article about how Physicists are asking more out of the computer chip rather then having to buy more sotfware and how this might affect the software market.

You may read the article HERE!! online for free

Tell me your thoughts and answer the poll please

sounds like a bunch of cheap Physicists to me, who wish to have everything working perfect rather than needing to buy more than one item. i basiclly pay for no software though so i can definatley see that an alternative is sought after. anything good people tell me about, i will find the trial, then download a patch/crack/keygen insted of paying, as i feel alot of the software is overpriced
it is not hard to get cracks and *BLEEP* for free, someone posted 'gamemaker version 6' up in the programming section of these forums, and i now own the full verison, free

So if you think some software or game is realy good you reward the makers by 'stealing' it ?

Makes perfect sence to me

I myself am a programmer, and know how people say it is overpriced. Well, most of it is overpriced, but when you think of amount of people working on some project, it is understandable right? Anyway, most of my software, hell, all of it is pirated, but only due to a reason I can't afford to buy it. The moment I have money I will buy legal versions.

For example, Win98SE costs 107 euros. Total income in my family is about 400 - 450 euros. For bills, we spend around 200 euros, so, I can't really spend 100 euros for software now can I?

So, the moment I can afford something, I will go and buy a legal version, and one by one, all my software will be legal. But, until then, I'll have to keep using pirated software, or just switch to Linux (wich I'm thinking of already )

i understand what you are saying, but no i do not reward the makers buy stealing. any good games i will pay for, because i understand the huge amount of work thats goes into it. Items i will 'steal' are those that are available for free at some point. take winzip for example, it has a full free trisl as well there is a program filzip, both doing same thing as full version of winzip, but i perfer winzip, so in that case i would yes, get the crack for the program.

well if hardware actually becomes a lot better, then software companies are going to have to find new ways to entice buyers.