Revolution and the Web, feedback wanted, Part 1 of 3

[Brian Yennie]

> 3) It.  Doesn't.  Cost.  $5,000.  When you buy something on rebate,
> and you take it back later, do they give you the list price?  No?  Why
> was that?  Oh, right.  BECAUSE YOU PAID THE SALE PRICE.  Rant about
> the price when and if the price goes up.

$5k is the list price. Yes, they are running a promotion. We get  
that. However, when evaluating technology I can't just weigh it  
against the best promo price ever available. What happens if I don't  
end up buying before the end of the promotion? What about down the  
road when I need upgrades, or new licenses? You can bet that if you  
form a long term relationship with the tool, you are going to end up  
spending $5 on a seat at some point.

We can rant about the price going up, because it's extremely likely  
that it will. They've already published the intended price - you  
really think they don't intend on using it? The promo is great, but I  
see absolutely nothing wrong with factoring the $5k price into your  
own evaluation of the product.

Hey, if you personally have a project where you know you're just  
going to pay the $1,700 that's great - but it doesn't necessarily  
apply to everyone else.

If you want another analogy, should I evaluate a Compaq computer  
system on the Walmart blowout prices after Thanksgiving? Since they  
were selling for $400 instead of the normal $700, would it have been  
wrong for me to compare the system to others based on the $700 price  
tag? Or should I have just pretended for 24 hours that it was a "$400  
product", even if I wasn't necessarily going to buy one that day?

- Brian