rjm... I don't mean to be rude, or harsh, but in all honesty, I have a hard time believing you are a software developer with that idea. (that volume does not dictate price)... At least if you are a software developer you seem to be sheltered from the marketing side of things. Our business is one of a fairly limited market (broadcast tv) and some of the software packages we purchase can be as much as $100,000 or more... Why? Because they'll sell maybe 400 copies if they're lucky, not nearly the volume that they would as a mass marketed product, yet they have just as much or more work in the code. They are selling to a possible market of what? 1200 or so broadcast tv stations across the us? When microsoft develops the latest version of windows, they have teams of developers working on it. In the end, it's very expensive, but just THINK of the volume the sell... They are marketing to billions of people. Rockwell sells the RS-Logix package (for programming logic ladders in automation equipment) for over $1000... Why? Because they don't sell nearly the number of copies of it as microsoft sells of the latest version of windows... They still have to pay for their development costs AND make a profit... They are STILL going to make far less profit on their $1000 software than microsoft makes on their windows, even though it's 1/10th the cost... Supply and Demand... Volume dictates pricing... Period... Likewise their aren't nearly the number of people flying RC airplanes as there are that want to give Microsoft Flight Simulator a whirl... Even still your only talking about 1/3 less cost...