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But the barriers to releasing and distributing software were much higher, as you had to work out to get it to people, and incremental release were basically imp

But the barriers to releasing and distributing software were much higher, as you had to work out to get it to people, and incremental release were basically impossible. So software was controlled by a handful of big companies.

JohnFen 3y ago
> So software was controlled by a handful of big companies. Not really, no. The software space was much, much richer and you could get along extremely well without using much software from the big guys.
ipaddr 3y ago
The industry had more smaller players compared to today and a better chance to sell. The barriers were higher but expectations lower. Plus you had a fragmentation of computers and high margins. Trade shows and flea markets, magazines, shareware and asking store owners directly were accessible ways. Today we have the illusion of speaking globally but have been gatekept out by a handful of companies.