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This but with compilers, operating systems, books and other software is how 99.9% of people in IT in Eastern Europe started their careers. Millions of people live well because of piracy.

> Delphi 5 Standard costs $89 and Delphi 5 Enterprise is a whopping $2,468

> Delphi 5 Professional. [...] is $540 (retail $799).

http://www.tpcug.org/newsletter/nl_2000/may2000/delphi.htm

Now your salary is $100 (at best!) and... you have something like $500000 worth of software on that $3 CD with a black and white photocopied cover.

Many doesn't even know what there were the times when you needed to pay for the tools what are now available absolutely free.

I got Delphi (don't remember the version) from a PC magazine with CD in 90s and the CD broke after a while. My father phoned to the newspaper if we can get a replacement and they sent us another one for free.

Today it would be absurd but then it was a big deal for us.

Sounds like the story of most of us, if not all.

Yep.

I mean I pay for Creative Cloud subscription partially because I feel like I’m paying it forward (or back)