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There was an article about this in 3Dworld 108. A big bitch article on how Brits and Europeans are hosed on the prices of highend 3D apps.

Are they really "hosed"? The typical defense to that is if a 3D package pays for itself with one or two jobs, even if you have to pay full price every year for an upgrade or a subscription, it's worth it. I'd tend to agree.
People pay comparatively appropriate amounts of money for their "tools of the trade", no matter what kind of work they're in, particularly if it's something high tech.