At 22:04 -0500 2/2/08, Erol wrote:
I can, of course, envision a dichotomy between the nobility,
who might well think long-term in a financial sense, and the common
serfs who simply would never think of doing anything costing so much
at the outset. That would severely limit the market for industrial
magic.
I think this argument becomes even more powerful when the
possibility of theft or vandalism is taken into account. Stealing a
lamp, eh, maybe not worth the risk. Stealing a $500 pocketable item,
a bit more attractive.