The companies that are the prime purchasers of computer software will

Question

The companies that are the prime purchasers of computer software will not buy a software package if the costs of training staff to use it are high, and we know that it is expensive to teach people a software package that demands the memorization of unfamiliar commands. As a result, to be successful, commercial computer software cannot require users to memorize unfamiliar commands.

The conclusion above follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?

(A) If more prime purchasers of computer software buy a software product, that product will successful.
(B) Commercial computers software that does not require users to memorize unfamiliar commands is no more expensive than software that does.
(C) Commercial computer software will not be successful unless prime purchasers buy it.
(D) If the initial cost of computer software is high, but the cost of training users is low, prime purchases will still buy that software.
(E) The more difficult it is to learn how to use a piece of software, the more expensive it is to teach a person to use that software.

GillAS777 · Answer

(A) If more prime purchasers of computer software buy a software product, that product will be successful.//Sure but this statement is open ended as other attributes may also make the software successful.
(B) Commercial computers software that does not require users to memorize unfamiliar commands is no more expensive than software that does.// Software cost is not an issue. Training cost is. So discard.
(C) Commercial computer software will not be successful unless prime purchasers buy it. //This is correct because it directly implies that software is definitely good to go since prime purchasers are buying it. It also narrows the scope of argument by sticking to argument only. Unlike (A) 
(D) If the initial cost of computer software is high, but the cost of training users is low, prime purchases will still buy that software. //This is not completely relevant to the argument as cost of software is not an issue. HR training cost is.
(E) The more difficult it is to learn how to use a piece of software, the more expensive it is to teach a person to use that software. // This is simply reiterating what is already mentioned so discard.

fluke · Answer

Very little is gained from refuting OA's from OG, GPrep, LSAT.

OA is indeed "C", and it is correct. We just have to justify how?

Premise:
Prime purchasers won't BUY a software that requires expensive training.
Expensive training is required for teaching UNFAMILIAR commands of a software.

Conclusion:
To be SUCCESSFUL, our software must not require users to learn unfamiliar command.

A proper conclusion would have been:
To make prime purchasers buy our software or at least consider buying, we must not require the users of the software to learn unfamiliar command.

Why?
Because, that will make sure that the training is not expensive. If the training is not expensive, companies will consider buying.

So far just BUYING is concerned, the conclusion holds good. However, the conclusion takes a leap ahead. It says, "TO BE SUCCESSFUL". Note: "To be successful" IS NOT NECESSARILY analogous to "to sell the products to prime purchasers", yet the conclusion mistakenly associated the selling with the success.

C says just that:
(C) Commercial computer software will not be successful unless prime purchasers buy it.

(B) Commercial computers software that does not require users to memorize unfamiliar commands is no more expensive than software that does.
Even if we take this into consideration, it will not justify the success. Moreover, we know the cost of the software is not the issue; at least, not according to the passage. It is the training cost/unfamiliar command that matters.

(E) The more difficult it is to learn how to use a piece of software, the more expensive it is to teach a person to use that software.
Using a software is vaguely/remotely related to difficulty associated with learning unfamiliar command. This is out of scope.

Ans: "C"

OldFritz · Answer

The answer is definitely C.

If we read the stimulus carefully, we notice the leap from a discussion about costs of the software to a discussion about its success. This assumes that the success in tied to its level of sales to its prime purchaser, the companies.

Thus if we can prove that software sales to the prime purchasers is the absolute determinant of the success of the software, then we are in business. Negating C destroys the argument, hence that is the right assumption among the given options.

Per answer option B, whether two types of software (hard-to-use versus user-friendly) have similar pricing does does nothing to address the issue of the success of what we are concerned with, videlicet: the success of the software hard-to-use vis a vis sales to the prime purchasers.

Cheers,
Der alte Fritz.

hellosanthosh2k2 · Answer

C - Commercial computer software will not be successful unless prime purchasers buy it.

Negate C - Commercial computer software can be successful even if prime purchaser don't buy it. Then there is no need to have that memorization constraint, because there are purchasers who can memorize. Argument falls apart.

But this question deserves atleast 600-700 level tag IMO

cris053 · Answer

Premises: new software package need training staff and paying training is expensive because software package demand the memorization of unfamiliar commands

Conclusion: In order to be successful, companies need to buy softwares but they only buy them if they demand the memorization of familiar commands

I was hesitating between b and c but choose b (Commercial computers software that does not require users to memorize unfamiliar commands is no more expensive than software that does) because the conclusion states clearly that companies only buy softwares that are "user friendly" which means that the software itself costs the same it is the training that it's expensive. Plus, c ( Commercial computer software will not be successful unless prime purchasers buy it) is too vague because it should have been; computer software will not be successful unless it is user friendly.

sid993 · Answer

As per the stimulus if the software requires users to learn unfamiliar commands then the companies will not buy the particular software due to high costs to train the staff.
Then how can the software be successful if companies do not purchase it. 
So, the success of the software requires that the companies should be somewhat familiar about the software commands.
The success of the software depends on companies's knowing of software commands.

Musk.can_ · Answer

I selected E as I feel both A and C are essentially the same. Could you please help me in understanding where I might be going wrong?  GMATNinja

GMATNinja · Answer

(A) is an example of a  sufficient  condition. As long as more prime purchasers buy a software product, that product will be successful.

Is that a  necessary  condition? Maybe not. There might be other ways for a product to be successful even with few prime purchasers or even no prime purchasers.

So even if (A) is true, it doesn't close the logical gap in the passage. If a product can be successful WITHOUT being sold to prime purchasers, then a product requiring users to memorize unfamiliar commands COULD still be successful. The producers might, for example, make enough money selling the product to non-prime purchasers. This possibility directly contradicts the argument.

(C) eliminates that possibility and thus closes the logical gap in the passage. You NEED to sell your product to prime purchasers in order for your product to be successful. This is a NECESSARY condition, so there is no way for there to be success unless it is met. If (C) is assumed, then the conclusion is logically sound.

I hope that helps!

The companies that are the prime purchasers of computer software will

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

The companies that are the prime purchasers of computer software will

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards