Ah, but the cost of the software is not the expensive thing, firebug. Note the following differences, emphasis mine.
Linguasoft:
Linguasofts replicate language skills, allowing the user to speak a foreign language as fluently as her native language. Linguasofts may also be used as real-time translation programs. Linguasofts must be accessed with a direct neural link (either a sim module or datajack).
Linguasofts:
Linguasofts replicate language skills, allowing a user to speak a foreign language by automatically translating signals from the speech cortex, although chipped speech can be awkward and stilted—then again, so can anyone speaking a language that’s not their native tongue. Linguasofts must be accessed with a skilljack, which limits how many skillsofts you can use at a time.
In essence (hah!), the 100 and 1000 nuyen cost for a sim module and datajack, respectively, is negligible compared to that of a skilljack, which costs 20k per rating. The rating of the skilljack also limits the rating of the linguasoft, so at a minimum investment of 21k (and 0.1 Essence) you get one language at Rating 1. Running the skilljack wirelessly either allows you to run Rating * 3 number of programs, or Rating * 3 rating programs; this is a little ambiguous.
Even then, to run a Rating 5 linguasoft in SR5 is an absolute minimum investment of 45k (40k (and 0.2 Essence) for a Rating 2 Skilljack with wireless on, + 5k Rating 5 Linguasoft), while in SR4 (as the linguasofts were limited to Rating 5), the same setup cost 2600 (100 for sim module for any commlink you were very likely getting anyway + 2500 for the Rating 5 linguasoft, and no Essence loss). That's a difference of 1730%, a little more than double.
If taking into account that the wireless bonus might not extend to the
rating of the programs it can run but instead the
number of programs it can, the difference becomes even more excessive. A Rating 5 Skilljack is 100k (and 0.5 Essence), plus the 5k for the linguasoft itself; a stunning 4000% price increase.
And that's not even considering the fact that Social Adepts may not want to take skilljacks because of the Essence loss required by the skilljack; formerly, a simple sim module would do, but now invasive surgery is required.
Consider this line from SR4:
Globalization and the Matrix have also made the world a smaller place, so that borders no longer limit languages. Migrating communities have spread various cultures (both traditional and new) across the planet. The proliferation of linguasofts and translation programs makes it even easier to bridge the communication gap.
Yeah, that's what I have an issue with...
