Ok so I have a question about buying programs. When you want to buy a higher rating program do you have to buy it one rating at a time or all in one shot?

Here's what I mean. Say we have a hacker who wants to buy a rating 5 common use program. Now does it cost him $500 (cost up to rating 6 = rating times 100) or does it cost him total of $1200 (50 for rate 1 + 100 for rating 2 +150 + 400 + 500).

The first one. You decide the rating you want and use that price column; you don't buy the rating point by point at different prices.

Same thing with hardware. You don't buy the difference between a R4 and R5 Response Chip, you buy a brand-new R5 Response Chip.

Of course, if you want to UPGRADE from your r4 response to an r5 response, you're shelling out the whole price, too (unless you can fence the old chip)

That's what I said, minus the fencing part.

I know, I just wanted to clarify, since the OP sounded to me like he was asking about a character creation scenario. Looking back... incorrect assumption.