Upgrade version and pricing [was] Re: Fix it before moving ahead

[Chipp Walters]

Hi Marian,

Using your logic, I should be able to demand Adobe fix my unresolved 
bugs in Photoshop 5,6, and 7? I would rather them fixed than upgrade to 
the latest version.

Frankly, I'm not aware of any small software company who continues to 
release bug fixes for older versions of their software. I'm sure there 
are some that do, but it is not the standard.

I can't speak for RunRev, but I can tell you Altuit doesn't have a 
problem asking users to upgrade to newer versions of their software-- as 
we (like many companies) incorporate bug fixes with feature updates. 
It's too much trouble to maintain multiple sets/versions of source code. 
And in some cases, the bug fixes are intertwined with feature updates, 
which make it even harder to keep separate source versions.

Most software licenses these days do not have 'bug-free' clauses. 
Typically, you purchase the software 'as is.' In our case, we allow you 
to try the product for 15 days before purchasing. I believe RunRev also 
has a 'try before you buy' clause. While, this does not absolve us (or 
them) from making bug fixes, it also doesn't compel us to provide them 
for free in update/ugrades either.

-Chipp

Marian Petrides wrote:

> Yes.  So long as customers are still using 9.1.1, there is an implicit 
> obligation to fix bugs therein.  Once a product is purchased, the 
> manufacturer has an implicit obligation to the purchaser to ensure that 
> it functions as advertised.  Simply releasing a "new version" does not 
> relieve one of the obligation to fix defects in the older version.
>