Studio License Renewal Cost

[dreamscapesoftware.com - List]

Bill Marriott wrote:
> Since Feb there has been 2.7, 2.7.1, and 2.7.2. While I have seen
> improvements in the trial versions I still have not seen the kind of
> stability I enjoyed in 2.6.1. They can't even install and uninstall
> properly.

I agree, there's been some nice and well needed bug fixes, but overall the feature set is not worth the money.  And the sad thing is that we, the end user, paid for RunRev to spend time creating the installers and uninstallers that don't work.

> I don't like the pricing plan, either, to be honest. There's no guarantee
> that they will actually *do* anything that matters to me in the year
> following the subscription. I really don't believe in paying for bug fixes.
> To me, I prefer the simple model that if you're fixing a bug, the
> maintenance release should be free. If you're adding features, then you can
> charge for it. And generally you don't go adding features till you fix the
> bugs.

Bill, thank you for bringing up that point.  I've always felt that maintenance releases should be free.  Kinda like the hundreds of Security Updates & Patches that have been released by Microsoft for the last couple of years.  Imagine if you had to *pay* Microsoft for those... we'd all be using Macs by now.

> What is the incentive for RunRev to fix bugs? Also, I wonder what my clients
> would say if they had to pay me annually with no promises on my part for
> doing really, anything for them. Or if I did do something, perhaps not what
> was on their "urgent" list... just whatever seemed easy or appealing to me.

LOL... then you'd be a U.S. Government Contractor!  -- Hey, I can say it because I am one.   :)

> In the end, though, it's all moot. These guys are the only
> HyperTalk/Transcript shop in town for all intents and purposes. They can get
> away with whatever pricing they want. Rev is what it is. And until/unless
> you decide to become a C+ or REAL/Visual Basic programmer, they got you by
> the coconuts.

Really, the only thing stopping me is dropping down a few hundred for a couple of classes at my local night school... a few hundred that I could instead spend on 1 renewall.  Sooner or later those classes will seem pretty tempting.

Derek Bump
Dreamscape Software
www.dreamscapesoftware.com