Software pricing trends

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sir1963

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#185537 26-Nov-2015 19:00

There are a number of software packages that I have previously bought, however the new licensing for the current versions has become abhorrent.

For example.
At work we used Parallels Desktop for our Macs to run windows/Linux VM solutions, We bought a copy for $79 and away we went happy as a pig in mud. Parallels 11 however has reduced the feature set (RAM, No of cores etc) and we can now only have 5 copies before we have to get the "pro" version which is $84 a year.

(we no longer buy Parallels, they have lost all of our business)

Prosoft Data rescue, old version 3, no limits, version 4 for US$99 you can recover 5 drives only otherwise you need to get a $US299 annual subscription for the "professional" version.

(We have opted for File Salvage now, they have lost all of our business)

WTF ????

Why all of a sudden has software gone into price gouging mode ?

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#1435483 26-Nov-2015 19:50

Mostly the 'software as a service' model taking over.

Now you don't 'buy', you 'subscribe'.

Everything being connected to the internet all the time kind of enabled that model.

It's not all bad you do tend to get more support availability but yeah.

Kyanar

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#1435531 26-Nov-2015 21:50

I felt the same when I saw JetBrains new lunatic model for Resharper and the like. Any .NET developer will tell you that Resharper was a mainstay in the developer toolbelt, but as a result of their near monopoly on mindshare, they have changed to a new subscription model. As a "concession" to people who sick and tired of "subscribing" to every piece of software on their PC, they graciously implemented a perpetual license option where after subscribing for 12 months you gain a permanent license to the version one year ago (no, not the current version)!

Now, of course, I refuse to give them another cent and I sing their curses every chance I get.

Geektastic

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#1435560 26-Nov-2015 21:54

Still better than the release version of Apple Aperture. I still have the box - cost $849!

Geektastic

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#1435561 26-Nov-2015 21:54

Still better than the release version of Apple Aperture. I still have the box - cost $849!

MikeB4

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#1435574 26-Nov-2015 22:14

Geektastic: Still better than the release version of Apple Aperture. I still have the box - cost $849!

Apple pricing always makes the eyes water. I am currently looking at buying a new iMac and my eyes are streaming

networkn

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#1435679 26-Nov-2015 23:46

MikeB4:
Geektastic: Still better than the release version of Apple Aperture. I still have the box - cost $849!

Apple pricing always makes the eyes water. I am currently looking at buying a new iMac and my eyes are streaming

Just thinking of owning an iMac would make my eyes stream, but nothing to do with price :)

Geektastic

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#1435680 26-Nov-2015 23:54

MikeB4:
Geektastic: Still better than the release version of Apple Aperture. I still have the box - cost $849!

Apple pricing always makes the eyes water. I am currently looking at buying a new iMac and my eyes are streaming

At least they have residual value at the end when you upgrade - I've never sold one for less than $1000 or so when 3 or 4 years old. Try that with some plastic Windows junker.

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Geektastic

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#1435681 26-Nov-2015 23:54

networkn:
MikeB4:
Geektastic: Still better than the release version of Apple Aperture. I still have the box - cost $849!

Apple pricing always makes the eyes water. I am currently looking at buying a new iMac and my eyes are streaming

Just thinking of owning an iMac would make my eyes stream, but nothing to do with price :)

I expect having everything work so well would be a shock...!

networkn

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#1435686 27-Nov-2015 00:06

Geektastic:
networkn:
MikeB4:
Geektastic: Still better than the release version of Apple Aperture. I still have the box - cost $849!

Apple pricing always makes the eyes water. I am currently looking at buying a new iMac and my eyes are streaming

Just thinking of owning an iMac would make my eyes stream, but nothing to do with price :)

I expect having everything work so well would be a shock...!

LOL WORK and iAnything shouldn't be in the same sentence together. It's not possible to work on an Apple product, they are toys.

mattwnz

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#1435690 27-Nov-2015 00:17

Expect to see more price rises on cloud based systems moving forward. The current pricing when they start out is to see close to cost to get market dominance. eg . See the thread on microsofts onedrive. I far prefer buying software outright.

jarledb

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#1435696 27-Nov-2015 00:41

networkn:
LOL WORK and iAnything shouldn't be in the same sentence together. It's not possible to work on an Apple product, they are toys.

Would you mind giving us a thought through argument for why you think Apple products are toys? And especially Mac/iMacs? I am sincerely curious how you come to that conclusion.

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jarledb

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#1435698 27-Nov-2015 00:45

I have to wonder why people seem to think that having updates to software and it (shock horror) costing money is such a rip off.

It takes time and effort developing software. With a lot software today you have to deal with OS changes, bugs, security holes being discovered etc. to have something that is safe to use and that works well.

Should the developers have to update the software you bought indefinitely without getting paid to do it? Would you sign up to do that kind of unpaid work?

networkn

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#1435699 27-Nov-2015 00:49

jarledb: I have to wonder why people seem to think that having updates to software and it (shock horror) costing money is such a rip off.

It takes time and effort developing software. With a lot software today you have to deal with OS changes, bugs, security holes being discovered etc. to have something that is safe to use and that works well.

Should the developers have to update the software you bought indefinitely without getting paid to do it? Would you sign up to do that kind of unpaid work?

I don't think anyone minds paying for support (Well most people). What *I* and most people I deal with daily, don't want is to be FORCED to rent software. There are lots of reasons for this, but one is financial security, knowing that if for some reason we don't wish to, or are unable to, pay, that we still have the product we paid for up front, available for use, even if it's capped to the version available at the last time maintenance was paid, and without support.

I am more than happy to pay 25% of my original license fee a year, and this covers new development and support.

Ultimately, the growing trend over a number of years is for software developers to test their products less, and fix them as they go along. This is called Beta testing and I resent it, because I don't pay to test buggy software.

Of course I do realize all software has bugs.

Kyanar

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#1435703 27-Nov-2015 01:25

jarledb: I have to wonder why people seem to think that having updates to software and it (shock horror) costing money is such a rip off.

It takes time and effort developing software. With a lot software today you have to deal with OS changes, bugs, security holes being discovered etc. to have something that is safe to use and that works well.

Should the developers have to update the software you bought indefinitely without getting paid to do it? Would you sign up to do that kind of unpaid work?

If there's something in it for me, I'm happy to pay a subscription for software. An example would be Adobe Photoshop. It costs over $1000 new, or I can pay $10 a month to get it AND Adobe Lightroom. There is a clear benefit to me in the cloud software model then. However, the disturbing new trend is for developers to move to a subscription model that costs the same, then try and bull**** me that it's somehow to my benefit. Hmm, either pay $249 for Resharper plus $100 per year updates if there are any worthwhile ones (and let's be honest, some vendors are just coasting on "supports the new OS/VS version/browser" as an excuse to sell a major update. Parallels has already been mentioned) and keep using whatever version I have at the time I stop paying or under their new model I pay $299 for the first year, $239 for the second year, and $179 for each subsequent year. And if I stop paying, I have to downgrade to whatever version was current a year prior. This is beneficial to me how? What happens if every vendor decides to start doing this?

Nope, sorry, not gonna fly. You have to have a reeeeeeally good value proposition for me to consider SaaS, and frankly most vendors don't have one.

MikeB4

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#1435713 27-Nov-2015 05:55

networkn:
Geektastic:
networkn:
MikeB4:
Geektastic: Still better than the release version of Apple Aperture. I still have the box - cost $849!

Apple pricing always makes the eyes water. I am currently looking at buying a new iMac and my eyes are streaming

Just thinking of owning an iMac would make my eyes stream, but nothing to do with price :)

I expect having everything work so well would be a shock...!

LOL WORK and iAnything shouldn't be in the same sentence together. It's not possible to work on an Apple product, they are toys.

I have to disagree, iMacs, MacPro and MacbookPro are all very good work tools.

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