Upgrade fee for retail ?
 

Hello all !
Yes, SereneScreen is a great screensaver once I saw it. Just had to find and BOUGHT IT promptly.
However, reading the update information, retail buyers have to pay while the online buyers do not !
I purchased the boxed version less than a month ago at CompUsa
and paid the SAME amount as online users.
What's my disadvantage I have that online buyers have ?

I may be mis-understanding the jest of the discussion on the path to upgrading. I'm sure other retail buyers may have the same questions.

Any explanation will be most helpful. Not a negative situation but rather a clarification of this matter.

Thanks...

It's probably good that this subject now has it's own thread. Prolific's plan has always been to reward the online buyers with a free upgrade to 2.0 (offer good for 90 days), and to charge the CD owners $5 for the upgrade. The net to us is about 10 times higher when we sell the downloaded version directly to customers. With the CD version, the manufacturing and shipping costs are very high, the distributer takes a huge cut, and the store does, too.

I just spoke to Reichart, and he confirms that the $5 upgrade cost for CD purchasers is still the plan, but it will take a while to implement. The CGI script has to be written to allow the secure site to accept a $5 payment, and issue a Key Code. A special installer has to be written to look for a CD in the drive, then prompt for this type of upgrade Key. These are really just modifications to work that has already been done, but it will still take at least a couple of days.

It should be noted that buyers of the CD can still upgrade to v1.1 (with the Lionfish) for free.

I am willing to pay $5 for the upgrade, but I think it would do a lot to insure the good will of some of your most enthusiatic customers to immediately send a key code to all members of this forum (Particularly considering the fact that there is a statement at the top of the 2.0 release topic which says that ALL members of this forum have already been sent an email with a keycode and instructions about how to get the new version.

And as for upgrading for free from 1.0 to 1.1, if am not mistaken, you can no longerdownload 1.1 from the serenescreen website.

Franklin,

The internet provider's router for Serenescreen bombed out about 20 minutes ago.

Re: Upgrade fee for retail ?
 

SereneScreen gets $2 per retail box.

SereneScreen gets $18 per online purchase.

SereneScreen/Prolific is taking a bath if they give away MA2, which is about 6 months effort by 4 people on-and-off.

I just got word that 1.1 will continue to be available for download/upgrade, just not for purchase.

There will be a ton of reshuffling of scripts, etc. on SereneScreen.com in the next few days.

Thanks for giving users some details and an economical reason.
However, there must be some level playing field for all purchasers.
Meaning, I thought the CD version would be no different than the online version on future updates (free). Just happened local store had it for same price and as a CD. Instead, if I would have known it would cost me MORE just to update the software, I would have gotten the online version w/o blinking an eye.

Can a future upgrade to CD be free while the online users pay ?
I believe in parity and fair play and not at the expense of not having essential information at my disposal when making the purchase. Please issue a disclaimer for future users, if possible.
This way, users will know if a " hard copy " CD is costlier in the long run than the online version.
I know in business, introducing products to the public is costly but volume buying will bring cost way down.

Is the $5.95 for another CD, downloadable program/key ???
Any ( no need for an exact date ) ETA ?
Again, thanks for replying promptly and will wait for feedback.

The $5.95 should be for a downloadable key that will unlock the options available to the best of my knowledge.

Does any software company reward the purchasers of the high-overhead CD version over the low-overhead online version? I can't think of any.

The CD upgrade will be handled by downloading the 2.0 version, then purchasing an Upgrade Key Code for $5.95. The program asks for the Key, and looks for the CD in the drive. After that, you have a full 2.0 version, just like you had bought it online.

ETA, a couple of days.

I understand the economics of it as well, and I agree that it stinks, but it might help to know alot of the planned future upgrades will not be free even for the online buyers. If my understanding is right, and I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong is that future creature packs and fish packs will be for a small fee. I do believe the 3d background will be free though. I for one plan to purchase all available upgrades which I know will make Jim and Prolific happy :)

This from Morgan's thread on MA2.

"The 3D background is still a free upgrade (subject to an as yet undetermined future purchase deadline?). 'Regular' fish that Jim produces would probably be free upgrades as well.

Fish produced/created by Prolific and Creature Packs by Jim S. will cost extra."

This is all true, but subject to future revision. My work on the 3D backgrounds and other improvements to the program will be free, but it's concievable that Prolific might throw a ton of new features into the same release. Or they might be separate -- we do have a Key Code system in place which would allow the user to add some features and ignore others.

All good points !
Yes, it varies from vendor to vendor CD versus online purchases
and update policies and when purchased, etc.
Therefore, to bring a level playing field to all " CD " buyers, once the update is available and " Prolific " acknowledges the registered user purchase, he/she should be able to get all (free) available updates w/o resorting to added cash outlay.
So it should be an equal footing for both ends of the spectrum.

Yes, I am cognizant that " some " updates will cost $$$ but not like having to pay " full " price We should be on same footing as online purchasers.

Thanks for sure, again and will wait for more feedback.

I bought the boxed version, for $5.00 more than the jewel case
version - What did I get for the extra $5.00- - Some cardboard
to add to the landfill. Its not really a big deal, but I wish
I had been fully informed - I would have bought on line.

And while I understand that on-line sales produce more revenue for vendors - traditionally its the most recent purchasers who get free or inexpensive upgrades while purchasers who have used software for a long period of time do not -

The CD users can still get all free updates. They can download and use v1.1, which includes the Lionfish. 2.0 is not a free update. It's only free for 90 days as a reward to our online customers. After that, it will be $5.95 for everyone.

We like to encourage people to buy online. In addition to greatly increased net, there are the environmental issues of less proliferation of cardboard and plastic, less trees cut down, fuel used during shipping, warehouse space, etc.

Ok, MA is $60, including every possible update for the next 2 years. :)*



*DO NOT QUOTE ME

It's kind of backwards though.

Let's look at Macromedia Director. (from memory)
Version 2 was $289.
Version 3 was $450.
Version 4 was $750.
Version 5 was $950.
etc.

The upgrade was always ~50% of the price of the new product.

I wouldn't have a problem with this, if Version 3 and 4 were not primarily bug fixes!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

I lost tens of hours of work because of version 3.

In contrast, MA "beta" versions as far back as 99D were, in my opinion, virtually bug-free.


It really shocked me when the only available purchase method for McAfee VirusScan was to have a boxed version mailed to me.

{The CD users can still get all free updates. They can download and use v1.1, which includes the Lionfish. 2.0 is not a free update. It's only free for 90 days as a reward to our online customers. After that, it will be $5.95 for everyone.}

Therefore obviously, CD buyers "supporting" the product are not
rewarded. Even if a store receipt is made available.

{We like to encourage people to buy online. In addition to greatly increased net, there are the environmental issues of less proliferation of cardboard and plastic, less trees cut down, fuel used during shipping, warehouse space, etc.}

I am for recycling, saving the environment, etc.
As stated in this thread, a strong disclaimer should be made to the public that a CD or online purchase have it's merit and downside. That is, when a user clicks on the buy now, he/she should be told of the option and reasons.

Don't get me wrong folks, I know how hard Jim (team) worked and a good quality product. Not bashing this issue into the ground but I believe in fairness and disclosures.

On the example on the previous user and upgrade remarks, I got last summer Photoshop 6.5 and then Photoshop 7 was introduced.
Adobe has a policy within a time frame of release, users WILL receive the next version at no cost. We know Photoshop is no small fry as far as value goes. Bought the CD version and got a new CD version by mail.
This is one of many products I have bought and received version upgrades at no cost. This especially applies to shareware software (CD or online purchase).

Thanks again and will wait for feedback.

Correct. The store is free to reward them, since they made more money than we did.

Such a strong disclaimer would not endear us to distributers or retailers. Once the customer has pressed the "Buy Now" button they have already decided to buy online.

While I strongly disagree on the value of Photoshop (I consider it one of the worst examples of bloatware on the market), Adobe can afford to do many things with their $600 program that we can't afford to do with our little $20 program. Cost of manufacturing the hardcopies is about the same.

(Hey, I finally learned how to use these blue quote boxes!)