Why Pay Now..???

[P1erce]

According to their updates, you only pay for every major release..

Though thats not to say the version number will increase faster or slower than historic. As far as I have seen there is no release of future update costs...

It also gives vbulletin a major incentive to create a lot of new features which means they can justify the revision increments.

Ive renewed an existing license and an expired license so if you only have 1 to renew then you shouldnt be too worried.

The reason the price has been dropped is an effort of good faith, i.e. invest in a future product that your not 100% sure on for a lower revised price. It would be sickening if there was no "special offer" at all.

Either way if your not comfortable, you can wait and if you like what you see you can then either choose to go to a suite or stick with basic of course you will pay for that luxury.

Pierce

[akonze]

That is an unfortunate fact of software development.

You are truly believing this, right? Man, where do you live? Behind the moon? I have seen hundreds of companies publishing clear release dates and, guess what, in fact releasing exactly at that date. Take Microsoft Windows 7 i.e.

Furthermore in fact it is all about collecting money. There ist absolutely no other reason then collect money. Otherwise Jelsoft just could have started a preorder without the payment, couldn't they?

[cellarius]

Yeah. Microsoft, the best example for observed release dates ever! Man, I remember the times when Microsoft bashing was trendy, now Billy is even good as a role model... do I miss the old times... *lol*

cellarius *whistles: the times, they are a'changin'*

[Zachery]

Shouldn't the difference from an active and inactive license be within $40? why is there a difference of $70 for inactive users? Do you know how many users with owned inactive licenses will just be turned away from this price? That's basically saying your support means crap to us.

Its 5 dollars more for a new Classic license, not for a new Suite.

[Darkimmortal]

You are truly believing this, right? Man, where do you live? Behind the moon? I have seen hundreds of companies publishing clear release dates and, guess what, in fact releasing exactly at that date. Take Microsoft Windows 7 i.e.

What.

Windows 7 RTM was released months before the public release - it was sitting there completely finished so of course it was released on time.

vBulletin 4 is still a fair bit away from completion, as this beta site proves.

[ShogunLord]

I may add I also run my own business and have always been very wary of " Future Trading " it just puts way too much presure on resources to deliver..

I could see the logic in paying now at the reduced rate if vB4 Beta 1 ( In use here now ) was available to use now on the undestanding it is a BETA version and should be treat as so.
But if I put a sign in my shop window stating, Pay me now and I will deliver your new PC sometime in the next few months, I would probably get my shop windows smashed to bits...

Joe Public want to see something that they are parting with cash for, reasonably I would say...

Regards..

[ang2el]

Global recession.

[tormodg]

- I'm given prior notice about the sale and time to take time to first understand all the options

Yes, usually. But IMHO it has been clear in this pre-sale that there is no guaranteed release date. But not everyone agrees on this point of course.

I am given a certain date when buying the current version entitles me to a free upgrade without paying another upgrade fee

This is basically the same issues as above, is't it? If IB had said "Buy now, then get vB4 on November 1" then it would have helped tremendously on IB's position in this matter. But instead they just said "when it is launched", and gave no guarantees. But at least it is clear that you pay nothing *more* when the new version is launched.

My upgrade cost is usually never more than 50% of the purchase price for a new license (not almost 90% as it is here)

Yeah, I have asked about that as well and not received a response. Either the "new" price is too low or the "upgrade" price is way too high (when looking at the post-presale prices).

The software has already been in beta testing and there is a reasonably good estimate as to when it is expected to come out, not user speculation

Well, it has been in beta for a while. Internet Brands' lack of a roadmap has been a problem for a long time. I think they are coming around on it from what I read in another thread here, but it has caused a lot of confusion.

In general I think IB could have handled the information aspect much better in this presale, and avoided a lot of confusion. But the price setting is up to IB and while it can seem confusing it really is crystal clear: The new prices makes the entry cost basically the same as the upgrade cost. But before there *was* no upgrade cost, only annual fees.

[Matthew Gordon]

Shouldn't the difference from an active and inactive license be within $40? why is there a difference of $70 for inactive users? Do you know how many users with owned inactive licenses will just be turned away from this price? That's basically saying your support means crap to us.

The difference was $60, which is the renewal cost for an expired license that doesn't get the early renewal discount.

You are truly believing this, right? Man, where do you live? Behind the moon? I have seen hundreds of companies publishing clear release dates and, guess what, in fact releasing exactly at that date. Take Microsoft Windows 7 i.e.

Windows 7 was released months after it was complete. Do you want a set-in-stone release date of, hey, let's say April, so when it is officially done beforehand, they can just sit on it for a few months? No, I think you'd rather take it when it is done and not months later, right?

[slinky]

Why? Just because you happen to have an inactive license? You were warned, you didn't heed the warning (or common sense), so you are paying (or not paying) a completely legitimate price.

I haven't had an active forum but I've kept an active license for years in order to stay current. Why didn't you renew?

Nobody got warned. If your license expired expectation here for the past 8+ years has been to pay $40 to renew and you do it. But before you can say "what?" you receive an email about savings, something about $250 regular price and all you have to pay is $130. Then you find out that due to a special extended offer, we only have to pay $190 ($60 extra instad of $40) just to renew my current forum. What warning?

\\\

[slinky]

Yes, usually. But IMHO it has been clear in this pre-sale that there is no guaranteed release date. But not everyone agrees on this point of course.

No - we all agree that we know there is no guaranteed release date, a bonus which goes along with this surprise pre-sale which the customer really has no other choice but to say "upgrade now or dump the product and your investment." Fact is that it's either pay 98% the price of a brand new forum for the suite or get even less by paying 90% of a new forum and just getting the forum. Most companies don't even think of a presale without having an approximate release date, which we don't even have here.

Yeah, I have asked about that as well and not received a response. Either the "new" price is too low or the "upgrade" price is way too high (when looking at the post-presale prices).

I have no complaint with the prices to buy a whole new forum. The problem is when you invest in brand free licenses, outright ownership licenses and maintenance fees for years to discover you have to pay 90% of a new forum price to "upgrade." What's the point? But when you pay the brand free, you're screwed because you cannot buy a new forum and have an extra license because IB will refuse to transfer the brand free from the current license to your new one to at least minimize the salt in your wounds.

Well, it has been in beta for a while. Internet Brands' lack of a roadmap has been a problem for a long time. I think they are coming around on it from what I read in another thread here, but it has caused a lot of confusion.

No - it is ALPHA. This "beta" was really called the ending stage of the alpha product. Read the official announcements instead of the words of self-proclaimed experts. They are all so giddy with glee to see something that they think that vb4 suite will somehow be autogenerated by December 1. People need to accept what they see. If the product is even further rushed, it will be even less satisfactory. As they used to say "it will be out when it's ready." That can be January 1 or April 1.

In general I think IB could have handled the information aspect much better in this presale, and avoided a lot of confusion. But the price setting is up to IB and while it can seem confusing it really is crystal clear: The new prices makes the entry cost basically the same as the upgrade cost. But before there *was* no upgrade cost, only annual fees.

This is because getting periodic updates is not a "major upgrade". If a new version is supposedly being released every 12-18 months (no guarantee either) which requires an upgrade fee, then its going to cost you $175 per YEAR or about $125 per year instead of your prior $40 maintenance fee. Essentially you'll be buying vBulletin new every 1-1.5 years as if you weren't an existing customer. So in essence, this new plan says that existing customers, whether 8 years or 8 days, are of no difference to IB.

I'm not complaining, just stating the facts after piecing together the numbers.

[slinky]

Why? Just because you happen to have an inactive license? You were warned, you didn't heed the warning (or common sense), so you are paying (or not paying) a completely legitimate price.

I haven't had an active forum but I've kept an active license for years in order to stay current. Why didn't you renew?

WHAT warning? So if I had an active license that expired October 1 while I was in Bermuda on vacation, believing I could renew at any time, why didn't vBulletin send out a notice to their customers that they will charge $60 instead of $40 beginning on October 15? Giving reasonable notice about upcoming pricing changes is what any responsible company does and common sense courtesy to any human being.

[smirkley]

I upgraded my expired licenses this week and captured the discount.

What I ended up getting for my money is my expired out of date software updated to the latest 3.8, active support re-enabled, guarenteed access to the latest vB4 when it is released, and upgrades through the whole life cycle of the vB4 product, no matter if it lasts a year, or three.

I kinda think I really gotta deal.

[slinky]

I upgraded my expired licenses this week and captured the discount.

What I ended up getting for my money is my expired out of date software updated to the latest 3.8, active support re-enabled, guarenteed access to the latest vB4 when it is released, and upgrades through the whole life cycle of the vB4 product, no matter if it lasts a year, or three.

I kinda think I really gotta deal.

What discount did you get? What does this have to do with the discussion? Are you posting in the right thread? If you're talking about a 3 year vb4 life cycle then I hope you don't come down soon from what you're smoking or else you'll sober up when the credit card bill is due, lol!!! If the product life cycle for vB 4 is 8 years, you'll have saved 200% over the previous licensing too! woot!

[jumpD]

The OP wanted good reasons to buy now instead of later when there is "no clear release date". I wrestled with this also and ended up buying. Why? Because there is no clear "expiration date". And to me that is the difference here. Under the old structure you would be right to worry since the renewal was only good for a year. So renewing/upgrading now may only get you six months of an active license by the time it's released and implemented on your site. Now, with no annual renewals that point is mute. Whether you upgrade now or six months from now, your license will still be good for the life cycle of vBulletin 4. Upgrading now saves you some cash without changing the end of life on your investment.