🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <63213@ti-csl.CSNET> holland@m2.UUCP (Fred Hollander) writes:
>In article <6127@netnews.upenn.edu> binder@eniac.seas.upenn.edu.UUCP (Tim Binder) writes:
>>
>>I'm currently doing this sort of thing in Dollars & Sense (1.4 I think), but
>>the Mac interface sucks (i.m.h.o.) & I've already shelled out $50 in the
>>past to upgrade it -- I'm not going to continue doing that, since the
>>program is a bit beyond my needs ($50/update each time! c'mon guys!)
>>
>If you're talking about the upgrade to 1.4c, they owe you money.  They
>inadvertantly charged me about $57, when it was supposed to be $5.  I called
>customer service (followed by a letter) and was credited the difference.
>I don't have the number handy, but if anyone else is in the same situation,
>give them a call.
>
>Fred Hollander
>Computer Science Center
>Texas Instruments, Inc.
>holland%ti-csl@csnet-rela


Actually, my upgrade was from 1.0 or 1.1 to 1.4. Aren't they on 4.0 by now or
something like that? My major problem here is that every single upgrade from
Monogram (or whoever publishes it now) was $50 -- I was never notified of any
that was less expensive (in fact I am no longer receiving mailings from them
at all). While the upgrade I did pay for included some minor improvements, it
seems to me that most of the upgrades I have seen do not make major
improvements to functionality -- they are frequently bug fixes. I remember
discussions here earlier regarding Apple's "obnoxious" upgrade policy, but
here is one I believe to be worse. (Note: I am not trying to single out
Monogram; many software publishers share this problem.) Software upgrades
usually  consist of a new set of disks and maybe a new manual. $50 is about
1/3 of what I paid originally for the program -- 3 upgrades (and they
sometimes come out fairly frequently) and I could have bought a whole new
program (and this does not even look at discount prices). I realize that work
must be done on the software, but if I paid for the software already, I do
believe that it should work with all Apple systems -- without significant
additional charge to me.

I remember when I had my Apple II & was using some wp software from On-Line
Systems (Sierra Software later, I believe). Their policy was $5 for _any_
upgrade at _any_ time; $5 additional for the new manual -- an incredibly
reasonable policy!

Note that recently I HAVE been pleased by some upgrade policies; notably
Suitcase II (great program Steve!). MacDraw II @ $100 was mostly reasonable,
but MacWrite 5.0 and MacPaint 2.0 @ $25 a piece was ridiculous, especially
considering the limits in both programs still.

Just my thoughts on the topic. I hope I haven't repeated anything previous.
(My point here, I hope, is to urge software vendors to consider their upgrade
policies; not just to flame the vendors. I hope I have succeeded.)

       __                                              
      /\ \       Timothy M. Binder                | "He's dead honey
     /  \ \      binder@eniac.seas.upenn.edu      |  'cause Mommy
    / /\ \ \     CI$ 71106,1124 [but VERY rarely] |  killed him."
   / / /\ \ \                                     |
  / / /__\_\ \   known in the SCA as              |
 / / /________\    Gwydion Rhys ap Rhianwen       |                 
 \/___________/                                   




       __                                              
      /\ \       Timothy M. Binder                | "He's dead honey
     /  \ \      binder@eniac.seas.upenn.edu      |  'cause Mommy
    / /\ \ \     CI$ 71106,1124 [but VERY rarely] |  killed him."
   / / /\ \ \                                     |
  / / /__\_\ \   known in the SCA as              |
 / / /________\    Gwydion Rhys ap Rhianwen       |                 
 \/___________/