I agree that $45US to upgrade SilverFast is not an unreasonable price. However, it's more complicated than that. A lot of us paid a lot of money for SilverFast only to learn that the new version was released before we even got our version installed and working. Lasersoft should give free upgrades to anyone who purchases an older version six months or less before the release of a newer version. We felt like we were ripped off when we paid full price for obsolete software. Then there's the misleading description of the upgrade on the Lasersoft website that led a lot of us to believe that the upgrade included both SilverFast Ai and HDR. It didn't, so the upgrade price was actually $90. The upgrade should include both Ai and HDR since the software for both is virtually identical, it costs Lasersoft nothing extra to upgrade both vs. just one, and the user can only use one at a time and really!
doesn't receive any real extra value from upgrading both vs. just one (for example, upgrade only HDR and then use an old version of Ai to create raw files for the upgraded HDR). In addition to this, Lasersoft suffered a complete and total meltdown when they released the upgrade (passwords that didn't work, etc.) and were not responsive to request for support (most likely due to the number of requests for help they received). On top of that, the software was/is buggy with not a lot of help or support from Lasersoft in getting it to work. Maybe Lasersoft could hire Ed Hamrick for a few weeks to get their house in order, and then I would feel a lot better about spending $45 for the upgrade (but $90 is too much).
In a message dated 12/4/2001 8:40:52 AM Pacific Standard Time, skipwilliamsscan@hotmail.com writes:
As for griping about updates, a $45 udpate that includes the functionality
updates such as NegFix isn't out of line by any stretch of my imagination.
Many of us, including me, have been spoiled by Ed Hamrick's steadfast and
generous low pricing and no-charge updates. But most of the commercial
world still has to pay their bills. Updating software that is customized
for an OEM product isn't free. The dot.com model of VC$$+advertisting
revenue = profits doesn't work. If you want to stay with what's supplied in
the box, fine. Or use Vuescan for $40. Otherwise, pay the measley $45 for
the update. I can't believe that anyone is THAT CHEAP!
