version 9

[pinbrook]

But the biggie, I think, is that v9 will be based on the same skeleton as v8 is, the template system being long gone by then, so therefore, I think most people, who update regularly, will be forced to upgrade sometime. Whether it be from v7 to v9 or whatever.

Well yes I'd assume so. But the worrying thing here is Actinic's (understandable) policy of supporting the current and most previous version. Thus v7 sites will not be supported once v9 is out and therefore will degrade quite quickly. (ie no chance of GC - dare i say it )

[jont]

Same brand name & product target but IMHO (and that of many others) they are totally different pieces of kit so upgrades from v4-v7 would be advisable and in the vast majority of cases, beneficial.

Hopefully there will never be such a massive leap as from v7 to v8 in future releases.

I can see the benefits of smaller releases ... such as v6 to v7 which by large remained essentially the same but allowed for duplicates (for example) ... a fantastic revelation for some site owners but useless to those with only a few products.

If the pricing is sensible and the products released with half the issues of v8 then this could be a good step. If the 12 monthly releases are merely bug patches with minimal functionality v8.0.5 to v8.5.0 (new shipping model) this could be a potential concern - especially for marketing and sales with users feeling aggrieved in needing to spend more to get the issues fixed.

Once a new version is released how long will legacy support continue for the older versions? Actinic resources may be geared towards the next release rather than supporting the 13 month old version - which hopefully will not be necessary if released bug free due to smaller upgrades.

[chris ashdown]

I think the answers is in the cover program

If the price was to come down by about 20% I would think most if not all purchasers of actinic would subscribe, giving a healthy cashflow into Actinics R&D and profits

If on the other hand they follow the likes of Sage and other big companies they will retain a much smaller number of cover customers as they see little value in upgrading for minor changes each year at a perceived large expence

I myself am quite happy to keep line 50 ver 11 for the next few years as there is no burning upgrades in ver 13 that i need or will significatly improve by profits

On the other hand I purchase Actinic cover and feel its totaly worth the money, but can understand the small sites feeling its to expensive

[george]

I know a certain amount of users subscribe to Cover as a form of insurance... if a site goes down for a few days (god forbid and all that jazz), the rent still has to be paid etc.

Although, obviously, the `free` upgrades are nice.

[fleetwood]

I think the answers is in the cover program

remember that they changed the cover program at the same time as V8 was released, and introduced loyalty discounts - cover getting cheaper the more years your signed on - that is, unless this has been subsequently revised.

the one poor show of this, was the lack of retro loyalty, with those of us who have been signed on to support for years (and rarely if ever using it beyond version upgrades), still having to start the discount scheme at year 1.

I would say that with all the problems so far regarding V8 and upgrades, it would be a nice gesture if V9 pricing (and/or support renewal pricing), took account of the fact that this release has been so problematical going by all the postings from the those most in the know - is it me, or does it still seem like we are in Beta?

[RuralWeb]

Ok will v9 Designer support v8 client sites

I see this as a major issue - if clients dont want to upgrade then designers will not be able to work on thier sites unless they run V8 and V9 on separate PCs

[george]

I think at least one of the forum big hitters will crack with v8 I think. I did think Malcolm was going to be the one a while ago but he seems to have weathered the storm, and come through smiling.


Even moneys on Jo to be the one now.


(no offence obviously, but I can see your frustration at times Jo, with what should be routine changes for you specialist people)

[RuralWeb]

I did think Malcolm was going to be the one a while ago but he seems to have weathered the storm, and come through smiling

I wont be smiling if 9 is as big a change as 8

[pinbrook]

remember that they changed the cover program at the same time as V8 was released

Funnily enough I got my cover renewal demand today, I was just about to spit more feathers - then i calmed down £25 a month to pester the c**p out of support - its seems like a bargain.

Sometimes I contact support and its a bug but other times its my own stupidity - so even at twice the price its worth paying to be told you are an idiot before you waste a few days only to discover it the same fact for yourself.


however I think cover is the way to go, it seems cheaper in the long run to pay an annual/monthly subscription than shell out big £££ every 18 months or so. - and have the benefit of support all the while.

George- I'll place money on my own odds...

I wont be smiling if 9 is as big a change as 8

Me neither, there goes more money on a bet it won't be

[RuralWeb]

I spent half an hour on the phone with Actinic Development discussing the V9 upgrader today so at least they are getting the views of designers on the way ahead.

[pinbrook]

Actinic Development discussing the V9 upgrader

I'd prefer it worked in V8

[leehack]

I spent half an hour on the phone with Actinic Development discussing the V9 upgrader today so at least they are getting the views of designers on the way ahead.

I've had an email today also, so credit where credit is due, at least they are now talking to users. It'd be nice for them to arrange a meeting so it can be discussed collectively, i think they will end up with a better solution personally.

[cdicken]

If i upgrade to v9 as part of my cover agreement, will i then be forced to upgrade v8 client sites before undertaking any design work ie will my clients have to upgrade in order for me to do work for them.

This is an excellent question. I have put it to the management team this afternoon, and as soon as there is an answer, we'll let you know (it probably won't be an immediate answer).

[jont]

I did think Malcolm was going to be the one a while ago but he seems to have weathered the storm, and come through smiling.

Damn that man - I lost good money on him

I think all the v8 "casualties" are now getting more relaxed with the concept and work flow of using v8 ... there are some annoying niggles but I think the corner has been turned for a lot of us.

if clients dont want to upgrade then designers will not be able to work on thier sites unless they run V8 and V9 on separate PCs

This surely needs to run concurrently as not all clients are going to want or need to upgrade but still need supporting ... unless there is backward compatibility such as in WORD (save as option).

I should imagine this has to run side by side as Actinic are trying to encourage more designers to use their product (DW integration a prime example) ... if they are limited to only designing for a particular version this is not going to make for a very attractive product.

I've had an email today also, so credit where credit is due, at least they are now talking to users.

Yep, makes a mockery of the recent "they do not listen" posts and they always have done ... especially with the v8 launch and the alpha testing

[RuralWeb]

I'd prefer it worked in V8

They were mainly concerned with V8 version upgrades - which in my case have all worked without any problems