topic Re: September 1 in Modeling

September 1

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:55:59 GMT

Scuttle butt has it that there will be an announcement from Graphisoft on September 1st.
But what Kind of announcement is anybodies guess.

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:04:05 GMT

Interesting! Where did you hear that? Sounds like we don't have to wait too much longer for some news.

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:57:04 GMT

Does that fit in with the yearly upgrade all subscribers signed up for? It would appear that the only obligation for the yearly upgrade cycle was to GS itself.
Given that GS has not yet made a smooth transition between releases, I doubt any users will be too upset by the delay.....

Re: September 1

Steve Jepson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:47:13 GMT

rwallis wrote:
Does that fit in with the yearly upgrade all subscribers signed up for? It would appear that the only obligation for the yearly upgrade cycle was to GS itself.
Given that GS has not yet made a smooth transition between releases, I doubt any users will be too upset by the delay.....

It's not the delay I am upset about, it's the fact that my license to use ArchiCAD 13 may expire before I get much use out of it.

Re: September 1

owen — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:13:30 GMT

meaning now the release interval is being pushed out, your 'maintenance agreement' may not actually stack up financially anymore. There were two advantages based on 12 month cycle:

1. Slightly reduced cost of license over the 12 months vs up-front purchase cost

2. 'Extra' support and goodies (i use the '' because that really depends on how big a customer you are, who your re-licenser is, etc). Maybe this should be half or a quarter point.

If an AC release is pushed out by even 1 month then #1 no longer applies in most instances. May as well put your money in the bank each month and wait until the next release. You will probably have something left over when that day comes.

So why do people go on these 'GS maintenance agreements' ??

P.S Steve .. i would drop your plan the day after you get your AC13 upgrade. Sounds like you've paid for it already, they just haven't delivered.

Re: September 1

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:24:21 GMT

Steve wrote:
It's not the delay I am upset about, it's the fact that my license to use ArchiCAD 13 may expire before I get much use out of it.

I'm confused ... other than a pay-per-use license, ArchiCAD licenses never expire. So, not sure what you're saying, Steve...?

Karl

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:27:14 GMT

I think my 'maintenance agreement' came due in roughly May-09 and you only have 1yr of "free" upgrade within that time period.
So I'm loosing by the day.
Will not effect me this year, (or so it now seems),but next, because of the roll-over; or should I say non-roll-over?
I think the time period should be reset to when you actually get the product you paid for.

Re: September 1

Steve Jepson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:17:05 GMT

Karl wrote:
Steve wrote:
It's not the delay I am upset about, it's the fact that my license to use ArchiCAD 13 may expire before I get much use out of it.
I'm confused ... other than a pay-per-use license, ArchiCAD licenses never expire. So, not sure what you're saying, Steve...?

Karl

To use a current version of ArchiCAD always requires that you pay for a new license to use it.

When the subscription term does not match the new release schedule you will at some point be paying more for the licenses using a subscription plan than if you were to wait and pay for a license to use the upgrades as they come out. See graphic below.

Chart the terms of your past subscriptions (everyone has a different start date) against various release schedules to decide if you should let your subscription run out and restart it at a better time, or just forget it.

The whole idea of a subscription is to try an make you pay in advance for a product you know noting about, or pay a penalty.

We are already 14 months past the last release announcement!
Is seems possible at this point that we may not get ArchiCAD 13 until October this year.

Re: September 1

Brett Brown — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:14:01 GMT

Well said Steve, but your graph will change if the next release is less than 12 months.

I don't know what you Americans are moaning about. You pay way less on subscription than the rest of the world does.

I wait for the pre release specials, upgrade to 12 now and get 13 free, at the single version upgrade price (US$1200), so I'm happy. At least I know what I'm getting in 12 and can use 13 if there are any major benefits to the solo practitioner, or wait until Hotfix 5

Re: September 1

Steve Jepson — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:58:13 GMT

a 9 month release just means you have to pay for the next new version that much sooner. You get even less value out of an annual subscription.

Why can't they just be fair and do away with the subscription plan.

All they need to do is pro-rate new licenses.

Every one would have the chance to see what they are paying for.

They will never do this because they do not want to be fair. The entire purpose of the subscription plan is to make you pay in advance before you have the opportunity to see if the upgrade is any thing you want or if it even works. This is their deliberate strategy for raising the R&D funds.
It forces us to take the financial risk instead of them. If we are all on subscription plans and pay in advance, it doesn't matter if the product is any good or not. They already got us to pay for it!
What fair about that?

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:53:13 GMT

Nice graph Steve.
That's what I was trying to say in words.

Bret wrote;"your graph will change if the next release is less than 12 months."
That may be true, but I'll venture a bid of about zero chance of that.

If this new version is a jump into "light speed" won't we all be ecstatic!!!!!!!!!
And all this grumbling will be for naught.
I have my polylines crossed.
And the clock is now ticking.....

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:30:38 GMT

Surely, there is a big change in September, I heard.
Cheers,

Re: September 1

owen — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:38:00 GMT

Steve ... you make it sound like you are forced to pay the monthly subscription. Is just buying each AC version upon release not an option in the US? I guess this policy might vary worldwide .. AFAIK you don't need to have a subscription in Aust - and there is very little incentive to do so really, not much value-add IMO and as i outlined before, you basically lose any discount on the full purchase (sorry .. license) price once the release date slips past your subscription.

But i get what you are saying. Say you already own/license AC12 and you sign up for a subscription (12 month contract). AC is released after 13 months. You don't get it unless you then buy it full price again or sign up for another 12 month subscription. So unless you have received something really outstanding other than your AC license from your reseller you basically have handed over 12 months of monthly fees for nothing.

i can understand why people would get a little upset. so if you aren't compelled to go on subsciption, why continue?

Re: September 1

Steve Jepson — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:15:35 GMT

My concern about the release schedule is because I have already been conned into the subscription plan. And for the next 3 years too!

There is a potential savings for me in doing this. However, that potential savings could evaporate if the new release schedule does not match the term of my subscriptions.

I think my concerns about the new release schedule are valid because we are already going to be 14 months between new releases. And it is not unreasonable to expect that it will be 15 months. The graph I made is based on a 15 month new release schedule. Hopefully this will not happen.

They could announce the new release today and we could have it in September. ?

Perhaps the most unfortunate thing about the annual subscription plan is that it can pressure them to get the new release out before it is ready in order to make sure the scenario I have shown in the graph is not ever going to happen.

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:20:08 GMT

..8,7,,...

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:59:44 GMT

...5,4..?

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:56:10 GMT

..3,2..?

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:10:24 GMT

Unless it's my Internet Browser (IE8), but these something going on with The GS web site, possible getting it ready for the launch of AC13.

But like I said it could be just a matter of my web browser as some of the links have been taken down off the GS web site in the last day or two, eg the link to the forum, ArchiCAD Goodies page, and the ling to the cinema 4d plug-in.

Re: September 1

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:52:32 GMT

Don't know what were going to hear, but we're going to hear something in.....2,1
Get the champagne bottles chilled.
lec

Re: September 1

Dennis Lee — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:44:58 GMT

0
In Asia.

13 1/2 hours to go here, less than 11 to go in NY.