I rarely used Reflector so ultimately, this doesn't bother me too
much.  The real question is whether they leave a free (and obviously
older) version available.  If yes then I don't really have a problem
with this.  They could qualify the name of the paid version with "pro"
or something (since they already have a pro edition). In this case,
they are living up to the "we'll keep it free" statement and simply
offering a new product based on the free version. A subtle yet very
important distinction.

If, on the other hand, they remove all links to the older free version
making it difficult (never quite impossible) to get, I'd consider this
very poor form and would mentally give them a black mark and tend to
avoid their business in future and would volunteer my negative opinion
to others.

Time will tell.

David

"If we can hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes
 will fall like a house of cards... checkmate!"
 -Zapp Brannigan, Futurama







On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 22:48, Noon Silk <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 3, 2011 at 10:43 PM, Joseph Cooney <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
>> Like many things in software development (and life) I think it's all about
>> managing expectations. By choosing the word they did in their initial
>> announcement red-gate set the expectation that there would continue to be a
>> free version of reflector in perpetuity, so some people (I think
>> understandably) feel a bit put-out when they don't meet that expectation.
>> Will I buy a copy of reflector when it's released? Sure. Am I happy about
>> having to keep track of reflector license keys, and not being able to assume
>> everyone has and uses reflector? Not so much. Do I look forward to having to
>> carefully scrutinize everything red-gate say in case of future
>> back-pedaling? No. For example in their most recent communique red-gate said
>> "Version 7 will be sold as a perpetual license, with no time bomb or forced
>> updates". How should I take that given their change of heart on the free
>> version?
>
> Free can become not; perpetual can't stop being so, or else it wasn't
> in the first place.
>
>
>> Joseph
>>
>> --
>>
>> w: http://jcooney.net
>> t: @josephcooney
>
> --
> Noon Silk
>
> http://dnoondt.wordpress.com/  (Noon Silk) | http://www.mirios.com.au:8081 >
>
> Fancy a quantum lunch?
> http://www.mirios.com.au:8081/index.php?title=Quantum_Lunch
>
> "Every morning when I wake up, I experience an exquisite joy — the joy
> of being this signature."
>

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