APple disappoints with new DVDSP V3 release at DVinfo.net

Patrick Grealy · April 19th, 2004, 09:07 AM

Very disappointed, again.

See on the Apple US store that they want to charge DVDSP V2 users $199 + taxes to 'upgrade' to version 3. (this upgrade price is the same for version 1 users)

I cannot see from the info supplied that there is much difference in V3 as compared to version 2. certainly not $199 + tax.

Looks like apple continue to send out the message to customers that you should not upgrade to new software (only every other time there is a relaunch)

As a stock holder in Apple, I am disappionted that loyal users are discouraged from parting with a small amount of cash for continuous upgrades and, like me, are now alternating between upgrades.

Only 8 month ago, I paid $150 to go from V1 to V2 and I will be dammed if I am going to pay another $199 + tax for this minor upgrade.

Yea I will do without the improved interface but I'll live with it.

regards P

Imran Zaidi · April 19th, 2004, 09:26 AM

One thing I don't understand about Apple, and I'm only saying this because I work at an office that uses both PC and Macs, is their method of charging for what should just be packs and patches.

I don't know of any software that should charge for .1 higher in the version release string. It's fair to assume a .5 update or a full version update should be charged for, but if all you're doing is fixing bugs or eliminating Hot Fixes or workarounds for underdeveloped functionality, how in the world can you keep charging? Especially when you consider the tremendous amounts of fixes and updates and patches you constantly get for free from Microsoft with their Windows Update system.

My office is taxing its budget constantly for all these Apple updates and it's driving us nuts.

And don't even get me started on our woes with Quark...

Ken Tanaka · April 19th, 2004, 10:25 AM

Patrick,
A share your surprise and disappointment that Apple is asking a $200 fee for a product updated less than a year ago for about the same price. I've barely investigated 2.0, so I doubt that I'll be upgrading again soon. I suspect that this marketing decision may actually be due to disappointing upgrade orders from versions 1 to 2.

Imran: as a long-serving (but now-retired) veteran of the Microsoft updates I'd say that the comparison isn't really valid. The steady drizzle of MS "service packs" and "patches" were largely remedial and rarely offered any additional functionality. Apple, too, offers many free service and security updates through its "Software Update" facility in OS X. Every for-fee update to Apple application software I've purchased has offered true functional enhancement.

I'm not being an apologist for Apple, just adding a little more perspective.

Patrick Grealy · April 19th, 2004, 10:29 AM

Don't mind paying for genuine and significant enhancements.

But we were shafted when buying OS X, then OS X.1 (patch) then jaguar and then Panther and not DVDSP3

The worrying thing is that the future patches will be for DVDSP V3 only and the bug fixing on V2 will cease.

Regards P

Imran Zaidi · April 19th, 2004, 11:04 AM

You're right Ken, I forgot about the Mac software update feature, which should in theory be the equivalent of MS's. Not knowing exactly the breakdown of what new was offered with each paid installment of OSX, I only know of the new features/functions that have actually been beneficial to us, and unfortunately there haven't been any. The fixes and patches, however, have been of much use - but those we shouldn't have had to pay for those specifically.

But I guess it all depends on who's defining what is a fix or update or patch, and what is a new feature or new functionality. Having a previous history working in the software industry, I can tell you that Marketing defines this - there's no real rule of law, regardless of how it may be defined in the internal engineering books of the software vendor.

Pat Chaney · April 19th, 2004, 01:26 PM

This is strange, as Final Cut Pro HD is a free upgrade to FCP 4 users.

According to the Apple site, you only qualify for a free upgrade to DVDSP V3 if you bought V2 yesterday (18th). Anyone who bought it on the 17th probably isn't going to be too pleased.

Having bought FCP 4 myself only last week, I could have been in the same position.

Heath McKnight · April 19th, 2004, 05:09 PM

DVDSP 3 has one cool feature I like, seeing your menus and a branching from the main one (with lines indicating the buttons that bring up the other menus) is nice. But I'll hold off. My buddy says it sounds like that and Motion are Apple's way to compete with Adobe's similar products (remember the drop in price to $499 on DVDSP last year after Adobe announced their version?).

BUT, I'll still buy Apple products. Oh and FCP HD is really FCP 4.5.

heath

Chris Hendrick · April 20th, 2004, 07:19 AM

Dudes.... the DTS output feature.... right there is worth more
than $200.

Regards,

Chris

Josh Brusin · April 20th, 2004, 05:32 PM

no kidding... what is the alt price?
look at motion> $299
I bought combustion last august and got the vs.3 upgrade free but it's a $999 package. (((down from $2799))) It seems that it's a certain way to keep the products updating. That's fine with me. DSP I purchased for $500... vs.1 thought I got a huge deal. That being said they should have a 3 month retro on all upgrades but what can you do... (petition?>?) I'm more upset with Bush reappropriating my tax dollars from Afg to Irq... oops no politics.

Josh Brusin · April 20th, 2004, 05:35 PM

man. I just tried to read what I just posted and realized I made absolutely no sense.
what is the price of the alternative?

I bought dsp vers.1 for $500 used, back when it was $1K thought that was a deal...

April 19th, 2004, 09:07 AM	#1
Patrick Grealy Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 90	APple disappoints with new DVDSP V3 release Very disappointed, again. See on the Apple US store that they want to charge DVDSP V2 users $199 + taxes to 'upgrade' to version 3. (this upgrade price is the same for version 1 users) I cannot see from the info supplied that there is much difference in V3 as compared to version 2. certainly not $199 + tax. Looks like apple continue to send out the message to customers that you should not upgrade to new software (only every other time there is a relaunch) As a stock holder in Apple, I am disappionted that loyal users are discouraged from parting with a small amount of cash for continuous upgrades and, like me, are now alternating between upgrades. Only 8 month ago, I paid $150 to go from V1 to V2 and I will be dammed if I am going to pay another $199 + tax for this minor upgrade. Yea I will do without the improved interface but I'll live with it. regards P __________________ Sony PDX10 by 2, DRS-11, Dual G5, FCX, DVDSP and Logic Plat. www.VarsityMusicVideo.com

April 19th, 2004, 10:25 AM	#3
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Patrick, A share your surprise and disappointment that Apple is asking a $200 fee for a product updated less than a year ago for about the same price. I've barely investigated 2.0, so I doubt that I'll be upgrading again soon. I suspect that this marketing decision may actually be due to disappointing upgrade orders from versions 1 to 2. Imran: as a long-serving (but now-retired) veteran of the Microsoft updates I'd say that the comparison isn't really valid. The steady drizzle of MS "service packs" and "patches" were largely remedial and rarely offered any additional functionality. Apple, too, offers many free service and security updates through its "Software Update" facility in OS X. Every for-fee update to Apple application software I've purchased has offered true functional enhancement. I'm not being an apologist for Apple, just adding a little more perspective. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

April 19th, 2004, 10:29 AM	#4
Patrick Grealy Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 90	Don't mind paying for genuine and significant enhancements. But we were shafted when buying OS X, then OS X.1 (patch) then jaguar and then Panther and not DVDSP3 The worrying thing is that the future patches will be for DVDSP V3 only and the bug fixing on V2 will cease. Regards P __________________ Sony PDX10 by 2, DRS-11, Dual G5, FCX, DVDSP and Logic Plat. www.VarsityMusicVideo.com

April 19th, 2004, 05:09 PM	#7
Heath McKnight MPS Digital Studios Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 8,531	DVDSP 3 has one cool feature I like, seeing your menus and a branching from the main one (with lines indicating the buttons that bring up the other menus) is nice. But I'll hold off. My buddy says it sounds like that and Motion are Apple's way to compete with Adobe's similar products (remember the drop in price to $499 on DVDSP last year after Adobe announced their version?). BUT, I'll still buy Apple products. Oh and FCP HD is really FCP 4.5. heath __________________ My Final Cut Pro X blog

April 19th, 2004, 09:26 AM	#2
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	One thing I don't understand about Apple, and I'm only saying this because I work at an office that uses both PC and Macs, is their method of charging for what should just be packs and patches. I don't know of any software that should charge for .1 higher in the version release string. It's fair to assume a .5 update or a full version update should be charged for, but if all you're doing is fixing bugs or eliminating Hot Fixes or workarounds for underdeveloped functionality, how in the world can you keep charging? Especially when you consider the tremendous amounts of fixes and updates and patches you constantly get for free from Microsoft with their Windows Update system. My office is taxing its budget constantly for all these Apple updates and it's driving us nuts. And don't even get me started on our woes with Quark...

April 19th, 2004, 11:04 AM	#5
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	You're right Ken, I forgot about the Mac software update feature, which should in theory be the equivalent of MS's. Not knowing exactly the breakdown of what new was offered with each paid installment of OSX, I only know of the new features/functions that have actually been beneficial to us, and unfortunately there haven't been any. The fixes and patches, however, have been of much use - but those we shouldn't have had to pay for those specifically. But I guess it all depends on who's defining what is a fix or update or patch, and what is a new feature or new functionality. Having a previous history working in the software industry, I can tell you that Marketing defines this - there's no real rule of law, regardless of how it may be defined in the internal engineering books of the software vendor.

April 19th, 2004, 01:26 PM	#6
Pat Chaney Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Berkshire, UK Posts: 107	This is strange, as Final Cut Pro HD is a free upgrade to FCP 4 users. According to the Apple site, you only qualify for a free upgrade to DVDSP V3 if you bought V2 yesterday (18th). Anyone who bought it on the 17th probably isn't going to be too pleased. Having bought FCP 4 myself only last week, I could have been in the same position.

April 20th, 2004, 07:19 AM	#8
Chris Hendrick New Boot Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: NY Posts: 21	Dudes.... the DTS output feature.... right there is worth more than $200. Regards, Chris

April 20th, 2004, 05:32 PM	#9
Josh Brusin Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 439	no kidding... what is the alt price? look at motion> $299 I bought combustion last august and got the vs.3 upgrade free but it's a $999 package. (((down from $2799))) It seems that it's a certain way to keep the products updating. That's fine with me. DSP I purchased for $500... vs.1 thought I got a huge deal. That being said they should have a 3 month retro on all upgrades but what can you do... (petition?>?) I'm more upset with Bush reappropriating my tax dollars from Afg to Irq... oops no politics.

April 20th, 2004, 05:35 PM	#10
Josh Brusin Major Player Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 439	man. I just tried to read what I just posted and realized I made absolutely no sense. what is the price of the alternative? I bought dsp vers.1 for $500 used, back when it was $1K thought that was a deal...