Re: WebMerchant 3.0 for Mac shipping now
This WebDNA talk-list message is from 1998
It keeps the original formatting.
numero = 21518
interpreted = N
texte = > Did I miss something? I would really like to know if I did before we >write the check. Well, I am not sure how to approach this one. I have struggled with this since yesterday and wanted to avoid any company bashing because I don't find it to be professional, but have another major concern, unfortunately. WebMerchant 5 Pack Price: $2500.00 Now before I get into it, I believe that the policy is that when I upgrade from my webcat/merchant 2.0 package I will receive serial numbers for webcat/merchant 3.0 for a single store for 895$. This, while pricey, is tolerable because of the wonderful features added to both packages. And historically my WebCat license has allowed my unlimited databases on a single machine, and also that refusing to go the WebMerchant 3.0 scenario is asking for trouble in that support for the old merchant will eventually be hard to come by. But hey, $2500 for 5 stores, when to the best of my understanding all that happens is that the template regenerate themselves into a new directory and functionality is primarily provided through a webcatalog database. In other words, this is essentially charging for the right to be able to run multiple WebMerchant databases on the same system. Not different systems mind you, as that would take multiple versions of webcatalog. Let me give some examples of how offensive I find this. See if these analogies are relevant.. ********** Lets pretend Webstar 3.0 has a wonderful new multidomain feature. Each new domain can function practically independent of each other (using the same backend engine). Now Starnine says, pay us 200$ per each domain as you will need a new serial number for each. Nothing else to install, just buy the new numbers! Are you kidding? Lets pretend that Netcloak Pro from Maxum is released with a slew of new features. One of those new features is a kick ass email to html interface. Lets say that it is all run from some templates they provided, but then we find out that they are asking for $250 dollars per keycode to keep the thing running, where each keycode will allow communication with another email domain. Are you serious? Lets pretend two last things.. 1. That it seems that people comfortable with these new pricing policies are actually the minority and that the majority are sitting around going Are you kidding me?. Or perhaps that we are seeing various comments of presales, who intelligently have spent time with the demos and on this list, that reflect their intention to not become committed to a solution that may be state of the art but is accompanied but unpredictable, and arguably outrageous pricing policies. 2. Lastly I'm pretending, probably to the delight of some, as if a solution that I put much stake into, and took every opportunity to tout as the ultimate Web scripting/db solution has finally become problematic to the point making questionable business sense to continue to commit to. This forces me into actively looking/pursuing and establishing alternate solutions reducing my commitment here. As a small business man, I cannot afford to put my eggs in an unstable, unpredictable basket, not matter how kick ass the basket is at the time. ***********I guess pretend time is over now, and I for one, am very damn depressed about it. I was always told that being negative is useless unless you suggest alternatives, so... Regardless of the fact that WebCat/WebMerchant has cost more then all of our other WWW serving software combined, it has been worth the money. Regardless of the fact that $900 seems steep for single upgrade, it seemed worth it. I feel that Pacific Coast should allow me unlimited, unrestricted use of all the upgrade's functionality on a single machine, for the single upgrade fee. I feel that while arguments can be made towards development cost recovery, charging fees for multiple uses of the same templates, which in turn use the WebCat engine which we also license, in unjustified, unprecedented, and finally destructive to the future growth of the product and the company that releases it. Alexander J. McCombie (800-724-8973) http://OurClients.com Corporate http://McCombie.FamilyMail.net Personal ChuckSpirit (AOLIM) http://Chat.Embark.com/ <--- Now here's a serious Chat Room! --->
Associated Messages, from the most recent to the oldest:
> Did I miss something? I would really like to know if I did before we >write the check. Well, I am not sure how to approach this one. I have struggled with this since yesterday and wanted to avoid any company bashing because I don't find it to be professional, but have another major concern, unfortunately. WebMerchant 5 Pack Price: $2500.00 Now before I get into it, I believe that the policy is that when I upgrade from my webcat/merchant 2.0 package I will receive serial numbers for webcat/merchant 3.0 for a single store for 895$. This, while pricey, is tolerable because of the wonderful features added to both packages. And historically my WebCat license has allowed my unlimited databases on a single machine, and also that refusing to go the WebMerchant 3.0 scenario is asking for trouble in that support for the old merchant will eventually be hard to come by. But hey, $2500 for 5 stores, when to the best of my understanding all that happens is that the template regenerate themselves into a new directory and functionality is primarily provided through a webcatalog database. In other words, this is essentially charging for the right to be able to run multiple WebMerchant databases on the same system. Not different systems mind you, as that would take multiple versions of webcatalog. Let me give some examples of how offensive I find this. See if these analogies are relevant.. ********** Lets pretend Webstar 3.0 has a wonderful new multidomain feature. Each new domain can function practically independent of each other (using the same backend engine). Now Starnine says, pay us 200$ per each domain as you will need a new serial number for each. Nothing else to install, just buy the new numbers! Are you kidding? Lets pretend that Netcloak Pro from Maxum is released with a slew of new features. One of those new features is a kick ass email to html interface. Lets say that it is all run from some templates they provided, but then we find out that they are asking for $250 dollars per keycode to keep the thing running, where each keycode will allow communication with another email domain. Are you serious? Lets pretend two last things.. 1. That it seems that people comfortable with these new pricing policies are actually the minority and that the majority are sitting around going Are you kidding me?. Or perhaps that we are seeing various comments of presales, who intelligently have spent time with the demos and on this list, that reflect their intention to not become committed to a solution that may be state of the art but is accompanied but unpredictable, and arguably outrageous pricing policies. 2. Lastly I'm pretending, probably to the delight of some, as if a solution that I put much stake into, and took every opportunity to tout as the ultimate Web scripting/db solution has finally become problematic to the point making questionable business sense to continue to commit to. This forces me into actively looking/pursuing and establishing alternate solutions reducing my commitment here. As a small business man, I cannot afford to put my eggs in an unstable, unpredictable basket, not matter how kick ass the basket is at the time. ***********I guess pretend time is over now, and I for one, am very damn depressed about it. I was always told that being negative is useless unless you suggest alternatives, so... Regardless of the fact that WebCat/WebMerchant has cost more then all of our other WWW serving software combined, it has been worth the money. Regardless of the fact that $900 seems steep for single upgrade, it seemed worth it. I feel that Pacific Coast should allow me unlimited, unrestricted use of all the upgrade's functionality on a single machine, for the single upgrade fee. I feel that while arguments can be made towards development cost recovery, charging fees for multiple uses of the same templates, which in turn use the WebCat engine which we also license, in unjustified, unprecedented, and finally destructive to the future growth of the product and the company that releases it. Alexander J. McCombie (800-724-8973) http://OurClients.com Corporate http://McCombie.FamilyMail.net Personal ChuckSpirit (AOLIM) http://Chat.Embark.com/ <--- Now here's a serious Chat Room! --->
Alex McCombie
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