Quote:
Originally Posted by hooksound:
they do nothing on their own to compensate anyone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avid
True, other than the free v7.4 upgrade, the free v8.0 upgrade, the discounted 9 crossgrade, and the discounted 10 upgrade (not to mention the 7.3 version that was included with the Mbox).  |
Some of these things happened back in the good old Digidesign days. After avid took over, we have witnessed more frequently updates at higher prices. LE and recently M-Powered has been discontinued. If these users wishes to stay with Pro Tools, the only way is to hand out $499 for the crossgrade. Discounted yes, but this could seriously damage a hobbyist budget.
The last remark regarding the bundled "free" software is rather sought. When the day is over, it's part of the total retail price.
Let me define what I see as a freebie: Steinberg has a tradition of releasing x.5 versions of Cubase. They add a couple of extra features and maybe a couple of plug-ins. Except for a small fee for 6.5, these has been for free. This is a healthy approach towards the customer.
Despite being an M-Powered user, I fully understand that avid discontinues this line (and LE for that sake). These products has no future, because avid can not allow any more features to ripple down from the higher versions.
Having both SE and Express at the same time also puzzles me (apart from keeping avid and M-Audio products separated). They are no alternative to MP/LE users and the price gap towards Pro Tools is not for the typically entry level user. For the price of two avid support tickets, he can get Reaper.
But I'm no marketing expert. I can only express my feelings and I feel that I'm gliding away from Pro Tools.