Poll Results

[Righty27]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

The number not planning to upgrade matches my experience since PT3! The only sane response for an 11 owner is to wait for new features before starting the clock so there's no surprise there. I can't imagine anything about that poll is a surprise to Avid.

... although the difference this time is the EOY deadline, after which, the value of our current Pro Tools 'investment' disappears.

For perpetual licence users thinking ahead and trying to plan, the options appear to be:

(i) Upgrade ... maybe as late as possible or when PT12 adds useful new features
(ii) Not upgrade by EOY ... with the expectation of sticking to current version, on hardware which will support this (i.e. will probably buy a new licence for any futute OSX or Mac upgrade)
(iii) Not upgrade ... and move to another DAW
(iv) Other scenarios include subscriptions

[Bob Olhsson]

The value only disappears for computer hobbyists who insist on the ego trip of having the latest and greatest. Pro Tools has reached a point of diminishing returns where a lot of people won't benefit from new versions very often. For the same reason there will be a market for old versions whenever one decides to buy a new one. If you get off of Apple's planned obsolescence train, you can use the latest, most powerful hardware with old versions of Pro Tools for many many years.

[Righty27]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

The value only disappears for computer hobbyists who insist on the ego trip of having the latest and greatest. Pro Tools has reached a point of diminishing returns where a lot of people won't benefit from new versions very often. For the same reason there will be a market for old versions whenever one decides to buy a new one. If you get off of Apple's planned obsolescence train, you can use the latest, most powerful hardware with old versions of Pro Tools for many many years.

Understood Bob ... but some of us are on that train and happy to stay there. PT11's functionality is more than enough for me - like many, the only interest I might have in PT12 (apart from stability) is track freeze, and then only to make up for the computing limitations of my 2009 iMac. We're not all seasoned music industry pros ... but inevitably cost-sensitive hobbyists are still affected by these changes and may feel that value is destroyed when a licence becomes 'un-upgradeable'.

In fact, if I was a professional, I suspect I'd have less of an issue with the new licensing model. However, my Mac is occasionally used for other creative pursuits beyond music and, for example, will not run Davinci Resolve Lite at all (underpowered GPU). But if I replace this with a post-Yosemite model Mac (maybe six months away?), PT11 would be unsupported (at the very least).

Sticking on PT11 into 2016 and subsequently deciding to upgrade just for OS compatibility, would cost $899 (rendering my current 'perpetual' licence worthless in Avid's eyes ... may have some value on eBay ... will future versions be transferable?!) or require a subscription. I'm sure you appreciate this but want it to be clear lest readers think that the all the uproar is down to hobbyists wanting the 'latest and greatest' of a tool they hardly understand.

[Bob Olhsson]

I got off the apple train for financial reasons a decade ago and haven't looked back. My iPad gives me everything else I'd want a mac for.

Frankly, there's no reason for any uproar for another 8 months when we see what Avid has delivered. I notice they've extended the Media Composer upgrade deadline and there's no reason not to expect the same especially if very few people upgrade to 12.

[Righty27]

Bob - fair point about Media Composer ... there's already been some speculation here on DUC about how diligently these deadlines and lapsed plan rules will be implemented.

As you say, deadlines can be extended, amnesty periods/trade-ins/crossgrades introduced for expired licences, special offers on new licences for registered users, etc. Evidently, such incentives will be determined by how many buy into the new plans and Avid will be counting on the exodus to alternative DAWs not being too significant (as these users may not come back).