[TOM@METRO]

Originally Posted by John_Toolbox

I do think that the upper management of avid considered this, in fact I would not be surprised if the higher software upgrade prices might have been intended to make up for this lost revenue. But as you mention, there is a lot more than just a crappy economy that has changed in this industry since 2002, and these things very well could have been underestimated... Especially if the people making these decisions aren't in touch with the way things have been changing in this industry.

Another take on the price would be to compare it to the price of everything else. The price of gas, food, and everything except real estate seems to be increasing without end in sight. You could technically argue that to justify the price of software increasing, but in reality it just means that everyone is being squeezed that much tighter by the economy, and that much less likely to be able to afford a software upgrade.

I generally agree.

It seems that these days, the commodities with which mentioned price increases are tolerated fall closely within the category of necessity, i.e. food, clothing, and fuel. For many of us DAW software and hardware are in that category, as they remain essential to our livelihoods. The new feature set offered to us in this interim release, (though very convenient and worthy) will do little to change the way we earn a living, therefore may not be essential to us. Pricing, marketing, and expectation should reflect this. This may not be the release on which to bank the company. Don’t get me wrong, I love this version and personally, I can afford it. But many cannot, and that’s the rub. If and when the 64bit version (allowing for serious VI usage) comes down the pike, people will eat less just to buy it. IMHO, that day will spawn a different story with a different outcome.