As someone who, like Jim's team, makes a living writing software and also happens to be a MediaCenter user since MC10, I gotta say the upgrade pricing is fine and is in line with normal practices.
This is exactly the same as Microsoft announcing that people who buy Windows Vista after date XX/XX/09 will get a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it is available on XX+x/XX+x/09. Companies do this all the time to stop people "holding out" for the soon-to-be-released new version, which cannibalizes sales of the existing version. It really messes up revenue flow, and remember, J River is a business that relies on incoming revenue to survive.
To the early adopters of 13, like me!, what are you really asking for? You got the whole "cycle" of use of 13 and then don't want to pay for 14? That's 2 version cycles for one upgrade fee! The folks buying 13 (with the free upgrade) are barely going to use 13!; it's basically buying 14, but as 14 isn't ripe yet, here, use this old 13 until then!
As for the cut-off dates, they are unfortunate, but there will always be edge cases. If Jim moves the date back one week or month for one, then THAT date becomes the new edge, and people will complain about just missing that date.
You can increase the number of Most Recently Used Commands. Go to Tree and View/Advanced and change the number for "Right click recent command count". Not sure if that helps, but worth a try. Please start a thread if you need help.
Man!!
This gem from Jim just guaranteed my 2x bucks for 14, I must have missed this enhancement, I was SO sick of having to keep selecting my most-used commands, I can't believe I hadn't noticed it!
I almost look at MC as a subscription-based software that I can stop upgrading at any time and stick with a version if I need to. And at $2x a year (sometimes $15), it's a steal for the most used piece of software I own, other than Windows or OS X.
However! JimH I really wish/hope that you guys try to make the Theater view a priority in 14. PLEASE make it user skinnable and themeable, have a look at what "kids" have done with the skins for XBox Media Center, if you could get that into 14, that'd be awesome.