tdipower,
I'm from JRiver. I'm sorry you feel we're "playing" you. We're just a business, like many others, trying to do a good job and feed our families. Well, to be honest, I'd like to beat Apple and Microsoft in the media space, but we probably don't have the resources to do that. So for now, we do what we do because we love it.
Pricing is always difficult. If I thought we could do better by lowering the price, I'd do it. If I could lower it once and everyone would upgrade, I'd do that.
Planning is impossible. The market changes every month, and we are expected to stay somewhat current. We try to listen to good ideas from our customers. Some of those customers are corporations that you don't hear about. We like to do a few things for ourselves. One of my goals is to win over my wife. She may be my most demanding customer. She doesn't like technology much.
So I don't have an answer for you, except to say that we did not intend to trick you. I'm sorry you didn't get what you expected.
Jim
Thank you for taking your time Jim!
Well, first of all, I feel that your product is better then both Microsoft and Apple equivalents. (they are not even equivalents...) This is why I will upgrade to v.14 even if I'm not happy with your politics!
There is however some other thirdparty products coming up, so that's what you should have in your mind.
I'm also in that business of trying to sell a good product and doing this so good that I can feed my family. What I think is a bit different is our thoughts about how to achieve this goal.
You say that pricing is difficult. No it's really not.
The best way you can play this is with a really low and good offer at the intro of a new release. say that this is around 12-15$. This will then be for people like Mr. Haugen that will upgrade for supporting JR and use of their time to
improve and betatest the product. And I think this is an admirably job from all those that help with makeing the product good.
Second, at release, like now... Make a fuzz with some real email "spam" and a good offer. This should then be somewhere around 15-20$ for a short period of time. Also, this is the time to make a good offer for those that are new to the product. If you knew business and human psychology you would know that it's better for business to make an offer of lowering the price rather then like you do now with "threatening" to raise the price with 5$.
But what's realy more disturbing is that you say "planning is impossible". If you are in the software development business and don't have a business and product plan... you should not be doing business! And if you have a product plan, then it would be a good thing presenting some highlights to the customer at the time of coming with a good offer. Not after this periode has ended. This is the way that other software companies do it. Say Ubuntu, there you know what to expect in the next release almost the day after the last version is released. This will also make it easyer for me as a customer deciding if I want to spend my hard earned cash on your product or not.
Also when some people complain about this offer this should ring a bell. Some will always whine about pricing, but I feel that a lot more are complaing this time then from 12-13. And I think this is related to the missing plan....
you say " If I could lower it once and everyone would upgrade, I'd do that." so... do it. If you do this now at the "release" of the final v.14 I think you will please the people that have been disapointed with this "upgraderace" As stated before, I will upgrade anyway this time. But again, the psychology is that if I get a good offer now, I will have a "good feeling" and be a lot easier to persuade buying your v.15. I do think I'm not only speaking for myself. Just look at MGD_King, he now have this good feeling "permanently" and is "the customer" you realy should try to get all your customers to be.
Also, the best way to "feed your family" is with a good business, and to have a good business you need customers. And one happy customer sell the product for you. MrHaugen is the reason that I run J River. Then again, unhappy customers are worse for business.
And finally! If business is good, you will have more $$'es and can have f.ex. a better holiday or a nice dinner and "win" over your wife. One will never win in a marriage, it's hard work, but something like good business and a happy feeling makes thing easyer. ;-) Just don't mix wifes and business.
Keep up the good work on the product, but please, take a moment to think about this.
Thank you Jim.
Fredrik