[DUG] A change in upgrade policy coming from Embarcadero

[Jolyon Smith]

> I'm sure the main thrust of their strategy is to try to budge people still
on 

>Delphi 4-7 anyway so it wouldn't have hurt them much if at all.

 

This is the most worrying aspect of the decision to my mind, because it
seems to be evidence that Embarcadero don't understand their market - they
are treating their customers as simple bean counters, not developers with
technical challenges.

People who haven't already upgraded are by definition on old versions of the
product.  There are likely to be good technical reasons why they have not
upgraded.  Closing the window of opportunity in which they can get upgrade
pricing is not going to affect those reasons, all it affects is the price of
upgrading once that window closes.

It doesn't make it any more attractive to upgrade in the next 3 months, it
simply makes it *less* attractive *after* those three months and leaves a
sour taste in the mouth into the bargain.

If Embarcadero wanted to "budge" people on Delphi 4-7 they should be
offering a 3 month special to entice upgrades, not wielding a bit stick to
threaten people who don't "upgrade now or else".

And I'm sorry, but the buy-one-get-one-free deal is not going to work...  if
I *need* a product I'll buy it.  If I haven't bought it already then I don't
need it.  Sure I may take a freebie to look at some other product out of
curiosity, but isn't that what trial versions are for?

But if there was a special deal on upgrade pricing there will be uproar from
the people on SA or who have upgraded - why should people who didn't get
suckered already get better pricing than they did?

The answer to that of course is the same as the answer to why my mate got
his TV cheaper than me at JB Hi-Fi last week compared to when I bought the
exact same TV 3 months ago.  He just got lucky.  Plus of course I've been
enjoying my TV for 3 months already, he's still waiting for his to be
delivered.

Yet you won't find me - or anyone else - among hordes of angry people
barracking the management of JB Hi-Fi for giving those people special
treatment last week compared to me.

In the  meantime JB and the TV manufacturer got themselves a few more
customers than they perhaps otherwise might have, and definitely more
customers than if their promotion had been "buy your TV at the same old
price now or next month we'll charge you more!"

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