Paying MTU to fix their bugs?

[TheMusicGeek]

So if I understand this right we now have to pay MTU to fix their bugs. Don't get me wrong I have no problem paying to get the next version (5.x) but as I understand it the only difference between 4.21 and 4.22 is bug fixes so why does the 12 month thing apply?

[Beavis]

think about it as donating

[WaltR]

Originally Posted by Beavis

think about it as donating

donating????

[ddouglass]

MTU's previous policy had been that you pay for any major version upgrade. A major upgrade being any change to the first two digits (3.2xx to 3.3xx). SOme of those upgrades came in less than a 12 month period. According to this method you would have had to pay to go from 4.0x to 4.1x and then again from 4.1x to 4.2x. You just saved the cost of 1 upgrade, because at that time they gave it to you for free.
MTU change the policy to be a standard 12 month period which can be beneficial to all of us. You are not paying to go from 4.21 to 4.22, but instead paying to go from whatever the last upgrade you bought (4.0?) to 4.22. All of the ones in between (4.0 - 4.21) you got for free as they added a ton of new features. All those features that they added Hoster as well as some of the other programs has cost MTU a lot of money and time to try to make all of their programs the best on the market.

[TheMusicGeek]

Well since the program hasn’t worked right since 4.0 was introduced all those free updates really didn’t do much good.
I did manage to put 4.22 on the show laptop before the update period expired. I just never got around to putting it on the office machine until now. 4.22 has solved the lyrics sync issue so far but it appears to have traded lyrics in sync to intermittent stuttering audio and hanging search. Replace the old bugs with bright shiney new ones!

[ddouglass]

If you have only put it on the one computer then you can still install it on the 2nd one without having to pay. Download it and use the Upgrade install. That is all it takes.
That is assuming this is the full version and not the Lite version of Hoster.
I disagree that Hoster hasn't worked since 4.0 was released. 4.06 was stable and worked fine with what had been put in up to that time. Version 4.11 was also a working program too.
If you are having problems with 4.22, then you need to report them so MTU can take a look at them. Preferably in another thread to isolate your problem and make it easier to find in the forum.

[WaltR]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

MTU's previous policy had been that you pay for any major version upgrade. A major upgrade being any change to the first two digits (3.2xx to 3.3xx). SOme of those upgrades came in less than a 12 month period. According to this method you would have had to pay to go from 4.0x to 4.1x and then again from 4.1x to 4.2x. You just saved the cost of 1 upgrade, because at that time they gave it to you for free.
MTU change the policy to be a standard 12 month period which can be beneficial to all of us. You are not paying to go from 4.21 to 4.22, but instead paying to go from whatever the last upgrade you bought (4.0?) to 4.22. All of the ones in between (4.0 - 4.21) you got for free as they added a ton of new features. All those features that they added Hoster as well as some of the other programs has cost MTU a lot of money and time to try to make all of their programs the best on the market.

I'm confused. Wasn't 4.22 released to repair problems with 4.21? If you purchase a program that doesn't work properly, are you saying it is okay to be charged for an upgrade because the first program didn't work? I don't get this way of thinking. The year wouldn't be an issue if the the program worked properly in the first place. Based on this way of thinking, if we were to buy a hardware karaoke device that turned out to have a problem and needed to be corrected to work as advertised, one would have to pay for the repair even though the product had a warranty. So if I understand you and MTU correctly, software products don't have a guarantee, you purchase them and hope that they work properly as advertised, otherwise you may have to pay again to get a working product. Also, this is off track but why does the MTU web site still advertise 4.21 if 4.22 is now the current product?

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by WaltR

I'm confused. Wasn't 4.22 released to repair problems with 4.21? If you purchase a program that doesn't work properly, are you saying it is okay to be charged for an upgrade because the first program didn't work? I don't get this way of thinking. The year wouldn't be an issue if the the program worked properly in the first place. Based on this way of thinking, if we were to buy a hardware karaoke device that turned out to have a problem and needed to be corrected to work as advertised, one would have to pay for the repair even though the product had a warranty. So if I understand you and MTU correctly, software products don't have a guarantee, you purchase them and hope that they work properly as advertised, otherwise you may have to pay again to get a working product.

First off comparing a piece of hardware to a software program is not a correct analogy. Hardware you purchase out right. You own it and if you do not get it fixed within the waranty period then yes you have to pay to get it fixed.
Software you do not own. You purchase a license authorizing you to use it and the company who created the software is the sole owner. This is true with all software.
Musicman51 is incorrect in the way he stated this in his initial post. He did not purchase 4.21 and then have to purchase 4.22. His last purchase was 12 months ago or more. Therefore he is not paying for upgrading from 1 version to the next one, but paying to upgrade from the last upgrade he did pay for and all those functions added in that time period.
The 4.22 fixes were to fix problems that a small group of users were having and those were all using Windows 7. If 4.21 works fine for you then you don't need to get 4.22.

Originally Posted by WaltR

Also, this is off track but why does the MTU web site still advertise 4.21 if 4.22 is now the current product?

This is an oversite. Admin takes care of the website layout and he cannot work fulltime, so hasn't fixed that yet. If someone purchases and downloads they will get 4.22 instead. In the Support section where the downloads are it does list 4.22.

[MackieRocks]

I have always been a big fan of Hoster. I know that they have been having problems but we have been working through them during our shows and our credibilty has been in question knowing that eventually they would fix them. I have been as patient as I can be and now I find out that my licence expired 4 months ago under the "new licencing rules" and now have to spend another $70.00. Are you kidding me? I have been using a product that has caused me problems for several months and now you want me to pay another $70.00 that doesn't guarantee me that the problems I've had in the past are not going to be resolved? PLEASE! Please say in ain't so!!!!!

[Musicman51]

Mackie, i used the same software you did...my credibility was never in question....I know i'm a missin' some'um here..but dang if i can tell what it tiz....Just a little light hearted humor...

[MackieRocks]

Maybe I overreacted. Our customers have never questioned our creditability, but when you start a gig, you and the people that are singing expect to have the show uninterrupted. I don't mind having glitches now and then, but when I'm being forced to RENEW a contract for a product that is is defective, that is a slap in the face. I hope that Hoster will reconsider their license policy until the product turns out to be reliable. Just frustrated, that's all I have to say.

[Musicman51]

Why do you feel you needed to PAY for these fixes? If you had gotten any of the 4.x (with major upgrades like Importing Videos), then you wouldn't be paying for any of the 4.x "fixes". If you are waiting 12 months before upgrading, then you are paying for & getting everything - upgrades as well as fixes. Sorry, I had to add my 2cents

Couldn't have said it better myself....so i won't.

[MackieRocks]

I upgrade my software when a change comes along on a regular basis. It hasn't been twelve months ago. Am I missing something?

[WaltR]

Originally Posted by Musicman51

Couldn't have said it better myself....so i won't.

In all due respect Musicman51, I don't believe that's quite true. It depends when you started with 4.xxxx. If you started early, the year is up.