#Winimages
7 messages in this thread
I noticed you have a competitive upgrade offer for Winimages.
Is there a competitive upgrade to the NT version as well?
What are the proof of ownership requirements?
Are there other packages you can upgrade from as well. Besides those listed in
the info file?
Thanks
Mike
Mike,
There isn't, at present, a competitive upgrade for the NT version. Volume is
very low, as is to be expected with NT being a small segment of the market and
graphics types being a small segment of the NT marget. For that reason, we
really have not seriously considered a competitive program for the NT version.
Let me elaborate a bit, then ask you a serious question.
WinImages is an extrordinarily powerful software tool. It's hard to catagorize.
It handles image processing, special effects, morphing, file conversions,
compositions and animation all very, very well – well enough to beat programs
in all those catagories that are very popular, and in some cases the market
leaders. For instance, in morphing, when you consider it honestly, the only
program out there that is in the same class is Elastic Reality, which is a
_very_ nice morphing program… (waving at Chris). For image processing, we can
give PhotoShop a serious run for the money.
With all of this being true, we have a characterization problem. What the heck
IS the thing? It's truly hard to say. That's the underlying reason for the
competitive offer; by putting the program in a position where the consumer
immediately will A:B the products mentally, and with the assumption (correct)
that we're saying we can do a better job in at least one important facet that
the competitive program addresses, the catagories that those programs fall into
become the definition of what we are. Whew. Hopefully you've followed the
thinking here.
Now the question. Suppose we offer a competative upgrade for NT. First of all,
what programs running under NT should we compare to? For instance, on the
Alpha, there are _very_ few programs out there at all, despite Digital's rather
optomistic list. More on MIPS, and more yet on the Pentium, though many of
those don't really take advantage of NT (no SMP, etc.). What do you think would
be reasonable here? Keep in mind that NT, at least at the moment, is the very
definition of professional because you have to _really_ want to use it in order
to get involved, even on Intel hardware.
I'm open to suggestions, and perhaps it's time we did something like this. Tell
me what YOU think.
Ben Williams
for Black Belt Systems
I Didn't realize there was a quiz portion to buying your software<g>. Don't
worry I'll give it a good home<g>.
Seriously, you're correct about NT being a small market segment. I can
understand a price differential between win3.xx / NT versions. I have no
problems with that or no competitive upgrade policy goes regarding NT. I was
just hopeful that there may have been such an upgrade offer.
I don't have any logical arguments for the creation of such a plan either, as
any argument would be based on the idea of market creation versus supplying an
existing market. That said, I have a couple of thoughts though.
I think most graphics users have held back to this point as there has been no
logical basis to make any move to NT. Even now that impetus is still rather
muted. With the larger companies such as Adobe providing NT versions, this will
change.
When Lightwave and hopefully 3D Studio port over to NT there should be a
growing market for NT and amongst 3D graphics users specifically. A respectable
minority will probably opt for an Alpha version to gain the most rendering
power. Dollar costs will push most of the rest toward the pentium/686 route.
This is the point of view where I am coming from. Currently I'm running WFW3.11
on a dx2/66 and flipping out to DOS for 3DS usage. I'm looking to move to NT
and a pentium for the virtues of system stability, performance, etc. I'm
looking at my line-up of tools in that light.
If I buy your 3.xx version, what is the upgrade cost to the NT version. Will I
end up buying two packages instead of one, or just feeling that I've bought
two. Remember, perception is all important. Ask Intel!
I understand the problem you face with pricing. Adobe, et. al. can average
their development costs through their entire product line. While you – at least
in the PC market, are working from a single product base with two version types
– 3 variations of one type as well!, and Windows 9x to come on top of all this.
Also, I think your nearest competitor, ER, isn't full NT, just 32s libraries?
If I'm correct in that, then there is reason to have a separate pricing
strategy, as you offer a different product then they do.
=============
For the $49 competitive upgrade what are the competing packages. Is Photoshop
one of them as you had mentioned it in your message? Is it still available?
What are the proof of ownership requirements.
Can we upgrade to the NT version from 3.xx? How much does it cost?
What about windows 9x when it arrives.
Thanks
Mike
> If I buy your 3.xx version, what is the upgrade cost to the NT version. Will
I end up buying two
> packages instead of one, or just feeling that I've bought two. Remember,
perception is all
> important. Ask Intel!
The upgrade is $125, I think. So it's a very good way to go about it, actually.
You end up with both programs, and the cost is considerably less that way.
Should have thought of that before. 🙂
> I understand the problem you face with pricing. Adobe, et. al. can average
their development
> costs through their entire product line. While you – at least in the PC
market, are working from a
> single product base with two version types – 3 variations of one type as
well!, and Windows 9x to
> come on top of all this. Also, I think your nearest competitor, ER, isn't
full NT, just 32s libraries? If
> I'm correct in that, then there is reason to have a separate pricing
strategy, as you offer a
> different product then they do.
We have all _kinds_ of stuff in WinImages to work with the multiple processor
capabilities in NT. That's the main difference between it and the 32 bit
Windows version. As for the pricing strategy, there's no comparable Alpha or
MIPS product, the way there is for Intel. Those things truly stand on their
own.
=============
> For the $49 competitive upgrade what are the competing packages. Is Photoshop
one of them as
> you had mentioned it in your message? Is it still available?
It's still available, BUT, right now there is a program we are running called
"Direct Access". Call us at (800) 852-6442 and you can get WinImages (Windows
3.1) Release 3 for $49.95 without any proof of anything. I don't know how long
we'll keep that up, it's very much an experiment – but it is available now. To
answer your question, yes, PhotoShop is qualified for the upgrade, even though
it's somewhat tangental to WinImages…
> What are the proof of ownership requirements.
Fax a page in, is all.
> Can we upgrade to the NT version from 3.xx? How much does it cost?
$125
> What about windows 9x when it arrives.
We'll support it quite fast. Heck, if we supported NT on Alphas and MIPS (and
PowerPCs!), we can support something with a broader market share, eh?
Ben Williams
>> if we supported NT on Alphas and MIPS (and PowerPCs!), we can support
>> something with a broader market share, eh?
NT for PowerPC CPU? Is it a reality or still just a fiction?
-David (still waiting for WI to arrive)
David,
> NT for PowerPC CPU? Is it a reality or still just a fiction?
It's a reality. Developers with the right connections can get working machines
right now, with what amounts to the 3.5 build of Windows NT. I think you can
look for them to hit the market within a few months, but that is a _guess_.
Ben Williams
Looks like NT is the best choice for the future (even tho it's a MS product).
-David