johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu (04/18/91)
Good news: just got an ugrade offer from Microsoft -- Excel 3.0 sounds great! Bad news: I purchased the Excel "Academic Edition" for $125 in early Fall '90. MS is offering two upgrade plans: Plan A (for people who purchased Excel before 12/7/90) $129 plus $5.50 S/H Plan B (for people who purchased Excel after 12/7/90) FREE plus $5.50 S/H I can't complain about the original $125 price for Excel 2.2, but the upgrade price seems steep -- after all, the typical "street price" for Excel 2.2 has been $245 for some time now. That probably won't change with the introduction of Excel 3.0. While I doubt that MS will cave in an decide to give away 3.0, it certainly would be nice to think that MS would consider upgrading the software license status from "Academic" to "Regular" for those who are willing to fork over more for an upgrade than they paid in the first place to buy the product. Anybody thoughts? -- Bill (johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu) -- 38 Chambers St.; Newark, DE 19711; (302)368-1949
starta@tosh.UUCP (John Starta) (04/20/91)
johnston@minnie.me.udel.edu writes: > I can't complain about the original $125 price for Excel 2.2, but the upgrade > price seems steep -- after all, the typical "street price" for Excel 2.2 > has been $245 for some time now. That probably won't change with the > introduction of Excel 3.0. The street price for Excel 3.0 will change. Microsoft has raised the retail from $395 to $495 with the new release, so street price will climb to around $310 or so. John -- John A. Starta Internet: tosh!starta@asuvax.eas.asu.edu Chief Technologist UUCP: ...ncar!noao!asuvax!tosh!starta Micro Orchard Co. AOL: AFA John; CompuServe: 71520,3556
limoges@ac.dal.ca (04/21/91)
If I recall, MacWeek mentionned that the upgrade price for Excel 3.0 will be $149!! I bought an 'educational' version of Excel 2.2 (same program and docs, just a special price for educational institutions) for $100 canadian, or about $84 US. That's almost twice what I paid to get an upgrade; maybe the 'educational' version of 3.0 will be cheaper than the upgrade. No wonder piracy is so common, I don't know a lot of students that could afford the upgrade after having shelled out the $100 shortly before. Just my two cents worth, Bertrand Limoges
blissmer@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Kevin) (04/22/91)
In article <4504@ac.dal.ca> limoges@ac.dal.ca writes: >If I recall, MacWeek mentionned that the upgrade price for Excel 3.0 will be >$149!! I bought an 'educational' version of Excel 2.2 (same program and docs, I have a feeling many users are going to do as I am by putting Excel on the shelf and buying Claris' new spreadsheet. It's supposed to be similarly priced to FileMaker Pro, etc so the educational price will be around $130. Microsoft may realize too late that $149 will COST them more than it will make them, by destroying their leadership in the spreadsheet category. I will not consider buying another Microsoft product after this, and I think I am not alone in questioning Microsoft's tactics and pricing.
Rick_McCormack@mindlink.bc.ca (Rick McCormack) (04/22/91)
MICROSOFT is following a well-trodden path with frequent costly upgrases. Borland sent us an offer to get quattro pro in November for 99.95 which we decided to buy. In January, we got a follow-up for Quattro Pro 2, at 99.95; we bought that one too. (By the way, Quattro Pro is Borland's spreadsheet for the PC.) In early March, we got an offer for Quattro Pro 3.0 at (you guessed it!) 99.95. However, when we called Borland to ask how often these "offers" would be made, I found we qualified for a FREE upgrade, since we had purchased during a 7-week "window of opportunity" (Gez, guys. How did we let that happen? Someone got it for free! :-) Maybe, if you get lucky, Microsoft will have such a window? -- _________________________________________________________ | IMAGISTICS Business Theatre Technology | Rick McCormack | | Interactive Effective Compelling | Vancouver, BC | |________________________________________|________________| | UseNet: Rick_McCormack@mindlink.uucp | A O-L: Rique | |_________________________________________________________| .
long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com (Rich Long) (04/23/91)
In article <10959@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, blissmer@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Kevin) writes... >I have a feeling many users are going to do as I am by putting Excel on the >shelf and buying Claris' new spreadsheet. It's supposed to be similarly >priced to FileMaker Pro, etc so the educational price will be around $130. What's this new Claris spreadsheet? I haven't heard about it. I'd be very happy to put Excel on the shelf, and buy something else. $99 for the 2.2 upgrade, and now $129 for the 3.0 upgrade. It's getting a bit ridiculous. >[I am] not alone in questioning Microsoft's tactics and pricing. You aren't. Richard C. Long | long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com | Selfware: If you like --------------- | ...!decwrl!mcntsh.enet.dec.com!long | this program, send A First Edition | long%mcntsh.dec@decwrl.enet.dec.com | yourself five bucks!
wiseman@tellabs.com (Jeff Wiseman) (04/23/91)
In article <10959@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> blissmer@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Corey) writes: >In article <4504@ac.dal.ca> limoges@ac.dal.ca writes: >>If I recall, MacWeek mentionned that the upgrade price for Excel 3.0 will be >>$149!! I bought an 'educational' version of Excel 2.2 (same program and docs, <<stuff deleted>> > >them, by destroying their leadership in the spreadsheet category. I will >not consider buying another Microsoft product after this, and I think I am >not alone in questioning Microsoft's tactics and pricing. I learned MY lesson back when they wanted to charge $100 to upgrade to v2.X. All I wanted was for the program to used the memory in my mac the way it should have in 1.5. Microsoft is one of the those companies that it appears (IMHO :-) to be more interested in adding features instead of stabilizing there products. Yes, they do a lot to stabilize but it is always rolled in with new "features" so if all you want is a stable package you'll NEVER get it (ie. there is always a new feature added with the fixes so there is something new to not work). I Just knew this would happen after their last upgrade so I made my mac a "Microsoft free zone" a year ago. Unfortunatly, I think that as long as the majority of these packages are going to buisnesses and not being paid for directly from individual's pockets, this type of thing will likely continue. -- Jeff Wiseman: ....uunet!tellab5!wiseman OR wiseman@TELLABS.COM
thewho@elaine23.Stanford.EDU (Derek Fong) (04/23/91)
In article <4487@ryn.mro4.dec.com> long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com (Rich Long) writes: > >In article <10959@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, blissmer@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Kevin) writes... >>I have a feeling many users are going to do as I am by putting Excel on the >>shelf and buying Claris' new spreadsheet. It's supposed to be similarly >>priced to FileMaker Pro, etc so the educational price will be around $130. > > What's this new Claris spreadsheet? I haven't heard about it. > > I'd be very happy to put Excel on the shelf, and buy something else. $99 for > the 2.2 upgrade, and now $129 for the 3.0 upgrade. It's getting a bit > ridiculous. > >>[I am] not alone in questioning Microsoft's tactics and pricing. > > You aren't. > >Richard C. Long | long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com | Selfware: If you like >--------------- | ...!decwrl!mcntsh.enet.dec.com!long | this program, send I haven't read this whole debate, but I thought I read that those who bought 2.2 after a certain date would get the upgrade free. That is awfully strange considering I could buy a new copy of 2.2 at education- al discount at Stanford for 105 right now, and then get the upgrade free, for a total cost less than the 129 or 149 I have heard. Really strange!!! ----Derek Fong---- fong@cive.stanford.edu thewho@leland.stanford.edu
jhex_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Jeff Hexter) (04/23/91)
In <1991Apr23.004259.5870@leland.Stanford.EDU> thewho@elaine23.Stanford.EDU (Derek Fong) writes: >In article <4487@ryn.mro4.dec.com> long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com (Rich Long) writes: >> >>In article <10959@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, blissmer@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Kevin) writes... >>>I have a feeling many users are going to do as I am by putting Excel on the >>>shelf and buying Claris' new spreadsheet. It's supposed to be similarly >>>priced to FileMaker Pro, etc so the educational price will be around $130. >> >> What's this new Claris spreadsheet? I haven't heard about it. >> >> I'd be very happy to put Excel on the shelf, and buy something else. $99 for >> the 2.2 upgrade, and now $129 for the 3.0 upgrade. It's getting a bit >> ridiculous. >> >>>[I am] not alone in questioning Microsoft's tactics and pricing. >> >> You aren't. >> >>Richard C. Long | long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com | Selfware: If you like >>--------------- | ...!decwrl!mcntsh.enet.dec.com!long | this program, send >I haven't read this whole debate, but I thought I read that those who bought >2.2 after a certain date would get the upgrade free. >That is awfully strange considering I could buy a new copy of 2.2 at education- >al discount at Stanford for 105 right now, and then get the upgrade free, for >a total cost less than the 129 or 149 I have heard. Really strange!!! >----Derek Fong---- >fong@cive.stanford.edu >thewho@leland.stanford.edu I'm looking at my Excel 3.0 upgrade for right now, and there are only 2 options on it: (A) $129 for versions of MS Excel acquired before December 7, 1990 (B) $50 for versions of MS Excel acquired after December 7, 1990 needs a photocopy of the sales receipt. both: add $5.50 for shipping/handling [anyone know why December 7?] The Microsoft Update notice I got says that "Version 3.0 is designed precisely with our customers' needs in mind." I'm a customer. $134.50 does not fit my needs. $55.50 comes a heck of a lot closer to satifying my needs, but I still don't know WHY I SHOULD UPGRADE WHEN I WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE CLARIS SOFTWARE SOON AND EXCEL 2.2a WORKS FINE RIGHT NOW? Seriously people, they're charging a lot of money for an interface that they've made "dramatic improvements" to. Given the software that exists today, shouldn't we have some reasons to EXPECT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS TO ALREADY BE PART OF THE SOFTWARE we purchase? Now, a little perspective. I know I can pay educational prices and buy Excel 3.0 for probably $145 or so at University of Rochester Comp. Sales (a guess- they don't have it in stock yet, so I dunno). That's not much more than the $129 needed to upgrade. See some discrepancy in pricing policies? I purchased Excel 1.5, upgraded to 2.2a, and now am faced with an upgrade that costs almost as much as purchasing the product outright, and is in fact MORE THAN THREE TIMES WHAT I PAID FOR EXCEL 2.2a! (yeah, I got 2.2a for a good price). OK, I'll stop complaing and start saving my money. -- What is Cognitive Science? A better | Alright... maybe it is time to question is what ISN'T Cognitive Science! | change my .sig :) internet: jhex_ltd@cc.rochester.edu | any suggestions? University of Rochester Apple Student Representative AOL: JeffHex
hoepfner@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov (Patrick Hoepfner) (04/23/91)
long@mcntsh.enet.dec.com (Rich Long) writes: >In article <10959@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, blissmer@expert.cc.purdue.edu (Kevin) writes... >>I have a feeling many users are going to do as I am by putting Excel on the >>shelf and buying Claris' new spreadsheet. It's supposed to be similarly >>priced to FileMaker Pro, etc so the educational price will be around $130. > What's this new Claris spreadsheet? I haven't heard about it. Claris's new spreadsheet will also have some of those nice System 7 things built in (according to MacWEEK). Maybe this would be a good time to see how good Claris' (I think that it was called Rival or something) spreadsheet is. And for those of you who use MacWrite II (and will upgrade to MacWrite Pro) there are a some significant advantages to this. Check it out! As always, just my thoughts... --Patrick --hoepfner@heasfs.gscf.nasa.gov
murphy@excalibur.cs.unc.edu (Ransom Murphy) (04/24/91)
Anyone know if the new Claris spreadsheet will import Excel spreadsheets? Ransom -- Ransom Murphy Internet: murphy@cs.unc.edu Department of Computer Science PH# 919-962-1708 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599 <<The Ransom-meister, the Ransomini just trying to make some copies. >>
weiss@watson.seas.ucla.edu (Michael Weiss) (04/24/91)
I've heard an awful lot of badmouthing of MicroSoft. I agree, they have some bad practices...they charge too much for upgrades, and they like features, features, and then for variety, features. OTOH, I've had nothing but courteous and immediate help from their tech line. They haven't even asked for organization names or serial numbers or anything. They just help you online, and they'll stay online until the problem is resolved. The only complaint I have is that they make you pay for the LD, but they stay open until 6pm PST (or PDT now), and so you shouldn't have to pay the daytime LD costs. All in all, they are a pretty damn good company.
morris@carcoar.Stanford.EDU (Kate Morris) (05/02/91)
I don't know about other campuses, but the Stanford Bookstore has Excel 3.0 available for about $30 less than the upgrade (once you factor in the shipping costs). Why upgrade? -Kate
krweiss@ucdavis.edu (05/03/91)
In article <1991May1.220545.2618@neon.Stanford.EDU> morris@carcoar.Stanford.EDU (Kate Morris) writes: >I don't know about other campuses, but the Stanford Bookstore has Excel 3.0 >available for about $30 less than the upgrade (once you factor in the >shipping costs). Why upgrade? > > -Kate > Same deal here at the UC Davis Bookstore. Also, Freehand 3.0 is $130.00, vs. $150.00 for the upgrade. Weird... Ken Weiss krweiss@ucdavis.edu