Wow, so I almost nailed it, hehe! OSX support and a HW DAW controller. Not Tascam though, but Console 1. Still, great news. Congrats, Cakewalk! 
 
Oh, and I think I accidentally chose "Not interested" in OSX Alpha , is it possible to re-vote? Being a pro tester, I'd love to play with the alpha!

This may be a repeat of the same question but anyway - my platinum annual sub is paid through the end of this year.  The August 31 deadline is the catch for me - will I be able to get in on this offer later in the year when it makes more sense to do so?  I would rather wait until that is up for renewal than pay for the lifetime deal now since updates are already paid for through December. It would be paying a second time for what I already paid for (the next six months of releases) in order to not get caught out on the lifetime offer.
 
I would appreciate Cakewalk's thoughts on this, thanks.

The more I look at this the less sense it makes.
 
In March of this year I owned Sonar Professional.  I paid $99 to upgrade to Platinum (a great deal) Now I need to pay 199 to "upgrade" to lifetime of the same product for  total of $300)
 
If I didn't upgrade in March to platinum I would now only have to pay $200 total for the same product. That makes no sense to me. So only people that didn't cough up dough get the full benefit while a loyal upgrader pays more.

It really does seem odd that X3 Producer users are lumped in with previous version users for this promotion.
 
G

It's sad to see that when Cakewalk said they'd have great news and folks waiting in anticipation, when the news is released there are so many negative comments- I mean like, what would make you folks happy ? A free Tesla in every users driveway ? ( but then folks will be complaining about the color, or licensing fees). How about free dental with paid orthodontics/implants- not just for yourself, but your immediate family ? ( but then folks will be complaining about step-kids from annulled marriages...)
It could just as easily have gone the other way folks

Plus vat 238 USD. Bargain for lifetime updates. Thanks bakers :). Oh and totally excited Mac version is finally going to be real.

These are some big announcements. As many know, I am a huge supporter of Cakewalk and SONAR. I am really happy to hear all of this, but I have two main concerns.
 
1. With lifetime updates, I am worried that Cakewalk's revenue will go down and jeopardize the future strength of the company. Can Cakewalk keep top-of-the-line programmers and staff if the revenue dries up? Will someone please explain this in detail and settle my fears? Tell me how this will keep Cakewalk strong with the best staff. I see this as lessening the revenue. Please show me that I am wrong. I want to be wrong.
 
2. Will OSX support diminish Windows development/enhancements, etc.? I know this has been touched on a little earlier, but I am looking for a solid, detailed explanation on how this will NOT interfere with the excellent Windows development/enhancements/support we have been spoiled with.
 
I love this company and their flagship SONAR DAW and I want my fears to be quelled. I want to see that the strength of SONAR and Cakewalk are not threatened or diminished in any way. Can someone help with this? Again, I truly want to be wrong about these fears.
 
Thank you,
-Charles

PilotGav

LaszloZoltan
It's sad to see that when Cakewalk said they'd have great news and folks waiting in anticipation, when the news is released there are so many negative comments- I mean like, what would make you folks happy ? A free Tesla in every users driveway ? ( but then folks will be complaining about the color, or licensing fees). How about free dental with paid orthodontics/implants- not just for yourself, but your immediate family ? ( but then folks will be complaining about step-kids from annulled marriages...)
It could just as easily have gone the other way folks

I don't think anyone's upset about what was announced. It's the way it was announced that many feel was misleading. 

+1

@LZ;  What would make me happy is to have Cake honor its advertising.  Between the email that I received today stating that I can buy SONAR Platinum (with Lifetime Updates) from authorized dealers like Sweetwater, Musician's Friend, Guitar Center, JRR Shop, and more...and the linked web site FAQ information saying that any purchase of SONAR Platinum including new versions, academic and upgrades will get free lifetime updates...almost led me to pull the trigger on an X3 to Platinum upgrade from JRR for $149:
 
Then I caught this thread saying that JRR's offer was not valid because of the SKU(?).  So, the offer clearly does not apply to "Any purchase of SONAR Platinum" version as advertised on the web site...but I had to surf the forum to discover that they would not have honored my purchase, had I gone ahead.  I don't want a Tesla...just a straight-forward offer that is clearly stated and fair. 
 
....and don't get me started about the thinly veiled threats in the forum thread above, "You've been warned." and "We won't be dealing with any customer service issues due to this issue."  That is no way to deal with Customers that are trying to follow your own guidance on making a dealer purchase.
 
G

It's all good!

Don't know if already answered:
I'm on X3 prof. When I buy lifetime NOW, does this apply to the Mac version, too, or is this a completely different license then?

Sylvan
1. With lifetime updates, I am worried that Cakewalk's revenue will go down and jeopardize the future strength of the company. Can Cakewalk keep top-of-the-line programmers and staff if the revenue dries up? Will someone please explain this in detail and settle my fears? Tell me how this will keep Cakewalk strong with the best staff. I see this as lessening the revenue. Please show me that I am wrong. I want to be wrong.

 
Realistically, think of all the people still using 8.5 and X1-X3. They've never updated, so they certainly aren't paying the salaries. What pays the salaries are the updates from the core users, but also, new users and new products. There is focus on both for the present, and extending into the future. I expect that if a recording newbie is on the fence about which DAW to buy, all things being equal, the one with lifetime updates will have a big advantage.
 
Also, getting back again to those "legacy" users, maybe they didn't want to pay $150 to update because the program they have does what they need. But they might be willing to spend $20 or whatever for some cool ad-on. This is the approach Windows is taking with Windows 10, which (to use a restaurant analogy) basically turns their OS into an a la carte experience instead of prix fixe.
 

2. Will OSX support diminish Windows development/enhancements, etc.? I know this has been touched on a little earlier, but I am looking for a solid, detailed explanation on how this will NOT interfere with the excellent Windows development/enhancements/support we have been spoiled with.

 
Because nowadays, the code base is so similar. When Cakewalk's developers create a new feature for SONAR Windows, by default it's also being developed for SONAR Mac. I believe the biggest issue will be support, because so many calls relate to computer operation and not SONAR. Although supposedly the Mac "just works," I believe there will still need to be at least some dedicated Mac support people.

TabSel
Don't know if already answered:
I'm on X3 prof. When I buy lifetime NOW, does this apply to the Mac version, too, or is this a completely different license then?

Both but keep in mind we are in Alpha state. And the Alpha will be free to Mac customers for testing and feedback.

Photo_G
@LZ;  What would make me happy is to have Cake honor its advertising.  Between the email that I received today stating that I can buy SONAR Platinum (with Lifetime Updates) from authorized dealers like Sweetwater, Musician's Friend, Guitar Center, JRR Shop, and more...and the linked web site FAQ information saying that any purchase of SONAR Platinum including new versions, academic and upgrades will get free lifetime updates...almost led me to pull the trigger on an X3 to Platinum upgrade from JRR for $149:
 
Then I caught this thread saying that JRR's offer was not valid because of the SKU(?).  So, the offer clearly does not apply to "Any purchase of SONAR Platinum" version as advertised on the web site...but I had to surf the forum to discover that they would not have honored my purchase, had I gone ahead.  I don't want a Tesla...just a straight-forward offer that is clearly stated and fair. 
 
....and don't get me started about the thinly veiled threats in the forum thread above, "You've been warned." and "We won't be dealing with any customer service issues due to this issue."  That is no way to deal with Customers that are trying to follow your own guidance on making a dealer purchase.
 
G

I can't help that they did not pull down the old SKU even though they were told about it. They have the wrong SKU up. They are fixing it now. Meanwhile almost every other dealer has done it. I think it's unfair to put that on us. What if they decided to put SONAR Platinum up for $1? Is that on us? I am trying to warn you it's the wrong SKU so you don't have an issue down the road.