The Grim

John
 
Is there a promise that CW has made that one can point to as precedent? On what grounds is this assertion made?   

[playing the devils advocate] if you cared to take the time to look you could find untruths, perhaps not a broken promises as such, but certainly back flips to stated things, for example there will be no mac version for sonar to name one, and what do we have now? we all know that has been stated many times over the years, i am just stating a fact. if you are going to pretend to be squeaky clean, you best be squeaky clean. i know this will be roasted, turn inside out and flipped on it's head by the fanatics, but it is the truth none the less.
 
i am just pointing it out in relation to the apparent belief that there is no guile to be found in this company. companies are all the same, at the end of the day it is all about what is best for them, their survival first and foremost, everything else is secondary, anyone who tells you different is either deluded or flat out lying.
 
anyway, the news has broken, didn't really excite me much, very thankful for the $99 lifetime deal, the latest version seems fairly good, however not near enough to drag me from my daw of choice. now as a lifetime member i can check back every now and then until sonar ceases to exist in its present form and see how things are going at no extra cost to me, i wasn't going to renew my subscription next year, but this was to good to pass up, you never know what the future brings, i am not tied either emotionally or any other way to a particular daw or company as many others here seem to be, i will go with what i see as the best at the time, the best for me, and that is not sonar at this time on either count, perhaps down the road aways it may have those things i desire, or perhaps it may be another daw all together, but for now i am more than happy where i am

When CW responded about not having a Mac version in the future that was under a different owner and not once did they say it would never happen. At that time it wasn't in the pipeline. Nor can anyone characterize it as a lie or going back on a promise. They never promised that a Mac version would never happen.
 
I reject your putting all companies in the same boat. They are as different as the people in them. Some companies shine when it comes to integrity others not so much.  
 
 

The Grim

John
 
Is there a promise that CW has made that one can point to as precedent? On what grounds is this assertion made?   

[playing the devils advocate] if you cared to take the time to look you could find untruths, perhaps not a broken promises as such, but certainly back flips to stated things, for example there will be no mac version for sonar to name one, and what do we have now? we all know that has been stated many times over the years, i am just stating a fact.

Added to that, the "no Mac version" statements were strongly asserted in Pre-Roland and Roland days.
 
TBH I've not heard it STRONGLY asserted since Gibson bought CW. So I conclude that from day one Gibson probably had this plan on the table and with lifetime updates they just bumped the financing of the project.
 
If the naysayers really want to speculate they need to start saying that Gibson is planning to build up CW and sell it off.
 
Oh snap, did I just say that? My bad.

I never mentioned it, but will now. Has anyone else noticed the SPLAT logo looks like a symbol of a black hole! They are going to suck us all in, take all of our money, and we'll never be heard from again. i KNEW it! I just knew it.
 
<sarcasm off>
 
Stop children, what's that sound...

I don't know if I should bite.  New ownership usually brings change and Gibson could be planning to discontinue in the near future.  Support has already gotten worse.  I used to be able to call Sonar for support, but now every time I try they tell me all agents are busy and I need to send an email.  
 
I do, however, love the support I get from the forum.
 

Once they have two operating systems running they will release Sonar "Diamond"

So, the more people who buy the lifetime upgrade, the sooner Sonar Platinum will be discontinued?
 

The whole thing about Sonar Platinum was that it was to be the end of versions, to be updated continuously.

Continuous updates only work if there is a continuous income stream.  If all Sonar users converted to lifetime subscriptions (including the upcoming Mac users) and stopped buying other Cakewalk products, then the income stream would dry up.  How long could Cakewalk possibly deliver updates?  How long could they "coast" on the lifetime update injection?
 

The current philosophy will only last as long as it yields sustainable results. The moment it fails to do so, change will happen.

The lifetime offer is a huge change.  Does this mean the subscription model failed to yield sustainable results?  And, going back, did the "standard" model (1.0 through X3) fail to yield sustainable results as well?
 
To me, these drastic changes imply financial desperation.  If something is working well, why change it?
 

I use platinum nearly day and really love it, I look forward to the updates like a kid looks forward to' what's in the big box at Christmas.

I can see the appeal of this.  I, too, would be excited for new updates, if only Cakewalk would fix the bugs I've reported over the years.  Some of those bugs, which bother me every day, are STILL not fixed, and Cakewalk has STILL not even responded to my bug reports.  So, each time I open the monthly "big box" I check to see if the bugs are fixed, and when they are not, I get more and more bitter (or "cynical" as John puts it).  Like a kid who keeps asking for a lego set but keeps receiving Barbies.

Tripecac
Continuous updates only work if there is a continuous income stream.  If all Sonar users converted to lifetime subscriptions (including the upcoming Mac users) and stopped buying other Cakewalk products, then the income stream would dry up.

Ah, but the lifetime offer is a/ only available til the end of August and b/ limited to people buying or renewing Platinum. So it's not even a majority of users, never mind "all".

MarioD
Why all the negativity?  Why worry about something that you have no control over?  It will be what it will be!  Live with it.
 
I'll bet that some people would win a million tax free dollars/euros/whatever then **** because they would have to drive 500 miles/804 kilometers to pick up their check!
 
[/quote
Thanks you !

I think you will find some will opt for the membership model over lifetime updates.  As with most software people may prefer not to upgrade at all if it alters their workflow preference.  Some prefer stability over new. Look how long it took people to finally ditch XP.

The Grim
companies are all the same, at the end of the day it is all about what is best for them, their survival first and foremost, everything else is secondary, anyone who tells you different is either deluded or flat out lying.

Wait a minute. Do you mean that companies go into business to make a profit? What nerve! How dare they make decisions based on staying in business! This is an outrage!
 
They should require their employees to spend 40 hours a week working for free out of the goodness of their hearts while their families starve in the streets, all to make products and services to benefit everyone else.
 
To actually think that any company could have the audacity and evilness to go into business to make a profit, so they can earn a standard of living for themselves and their families is so vile it should be condemned for all time!

The lifetime offer on the face of it seems okay to me. I agree with the OP that once the OSX version is rolling out the door with paid for versions, the goalposts will be moved. The lifetime upgrades will be exactly that, for the lifetime of Platinum.
 
There will be another momentous announcement of a brand new Sonar (or whatever it is to be called) melding everything that has gone before into a new hybrid product. And yes, this will require folks signing up for, yes, a new SUBSCRIPTION model...there will be no lifetime upgrade offers with that!
 
Remember as "folksy" as the people who work for Gibson try to be, the company is STILL a company and have no real regard for the personal happiness of people who licence the software. They gamble on the premise that possibly up to 95% of existing Sonar owners are so committed to the software (and not just becasue of "liking it" but also because there would be a huge upheaval in modifying personal music data to change DAW's) that they will simply accept the new "model" albeit with lots of grumbling (although there will always be apologists) and after a time it will all settle down and Gibson will go on its merry way.
 
Politicians count on it all the time, the publics' short (extremely short) attention span for remembering what decisions were made and how those decisions adversly affected lives. Corporations, companies, Governments, they all operate on the same premise.
 
Personally I bought the lifetime upgrade as I figure it will take approx two years to get an OSX version fully ready for market (but who knows maybe Gibson have been developing OSX versions even while denying it will ever happen??? so my guess could be way off)......this cost me $146 (Im in Oz) which is a lot cheaper than paying for two more years worth of subs.
 
I make no criticism of Gibson - business is business and were I in its position I might do the same. However I would appreciate them not trying to be so "buddy-buddy" about it, as if all of us (users) and all of them were somehow part of one big "family" all looking out for each other.
 
As always, jmo