I found out looking for Deals for Thanksgiving. There are probably more user out there that do not know. 

I am one who just now found out!! And I found out while looking on a Presonus forum!
 
I have been using Cakewalk products since 6 months after it was released to DOS. I didn't receive an email notice or anything. The last I heard from Cakewalk was when they emailed me to get me to update my 12 month subscription with a special offer... IN THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER right before they shut 'er down. Coincidence?
 
I had held out with the unsettling feeling that maybe something was afoot, and did not trust my instincts to save that $200. End of an era for me. On to new frontiers.
 

There was no email or anything just the posting in the forum.  I just put in a request for the crossgrade to Studio One. I decided to do so after Sonar crashed again for no apparent reason during playback. It seems like I get at least one a day. It just could be my old computer though.  Ya I paid for Lifetime updates back in June and for 168 and should have know that something was up after they went to 99. Well live and learn. 

A program that is no longer supported will surely have a limited shelf life. All it will take is a change in Windows, the C++ runtime library, or a driver and you could be out of business with no recourse. Sure, it may work for a year, and I'll continue to use it, but I don't want to wait until it's dead to make other plans. 
 
By the way: here's some research:
Reaper: For non-professional use $60, Professional: $225
Steinberg Cubase: Elements $99, Artist $309.99, Professional $559.99
Avid Protools: $24.92 per month or $599 for the Perpetual version (sounds like "lifetime".... buyer beware)
Presonus Studio One 3: Artist $49, Professional $349, Crossgrade from Sonar X3 and newer $299. 
 
Those are the only ones I've researched so far. Trying some demos to see which I like best.

You can get the crossgrade to Studio One Pro for $149 until the end of the year.
 
http://blog.presonus.com/...walk-crossgrade-offer/

daveny5
 
By the way: here's some research:...

Consider checking out the special cross-grade prices for SONAR users http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3701893
 
The Samplitude deal is winding down today

Does Presonus Studio 1 support SYS EX ????

scook

daveny5
 
By the way: here's some research:...

Consider checking out the special cross-grade prices for SONAR users http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/3701893
 
The Samplitude deal is winding down today

Clicking on the link and then on UPDATE: the sale has been extended until Dec 20. Follow this link for the extended sale.
 
Valid until December 26, 2017

daveny5
A program that is no longer supported will surely have a limited shelf life. All it will take is a change in Windows, the C++ runtime library, or a driver and you could be out of business with no recourse. Sure, it may work for a year, and I'll continue to use it, but I don't want to wait until it's dead to make other plans. 
 
By the way: here's some research:
Reaper: For non-professional use $60, Professional: $225
Steinberg Cubase: Elements $99, Artist $309.99, Professional $559.99
Avid Protools: $24.92 per month or $599 for the Perpetual version (sounds like "lifetime".... buyer beware)
Presonus Studio One 3: Artist $49, Professional $349, Crossgrade from Sonar X3 and newer $299. 
 
Those are the only ones I've researched so far. Trying some demos to see which I like best.

 And at the same time there are literally people using a 10 year old version of Sonar on a modern machine without problems.  

that'd be me.
 
built a DAW in 2008, put Win XP on it,
2 gig of ram,
it's basically the build in my sig.
 
have done 4 albums and 17 collabs on that rig.
 
it's still going strong.
secret?
 
it's not on the web.
ever.