This is cool. It is very easy now to get people unfamiliar with AM excited about trying it. The new pricing is a real motivator. When you write down all the features and THEN mention the price... I feel like Ron Popeil!



That price for a year it might as well be free! It's the same price range as an Xbox, PS3 or Wii game.
It would be cool to have "gift certificates" for an AM web subscription. There is "another" software company that has gift certificates or "coupons" for software.

p.s. I've been pitching the new price to some family and friends. Plus, all of us "kids" get a fresh, crisp $100 bill from the parents for Christmas. I will be updating!


-vern

Vern,
I wholeheartedly agree.
$99 was a bit steep for me to 'gift' many copies to people but $49 I think I can handle from time to time.

There are two areas of interest that I plan to look at hard in 2008; small studios and schools.
Both of these are of interest to me personally.

After the year runs out those that have recieved the gift can make up their own mind whether their interest justifies continuing or settling in with the full CD.

I websubscribed first thing this morning when I discovered it was an option.
The fact that I have been freed from keeping the CD in my computer is a big plus.

If my daughters show any interest in animation my other computers will each get websubscribed as well.

I'm a very happy customer.

Yeah... I've been spreading the word as well...too bad we don't get REFERRALS! It's a little uncomfortable for us veterans...getting used to this new system. I figure I'll get the 'box' version at work cause they pay for it, and I'll subscribe at home...

I just saw one of my old Hash Tshirts and it made me think... Martin is really thinking outside the triangle again! I hope this new system gives them a shot in the arm financially---they deserve big returns.

Rodney- Is it still possible to have multiple instances of A:M running on the same machine with the subscription?

Well I did it, I am number ????? who has paid for the WeB Activation Subscription. I did alot of thinking about not having a hard copy (CD) but I do almost everything online nowadays, paperless bank statements, paying bills, buying things, downloading music.... downloading other software, ebay, paypal and so on and on.....

I just hope that next year it does not go up in price, I wish it was a locked in price forever.

On another note; since net render is no longer available I hope that we will be able to acquire and or use Web Render.???? It's just a thought.

I believe it is stated somewhere that this is no longer possible.
I'll give it a try tonight.

Edit: See posts below

Yes it works, I tried it on my DELL with VISTA and it works, but I also tried it using microsoft Virtual PC and thats what's requiring another subscription.

Yes it works, I tried it on my DELL with VISTA and it works, but I also tried it using microsoft Virtual PC and thats what's requiring another subscription.

Wait a minute!, lets say you want to give AM as a guift, wouldn't you have to get the first version at $ 299.00 THEN THEY CAN USE THE $49 IN THE NEXT YEARS? (sorry for the accidental caps) or can a new person just go with the $49 right off the bat?
If so WOW!

Wow is right.

http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?s=&am...st&p=256237

They can indeed.

I try my best to never use this OMG! but I just had to, that is Unbelievable........
If that dont draw new users , fraid nuttn' will.......

There is a "psychological" aspect to the price as well.

How many times have you bought a program just because it looked interesting and it was cheap as heck, only to discover it is worth more than the price? When the price is "nominal" it is easier to get hooked. Granted $50 is $50... but it takes the "sting" out if you don't like it after the purchase. $299 was still a good price but it was in that "gray" area of the "frugal mind". It seemed affordable but at the same time it was still a big price for some people.

I can really pitch this big time now. I use to have to push harder when the price was higher. I would have someone "on the edge" but they just balked at that price. Now there is almost no risk for most people (30 day money back was not as much of an incentive... you still have to spend the money and 30 days wasn't a long time.) In the last year or so I have purchased several programs under $50 without really worrying about it too much. Let's face it, most people spend that much and more PER MONTH on anything from cable, to internet to.... coffee! As soon as you get into "triple digits" people either expect more or worry about the price which effects the enjoyment of the learning process. Only later they could realize what a bargain it is if they get that far.

Of course... this will put the burden on those helping the "new users". The age might drop, which is a good thing in my opinion. I hired some local kids to work on my yard for the summer a few years back. They wanted to raise money for some kind of gizmo, a game system, or fancy mp3 player... I kept trying to convince them to buy something a little more "productive" like some... cool animation software . A kid could buy AM now with Christmas or birthday money or just an allowance. Parents spend a fortune on cell phones for their kids. This is like one month or less of a cell phone plan.

-----------------

p.s. My mother uses her computer all the time, writing her book, email, reading Mennonite blogs. She is worse than a teenager. So I tried to convince my father to get her a new computer for Christmas... no luck. So I suggested we get everyone to pitch in and get her a new cheap flat screen monitor for her "newer" more up to date laptop (which she hardly uses and is still complaining years later about how horribly expensive it must have been) Nope, monitor is... too expensive... yet... they spend $100 a month on cable, $40 a month on internet, they eat out all the time. It wasn't really "too expensive" they just have a bias towards anything over a $100. My mother would FREAK OUT if we all pitched in and got her something that "expensive", yet she spends $50 for some useless "night cream" from an infomercial without even blinking. Or $40 for a lamp because it was marked down from $300. I even suggested they NOT give us kids $100 for christmas (along with all the gifts this is just... too much) and use THAT to buy stuff for themselves... uh... like a new computer instead of self help tapes from the TV. My dad wanted to buy a "Get Rich Selling on eBay" package for about $50 he saw on TV. You see the pattern? $50 they have no problems with.

So... I've told them both, they can't ask me to fix that ancient nearly 10 year old computer of hers anymore when I visit. If I charge $100 an hour, in just a few hours they could get that new computer... maybe if Apple would throw in some age reducing hand cream or a lamp with each computer purchase...

Get this one... my sister didn't want to pitch in for the computer or the monitor because she wanted to get mother this expensive PERFUME!?!?!? <sigh> I give up.

-vern

The christmas gift idea sounds cool. A way to give someone a year's subscription would be handy.




tell her that mom smells almost satisfactory already. Unless she doesn't.

The Hash Inc online store does have a gift certificate option but I'm not sure its implemented yet.
It wasn't the last time I checked. I'll be checking again.

I am glad to see this whole idea of subscriptions to A:M become solidified.
For many years people were guessing. Web distribution now makes it obvious.

There are a number of other issues the subscription resolves as well.
Consider the 1 calendar year nature of the subscription.
No longer do people have to wonder if they got their full years worth of A:M when they purchase in December!

Apprenticeships and collaborations apparently just got a shot of adrenaline too.

To join in a collaborative project the basic requirement might be to have a current subscription.
Should your subscription run out you are obviously off the team.
Where specific talent is still needed for the production, producers might foot the bill as needed.

An interesting side effect of the expiratory nature of the subscription is how it promotes deadlines for the creator.
Deadlines are important. Plan ahead and set reachable goals!

Should the small studio wish to hire an animator a years subscription to A:M would be a nice incentive.
Work hard at the studio and you might find your subscription paid for every year!

Schools are an obvious place to find subscriptions and $49 keeps A:M accessible.

Of course, all these scenarios don't really account for how much easier it is to maintain a subscription for yourself.
A:M is still clearly the software an artist can afford.

Well, technically she is a Mennonite... they aren't suppose to wear perfume, makeup, jewelry, cut their hair, shave their legs etc etc. However, I do believe my father is extremely grateful she doesn't follow those rules very strictly like some of her conservative sisters. My feeling is that just in case wearing perfume IS important to God... there is no need to go overboard and buy the expensive stuff.

I have a new plan. Each of the children gets a hundred dollar bill for Christmas from our parents. The day after, I am going to use the Zehr family/Mennonite guilt built up over many years to convince them to go out and buy her a new monitor. I should still have enough left over for my AM update.

-vern