Licensing question

[D'Espice]

Short and simple: I have purchased a Mellel 2 license back in late 2006 and used it until mid 2007, after which I took a two year hiatus from Apple and OS X. Now I'm back and would like to reactivate that license, yet the current version refuses to accept my registration code.

What's the latest version I can still use with my late 2006 Mellel 2 license?

[strongbow]

A quick look at Mellel's upgrade policy should help:

http://www.mellel.com/supportupgrade.html

plus, here you can find a version history:

http://www.mellel.com/news.html

[Greg Jones]

I have a related question that I'm curious about. The upgrade policy states that (emphasis added):

How much will the upgrade cost and for how long will it last?

An upgrade costs $19. The upgrade will extend your license for Mellel for 2 more years based on the original purchase date.

Does this mean, given the OP's original purchase date of late 2006, that a single upgrade would only get the OP the version that was current as of late 2008, and a second upgrade would then need to be purchased to get to the current version?

[strongbow]

That's how I would understand the policy as well...

[miles11]

Does this mean, given the OP's original purchase date of late 2006, that a single upgrade would only get the OP the version that was current as of late 2008, and a second upgrade would then need to be purchased to get to the current version?

I still use Mellel v2.2.5. It works well for the kinds of writing I do (I don't need xrefs, for instance).

I also think the upgrade policy could be stated more clearly. How would I get to a current version (if, and when, I see new features I would actually use)? Would I have to buy a single upgrade to get to the current version? two? Several? It seems to me that, as more time passes (from the original purchase date), this lack of clarity becomes a reason NOT to upgrade.

[strongbow]

Frankly, I can't see what's really wrong or overly confusing about the current policy.

[Greg Jones]

Frankly, I can't see what's really wrong or overly confusing about the current policy.

Well, I wouldn't say that anything is 'wrong' with the policy, but it is rather unique in the industry. With uniqueness comes the possibility of confusion. Most companies offer a flat upgrade fee from any previous version (upgrade from version 1.x, 2.x, or 3.x to version 4 for say $20) or a tiered upgraded price based on the version currently licensed (3.x to version 4, $20, versions prior to 3.x, upgrade for $30). The companies that do offer a timed upgrade ($20, all new releases free for the next x years) usually set the clock at the time of the purchase of the upgrade.

I can easily see someone that purchased Mellel January 15, 2007 (or before) buying an upgrade only to find that he/she is not licensed for version 2.6 The user would need to purchase a second upgrade (now 2x $19 for $38 invested) and that user would be entitled to updates to January 15, 2011. If the user were entitled to the educational discount, he/she would have been better off purchasing a new license for $35 which would include updates until April 2011.

[Greg Jones]

I forgot to add-miles11 is absolutely correct that as more time passes from the original purchase date + 2 years, the upgrade policy serves as a disincentive to upgrade. I fall into the 2+ years since last upgrading camp, and I'm not prepared to purchase a new license to use the latest version.