I don't see why not.

ugh that's confusing.

I really hope they aren't thinking of raising the price... let a lone raising the price by a lot I cant be bothered to convert all my vbulletin to phpbb everything goes wrong T_T

I doubt it. They've only raised their prices like, what, twice since they've been in business? I know they've only done it once in the three years I've been customer.

I think we have have a good idea on if the prices will be raised or not, just google "vBulletin leaked" and you'll see some screenshots.
I personally think even if they do raise the prices, or start charging for version updates, I'll still pay the fee. I don't see myself leaving vBulletin for a while, I want to play with vBulletin 4.0 today :)

Thanks you

Wow! those screens are awesome! I like the idea of paying a one time fee for a license of the version!!

Very good idea imho, it will make a lot of people love vbulletin, even the people who would pay anything :)

respected

Yeah, free upgrades till the company gets bought out again. So, how does it work with someone like me that paid $180 a couple months ago? I'll now have to pay another $195 just to get vB4, and if I don't, there's no more support or updates?

Yeah, a one time fee for the version you purchase, but more fees everytime they upgrade. They'll probably come out with a new version once a year anyways.

wow nice screenshots... I like vbulletin older versions better personally.. both in vbulletin and IPB I dont know why would both went on for a new look that doesn't really look good. I dont mind the rising price as I wont be upgrading my license for the newer version.

ditto, i severely dislike the new look, same for ipb's and phpbb's default new looks

No please no throwing under the bus......It will still be html & css I gathering so it will not be drastically different it just maybe set up differently and allow for different layouts.

Should be easier to add left and right columns if you want. They probably won't be tables though. More like layers floated to the appropriate location. Sounds confusing but in the long run it will be easier.

A bit more news today ;

http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?t=310465

Awesome. Thank you Paul

is it going to cost money to upgrade to 4.0 then :s

Ray said that there'll be discounts.

We shoulnt have to pay if we have a owned license, that's ludicris.

I think the plan is they'll make you pay more for an owned license, but your license will be permanent until the next major version.

hmmm, i think I'm going to stick with 3.8 version. It's not worth paying extra money for a face lift..:eek:

Everything else is going up what did you expect, I will always own vb no matter the cost. You want the best then you pay for the best. .. .

I still cant understand why I should pay for something I paid a few months ago that said:


Its like those contracts that say "we can change this contract in any way without letting you know".

It's not fair.

Well, I hope there are discounts anyways. It's silly to pay $180 and then a couple months later be asked to cough up another $190. If that's the case, I'd just wait till version 5 :D

I really want the SEO, but I like my money to.

Might end up being a little patient anyways and wait for the designers to catch up and the bugs to get worked out.

I'll be ditching the blogs and sticking on 3.8 until I have to pick between vb5 and whatever will inevitably springs up elsewhere.

If it isn't fair, then why agree to the contact in the first place?

What I don't get is what do people think their missing out on? Software has to move forward, it can't remain stagnant. If you want to stay on 3.8, you can. But that doesn't mean they have to continue to support 3.8 indefinitely. And moving forward means change. I'm really surprised, but it seems that the generation of coders and forum admin are just as resistant to change as our ancestors were when introduced to the mail service, or when our parent's were introduced to email. If we want vB to keep up with technology, then we're going to have to make some sacrifices here and there.

That would be way to easy :rolleyes:

:D

Sorry but I just purchased 2 licenses no more than 2 months ago... If anyone should have a discount it's the poor saps like me who will end up paying $180x4 in under a 3-4 month span...

Maybe if I had my licenses for 2 years & the economy wasn't shot the way it is, then sure.. They need the cash. I will gladly assist but... for simply a face lift? It's not worth the price. I will be sitting this one out =/

Well, if they have a new version come out once or every other year, You'll be paying a lot more than you are now. Plus, at $40 a year, it's $10 less than 5 years worth of updates. Do we think version 4 will be around for 3 years let alone 5? That's what I'd be interested in. You know, how expensive will this really get for admins that want to keep their boards constantly updated?

I mean if there is already talk about a version 5, which I know I read somewhere.

I agree. You can´t ask people that still do have their 1 year License running, where they paid for already, to buy it again within the time it was supposed to be included in the money they bought vB for. If its Version 4, 5 or 6, it doesn´t matter. When you buy a License for vB it doesn´t say that major Version Updates will cost extra. So you cant ask what you didn´t put into the contract in the first place.

If vBcms would have asked me to pay again when they switched from Version 1.x to 2.x, within the time I bought the license for, I would not have stayed with them. But they didn´t. So i suggest if you don´t want to loose a lot customers on the long run you give the Update to Version 4.x for free when a license is still valid. Except of course vB is like Valve, which means that they also can change what they want, when they want and you have to agree. But they at least pointed that out in their EULA from the start. No after suprise.

Just my 2 cent.

Yes, but, who's making you pay $180x4 in 3 month span? Your trying to maintain your old behaviors in a system that is fundamentally changing.

But you see, that's just the thing. You could be dealing with the most transparent and honorable service in history, and you would still be running the risk of a mid-shift policy change. This is why so many companies stagnate while upstarts move in under their noses. They worry so much about angering their base, that they fail to improve the quality of their product. vB is moving forward. It sucks, but ultimately, only sucks for a minority who got their licenses close to the new version (and we still haven't really heard what their going to do in those cases. I think we're jumping the gun here.) For the future of the product, sometimes you have to loose a few customers if your going to have any more or succeed as a business.

personally i think (& hope) Jelsoft would allow us customers (specifically all of us who just purchased owned license in recent 2-3 months) to upgrade free of charge, or with some (VERY!) minor charge.

I myself have no plans to spend any big money in less than few months period again, it makes no sense to me to invest that much money in such short period since last purchase...

All that doesn´t justifies that in my oppinion. If you have a rule like this in the EULA from the start, like VALVE for HL2, then even if its not nice, it at least is in there and people accepted that, no matter if they like it or not.

But in case of vB, its not in the EULA of this Software. And just to update it would be far less popular for customers. Loosing Customers for things like that wouldn´t really speak for the Company that makes the Product.

I am speaking also for myself. If I would have to rebuy a license while i still have a valid one, that would really p*** me off. I mean this would be like the purchase was a hokes, and if its suits just to change it to make more money. I still hope that this won´t be the fact and will not happen. But, as much as I really come to love vB, I would not go to vB 4.x and would leave and do my luck with another Software, less perfect or not.

So lets just hope it doesn´t come to that, for all that would be concerned in that case. I really hope that vB will not do a step like this. Its the best Forum Software i´ve ever had and I hate to see this happen.

But that's just what I'm saying, your still getting a product for what you paid for. It's not like their revoking your license, of forcing you to purchase anything. The only thing your theoretically missing out on, and again, I don't really recall them saying this specifically, but allegedly the only thing your missing out on is an upgrade. But your still going to have access to 3.8 and the support that goes with it.

Again, did I miss something? Did vB say all you late buyers weren't going to get any kind of concession, or is everyone just jumping to the worst case conclusion?

I'm happy to pay the fee, but only if there are clear benefits to updating to verion 4.

For me thats the normal way in the Business.
If you buy now Windows Vista and in some months MS release Windows 7, do you belive you'll get if for free?

Who would NOW by Vista, knowing WINDOWS7 is not far. And thats something different btw. ! Like i said, when vBCMS went from Version 1.x to 2.x we also didnt had to renew the License some of us just made 3 or 4 months before.

If I buy a Anti Virus now, lets say Version 8, and Version 9 will come out 6 months later, but I have a 1 year license, I also get the new Version since its in that time of my license. That is how it is.

Forcing people to buy vB4 again while they still have a valid vB3 License would be like not caring whats with the Customers and only thinking on the profit. Sorry if that sounds harsh but thats how it is. Lets hope it doesn?t come to this.

For me thats the same. Who would buy NOW vb 3.8 knowing vb4 is not far:P Sorry but i don't see any difference....
Other example=> wbb2 & wbb3
there was also no free update

It's from company to company different.

I'll ask this again, because everyone seems to be ignoring it. But where and when did vB say that late license purchasers were going to have to do that? Also, where is the "forcing" coming into this?

Ok, I like this statement right here. :up:

Who is forcing you to upgrade/buy vBulletin 4?

There isn't anything in any contract that says you have to upgrade to or purchase vBulletin 4. If it does, please fill me in on where you see that. :confused:

when is VB 4 available

and why are people saying you must purchase a new license for it ?
will there be an upgrade from V3 to V4 ?

If you look here, it says: "We are working hard and plan to have vBulletin 4.0 released in beta form by the end of Q2 2009"
Who?
Yes. There's always an upgrade. Even from V2 to V3