Pro Version
What is it about me that always makes me get sucked in to buying the “pro” version of free software?
Oh no, the free version’s not good enough for me – I’ll get more features once I buy the pro version… look, their ads keep telling me that.
And so I do. I can’t even remember all the stuff that I’ve ended up buying the pro version of – I know there was Zone Alarm Pro, Quick Time Pro, Spyware Doctor Pro, Music Match Pro, and that’s just what I can think of off the top of my head.
The reason I’m feeling pissed off right now about the fact that I buy PRO is that I was trying to create a video and for some reason, now that I have the pro version of Quick Time, I can’t save my video creations as .mov files any more – only .wmv. And while .wmv files are smaller, the quality is shittier.
I bought the pro version some time ago, and once I tried using my new and improved version, I didn’t find too much benefit. Just like I didn’t find too much benefit in any other pro version of programs.
And I got some message that said that “in order to do something, yada, yada, I should have the most recent upgrade”. So I decided to upgrade (cuz maybe then I’d be able to create what I wanted to create) and went to the website to find out that the upgrade would cost me $29.95.
Then I phoned to ask, “scuze me… I already own the pro, where do I get my free upgrade cuz this is telling me to pay $29.95 – and I already paid for the pro version”, only to find out from the friendly customer service guy that “that doesn’t entitle you to free upgrades”.
Well, boys and girls, in the time that I’ve owned Quick Time PRO, I may have used it twice, and I tried to do some stuff that it told me I could do with PRO – but that didn’t happen, so I figured my download was defective or something. So having paid for this extra special version, do you think that I’m likely to cough up an additional 30 bucks to get the new and improved pro version? Not bloody likely (I’ve turned British now).
In one sense I guess I’m lucky now that I’m as poor as a church mouse (whatever the hell that means) because that means my credit cards are maxed and I can no longer go making willy nilly software purchases. Willy nilly <– much underused phrase. But I am a little miffed <– miffed… nobody says that too much either, do they? Little perturbed that there’s no end to the screwing that you get with regard to purchases.
Now I’m going to go listen to some music on my Musicmatch Jukebox Pro – when I bought that one I made sure to click the “free upgrades for life” option. Watch. It’ll be like Speedy Muffler – free muffler for life (the life of the car ownership in fine print).
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idiotonastick
Minna
Dave Barker
I used Moneris for over two years. I recently terminated due to a merchant compliance requiremen t – Moneris began...
Maria
just another
Female, taken, fire, Sagittarius, Monkey, Toronto, two kids, one grandson, IT.
55
is the new 30. I want the world to close their mouths when they’re eating or chewing gum. If they don’t, I want to elbow them in the face.
Ooooooooh yes!
One’s been there, Jafer Old Bean!
One is starting to think that the letters PRO stand for “pirated rip off”.
Toodle pip!