James, I’ve downloaded and run RW 8.9.3 the version prior to the ‘upgrade’ to 8.9.4 so no pop up with 8.9.3
I do have 8.9.4 installed but I don’t use that version.
2 Likes
That’s great to see. I wonder if at some point his forum will be changed to be called Stacks4All. :P
2 Likes
To be fair: as of my knowledge RWC will not suddenly stop working when you do not subscribe. Upgrades will be affected, these require a subscription. Updates I am not sure about them after a year has passed.
That was the situation at launch, but it’s now changed to a pure subscription model. If you don’t renew it stops working.
Yep, they (RM) told me they changed their mind. Only early bird buyers got that unadvertised option.
Yeah, it’s not clear if the initial update offer was a license for two (like it used to be) or for one Mac?
So what do we have now?
- Rapidweaver 8 purchased via RMS site (2 macs)
- Rapidweaver 8 Appstore (supports Family sharing)
- Rapidweaver 8 Setapp (subscription but last version continues to work, like maintenance)
- Rapidweaver Classic Early bird upgrade (3 macs) “maintenance/update” subscription
- Rapidweaver Classic Personal subscription (1 mac)
- Rapidweaver Classic Studio subscription (2 macs)
- Rapidweaver Classic Business subscription (5 macs)
- (Rapidweaver Elements … starter? gold? mega? ultra?)
What a joke!
Edit: updated the Early bird number of installation devices
5 Likes
The new RWC subscription decision has also consequences for all the stack developers. Any stack purchase becomes locked behind the subscription of the RWC platform.
Once I stop subscribing, not only the investment into RWC is gone, but also the investment into any stacks as part of RWC. Looks to me, as if Realmac is riding again on the reputation of those developers.
I am so glad to have RW8 working on my computers - I can live with the ‘old’ version and put my hope into the upcoming Stacks app. My compassion is with new users getting sucked into the RWC train … As a platform owner you can do whatever you want, but this is blatantly messing with users and the marketplace of stacks developers - as if there were no competition …
7 Likes
It’s the latest version you get on Setapp - so that is now RWC. The Setapp route is the way to do it for anyone considering a subscription. For the same price as a RWC subscription you will effectively get an additional 200 apps for ‘free’!
7 Likes
I’m glad I jumped ship when all this hassle started. I no longer use RW. RW has killed all loyalty and respect I had using them for over a decade. I mentioned on their forums that this would hurt their customers and it has. I got a whole lot of stick about their non “subscription” model and here they are going fully subscription. This means that RW Elements will no doubt be subscription also.
I’m assuming that RW is making a clean sweep. They will anger so many loyal customers, so perhaps they’re hoping that the new customers with no history with RW will be happy using their products.
I feel for third party developers in this whole debacle.
3 Likes
This story is incredible, just the fact that in a month they released 4 updates makes me think, in my humble opinion, that they released RWC quickly and in beta?
See how many updates you can get if you make a subscription, your RWC will always be up to date, as long as you pay.
It seems to me that RM is on the gas, and makes fun of all its customers, including developers who are in trouble and do not know how to move, in fact, everything is stopped, blocked.
I am still with the old RW8, and am happy to stay there until the S5 arrives.
I think that with the arrival of S5 there will be a boom of novelty and creativity from the developers, to the satisfaction of us little users.
4 Likes
Yes, I agree, and who knows what fantastic things Isaiah and the developers will make in Stack App when they are free of the restraints of RW. It is going to be very exciting, and I think it has great potential to revolutionize the way websites are being made.
2 Likes
Third parties get short shrift in today’s world, as anyone who supplies to a supermarket chain will tell you. Unfortunately it goes back a while in the Tech world: Steve Jobs was notorious for dumping on developers’ livelihoods by arbitrarily ditching or changing technologies, and Bill Gates equally notorious for predating the markets of successful apps by creating Microsoft versions. Hopefully Stacks 5.0 will be more of a co-operative model between Isaiah and third party stacks developers. It’s just a shame that Dan can’t see how the milch-cow of RW (even if the yield was never exactly overflowing) has depended more and more on stacks over the years.
3 Likes
I just spoke to Dan and they updated their Q&A:
Q: What happens if I don’t renew my license or my subscription expires?
A: You get to keep the version of RapidWeaver you’re currently using. You just won’t receive any updates to it. You’d need to renew your license or start a new subscription to start receiving updates again.
So it is what I expected: you will not lose your software and it will not stop working if you cancel any subscription. So you can use it after stop paying.
If that’s the case, it sounds like they are back to what they originally promised. Not a true subscription model.
2 Likes
And this is for renewal, note the 1 year plan at the bottom:
https://www.realmacsoftware.com/store/rapidweaver/renew/
So they changed it again?? What a cluster fork!
2 Likes
These prices are all very inconsistent.
2 Likes
What a mess!
2 Likes
It’s changed from yesterday, when it was a full subscription service to back to the original subscription for updates only.
1 Like
Thanks for pushing them to a clarification. In the original thread linked in Steve’s post, RM responded many times to the concerns voiced by their users, not once stating that RWC could be used even after lapsing the subscription.
Either they were not even aware of what their users were assuming (and plainly asking), or they were deliberately vague. Only after the FAQ update the situation became clear.
I would like to give them an award to recognize their unmatched ability to mind-f…k with their customers …