Affinity 2: My personal opinion

[bsx]

I bought Affinity Suite 2 immediately and was very happy to see this story continue.

But now, I will continue in my projects with V1 in the near future and observe further developments.

Good:

There are really some basic improvements and enhancements that will be very useful in future work. And I'm sure there will also be new developments in V2, which I'm looking forward to.

Bad:

This hype, overstaged by Serif, has not done the reputation of the software any good. Professional users were left completely in uncertainty for months as to whether this software would be further developed, discontinued or completely changed. No roadmap, no info, no beta phase.

Now these unfortunate problems with the app installation, which has irritated many users who now have to realise the workflow with other programmes in workarounds.

Also bad is the online activation requirement, which affects everyone who does not connect their computer to the internet for security reasons. But this will also lead to problems in the future, as we know them from Adobe. Activation servers can no longer be reached after a few years, the purchased software can no longer be used on new hardware.

Conclusion:

It was exactly these advantages of version 1 (no online activation requirement, user-friendly installation, easy integration into existing workflows) that made Affinity programmes attractive to many professional users. In V2 these features are reduced step by step and I think this is not a good way. My enjoyment of new features is very limited as a result.

Wishes:

- Standard installer version

- Backwards compatibility from V2 to V1 (saving under V1 version even with the loss of features)

- IDML export

 

Sorry, my English is bad. Translated with DeepL

[shushustorm]

1 hour ago, bsx said:

Activation servers can no longer be reached after a few years, the purchased software can no longer be used on new hardware.

I completely agree with that. While I don't know how they could have implemented the "Universal license" otherwise (they could have gone for platform based bundles, however!), I do think it's much better when you can reinstall the software whenever you like just by yourself and not being dependant. And I'm saying this using macOS and iPad; I can, for example, still reinstall a previous V1 version of Designer or Photo on my iPad. With V2, I now depend on Serif having said option on the App Store and / or running on their servers, since the downloaded software itself is only good for a trial period.

So you don't really "own" the product, but just the installations.

Of course, not to be confused with being completely dependant due to a subscription, but still. Does leave a bad taste.

1 hour ago, bsx said:

- Backwards compatibility from V2 to V1 (saving under V1 version even with the loss of features)

Hopefully! I requested this as well:

 

[Tia Lapis]

You never own the software, only the right to use it.

[Distill7]

51 minutes ago, Tia Lapis said:

You never own the software, only the right to use it.

What he said is that the universal license requires you to connect to the internet to activate it. In case someone can't, like corporations doing it for security reasons, then they can't activate it. If outage or a disaster happens to Affinity servers, or if they decided to shut them down, you won't be able to install it on new hardware. This means you lost your right to use it.

[shushustorm]

1 hour ago, Tia Lapis said:

You never own the software, only the right to use it.

That's why I put it in quotation marks.

1 hour ago, Distill7 said:

What he said is that the universal license requires you to connect to the internet to activate it. In case someone can't, like corporations doing it for security reasons, then they can't activate it. If outage or a disaster happens to Affinity servers, or if they decided to shut them down, you won't be able to install it on new hardware. This means you lost your right to use it.

That sums it up quite nicely! Just a little detail added: It's not just the universal license, all licenses on macOS and iPad require In-App purchases being done or restored rather than having a dependable executable or .ipa by buying the app directly. Of course, the universal license does require even an additional jumping through Affinity's server's hoop, but there is no definitive alternative even when buying the softwares separately (, which I did consider due to this issue).

[Tia Lapis]

But there is as Serif told here in the forum: Do company licensing. There are other mechanics and installation methods available (my guess is a floating license server).

[TA2022]

My issues with the new installer for the windows program.  The installer did not create a windows icon shortcut on the desktop for any of the apps (photo, designer, publisher).  Thus, I'm now having to search for the exe for create the shortcuts.    Bad installer!  About verification, we had to do the product key code to activate under version 1.  This was preferable and can be in identified by the individual purchaser.   

[bsx]

2 hours ago, Tia Lapis said:

Do company licensing. There are other mechanics and installation methods available

Company licenses are only available for quantities of 2 or more, but I only need 1 license in my office.

Therefore, I have not read more about it.

I think, for company licenses don't exist other installers and and other licensing options. This would solve most of the current V2 problems.

[Tia Lapis]

Found the posting:

https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/171584-v2-installer-not-good-please-go-back-to-original-my-work-is-cutting-affinity-because-of-it/&do=findComment&comment=986747

[pixelworker]

It's a understandable but very sad solution to activate online.

It could be worse with permanent online checks, which are not done to my knowlage.

But even this way I'm not sure if want to follow Affinity 2.

[Patrick Connor]

13 minutes ago, pixelworker said:

It's a understandable but very sad solution to activate online.

It could be worse with permanent online checks, which are not done to my knowlage.

But even this way I'm not sure if want to follow Affinity 2.

Sorry about the inconvenience, but it was the only way for universal licenses to function from Microsoft Store Mac App Store and the iPad Store simultaneously from one purchase.

Also as a side effect it reduces piracy. If you go on YouTube you can find over 300 videos of cracked Affinity version 1 software with product keys. Without some call home piracy is impossible to stop. 

Please don't give up for the sake of a one off registration 

[fde101]

1 hour ago, Patrick Connor said:

Without some call home piracy is impossible to stop. 

Suggest providing either a dongle such as iLok or a challenge/response system as an option for those who need offline activation capability (challenge/response meaning that when you install the software on an offline computer it generates some unique code that the user can enter on the web site using an online computer to generate a license file/code that they can then enter on the offline computer to unlock it with their license).

[deeds]

1 hour ago, Patrick Connor said:

Sorry about the inconvenience, but it was the only way for universal licenses to function from Microsoft Store Mac App Store and the iPad Store simultaneously from one purchase.

Also as a side effect it reduces piracy. If you go on YouTube you can find over 300 videos of cracked Affinity version 1 software with product keys. Without some call home piracy is impossible to stop. 

Please don't give up for the sake of a one off registration 

All the research I've seen (and there's been a lot of this): the more successful any DRM is at reducing unlicensed usage and copying the less users and goodwill results, not an increase in revenue.

 

The simple, widely, commonly known reasoning for this is that those that use unlicensed versions were never going to pay, but many of them still contribute to the positive reputation of using the software AND intrusive DRM always leaves a bad taste in every licensed user's experiences, every time they use the software, and every time they even think of using the software. 

 

[MikeW]

1 hour ago, Patrick Connor said:

Sorry about the inconvenience, but it was the only way for universal licenses to function from Microsoft Store Mac App Store and the iPad Store simultaneously from one purchase.

Also as a side effect it reduces piracy. If you go on YouTube you can find over 300 videos of cracked Affinity version 1 software with product keys. Without some call home piracy is impossible to stop. 

Please don't give up for the sake of a one off registration 

Piracy will happen anyway. Ask Adobe or Quark. No matter how they try, piracy happens. It took 24 hours for CC to be pirated when it was first released. Each version has been cracked as it has been released. Same with QXP with the now draconian system. 

[pixelworker]

2 hours ago, Patrick Connor said:

Sorry about the inconvenience, but it was the only way for universal licenses to function from Microsoft Store Mac App Store and the iPad Store simultaneously from one purchase.

Also as a side effect it reduces piracy. If you go on YouTube you can find over 300 videos of cracked Affinity version 1 software with product keys. Without some call home piracy is impossible to stop. 

Please don't give up for the sake of a one off registration 

Thanks a lot for your post. I was a bit too emotional because I wish it was different. Online activation is often the first step to losing control and being at the mercy of possible "bad" future product desisions.

But as said, it could be way worse like with permanent online checks,which are not to to my knowlage. I think it's just a one time activation?

One other suggestion is to give insights about an emergency plan in case Serife (for what every reason) can provide activation server anymore.

[Patrick Connor]

6 hours ago, pixelworker said:

One other suggestion is to give insights about an emergency plan in case Serife (for what every reason) can provide activation server anymore.

I care about customers and will push for a long term option. We have discussed a few that are easy to implement and we understand why this current approach concerns the more cautious. If the service is down the software already has some fallback code but I think more can and will be done