Affinity 2 Universal is here for only $99 -- but I already bought Photo and Designer...

[ChrisProton]

Hello, 

Is there a V2 Universal license available if I already own a license to Photo and Designer?

Thank you, 

Chris

[Pšenda]

Affinity V2 is a paid upgrade that has nothing to do with the previous version.

[walt.farrell]

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums, @ChrisProton.

A V2 Universal license will get you V2 of all 3 applications, on all 3 OSes. You probably have V1 of Photo and Designer. Thus, for you, you would get Publisher V2 and the new versions of Photo and Designer (which require a new purchase if you want them).

Before purchasing anything, I suggest taking advantage of the 30-day trial.

[ChrisProton]

Thank you everyone for your feedback.

I thought I originally bought lifetime access to Affinity Photo and Designer. And I've always received regular updates.

Does this mean that Affinity is forking the applications? (V1 and V2)

And that "V1" will no longer be updated?

Or will I continue to get lifetime of use and updates as I thoguht I was getting from my original purchase?

Chris

[myclay]

updates 1.x.x where covered in the V1 releases.
Since it is a perpetual licence, you can use it further without a need to purchase v2.

v2 is an upgrade and you would have to purchase to use it after the trial on your account/pc ended.
updates in 2.x.x will again be covered in the bought license.

V3 is an upgrade, you would have to buy it .
v3 updates 3.x.x. will again be covered in the bought license.

V1 is officially feature frozen, no new features will be added.
There is a pin in the FAQ that V1 customers will get compatibility patches for their Systems like windows 10/11 and on the Apple systems etc.
 

[ChrisProton]

I get it. So, the perpetual license isn't. Since no new features will be added perpetual is semi-perpetual as the software is being abandoned for a new version.

Nice workaround to selling something once.

When I purchased the first version of Affinity Photo and Design the implication was that I would have them for life. Since that's not the case due to the new way Affinity has worked out getting profits I have zero recourse other than to join the world of annual licensing fees and buy Version 2 (which is advertised on the site), and now it looks like there's a version 3. 

So, do I save money and NOT buy V2 and instead buy V3?

Then next year buy V4 of my perpetual (lifetime license)...

Sigh, at least for now Affinity doesn't completely overcharge like Adobe does.

Edited November 15, 2022 by ChrisProton

[walt.farrell]

19 minutes ago, ChrisProton said:

other than to join the world of annual licensing fees and buy Version 2

Annual?

V1 was released in about 2015, and all updates to it have been free for the 7 years since then. Updates to V1 (if any) will still be free, but will be limited (probably) to OS compatibility issues.

V2 may also run 7 years, or 10. Or perhaps only 2 or 3. But I doubt that new versions will become an annual event.

22 minutes ago, ChrisProton said:

So, do I save money and NOT buy V2 and instead buy V3?

You're free to do that if you want. Just as you're free to keep using V1. Each user makes their own choice about how to spend their money, based on the features provided by the product they're considering buying.

23 minutes ago, ChrisProton said:

Sigh, at least for now Affinity doesn't completely overcharge like Adobe does.

Serif also doesn't make you pay annually, or lose access to your data.

[Pšenda]

12 hours ago, ChrisProton said:

So, the perpetual license isn't.

I think it is essential to understand what the term "Perpetual License" actually means. It just means that you can use the one-time purchased product indefinitely (until you die), which unfortunately is no longer the norm these days (you can only use some apps for as long as you keep periodically paying for them). Perpetual License in no way means (and unfortunately it is often misinterpreted) that the application will be updated and upgraded indefinitely. After all, assuming that for 40-50 euros someone will maintain and continue to develop your DTP application for 50 to 60 years for free is somewhat utopian.

[HoueK]

Guys honestly IMO Serif picked the worst case scenario for customers who bought Affinity Apps last year (I'm in it). Until the purchase of Affinity, I used Inkscape, then Gravit Designer. After testing Affinity, I decided to buy it, despite the lack of several functions known from other applications. The forum promised to add these features in the future, so I believed that I would see it. In addition, I encountered several bugs during use - there was also a response that work on fixing it was in progress. And what? They released V2 and blew off existing users. "Buy yourself a new version."

This is not about money or the interpretation of what a perpetual license is. It's about customer loyalty. Ok, I bought V1 in December 2021. What about people who bought in the last few months?
They paid more than half the price of the V2 version and were left with an underdeveloped program, with limited functionality and promises of adding new tools. I recommended Affinity to my friend and if it wasn't for his tardiness, he would have bought V1 a month ago and now I would feel bad about it.
Why didn't existing customers receive an additional discount? I've seen Serif explain that they supposedly have a lot of distribution channels and are unable to verify a valid purchase. And the license key is not a confirmation of having a license and then the right to a discount? Such talk to get more money from customers.

[PaulEC]

I really wish some people could grasp that being able to use a piece of software “for life” means just that: you can continue to use it. It won’t just stop working, if you don’t pay, like with a subscription service. It does not mean that it will be constantly updated and have new features added for free for evermore!

[HoueK]

35 minutes ago, PaulEC said:

It does not mean that it will be constantly updated and have new features added for free for evermore!

Of course! But if you buy an app and compare that a competing app has additional tools, however, the seller assures you that the developers are working on such features. In addition, when you encounter irregularities and errors in the application and read on the forum that programmers are already working on solving this problem. And it turns out that it's all in the new version, just buy again... And what about the customers who bought V1 a month ago?

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, HoueK said:

I've seen Serif explain that they supposedly have a lot of distribution channels and are unable to verify a valid purchase. And the license key is not a confirmation of having a license and then the right to a discount?

If you had found out something about the principles of purchases in the Apple and MS Store (it would be enough to read a few posts here on the forum), you would know that "No", because the mentioned stores do not have a License Key.

[HoueK]

22 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

If you had found out something about the principles of purchases in the Apple and MS Store (it would be enough to read a few posts here on the forum), you would know that "No", because the mentioned stores do not have a License Key.

Well, it's not my problem that the seller doesn't control who buys the application. No confirmation email about purchase? Payment? After all, no one paid in cash. You're trying to forcefully defend Serif. Tell that to those who bought the V1 a month ago. And the fact that I will finally buy the V2 does not change the fact that I will blame Serif for such an approach to the customer.

PS does anyone know how long the 40% discount will last?

[Pšenda]

1 minute ago, HoueK said:

You're trying to forcefully defend Serif.

I'm not trying to defend Serif, and certainly not forcefully. I'm just reacting to the ignorance you present here, when you forcefully accuse Serif.

[HoueK]

And I see ignorance for people who were persuaded to buy an underdeveloped version of V1 with the promise of development, and now faced with using an old, underdeveloped application or buying another one.

[bayustudio]

1 hour ago, HoueK said:

PS does anyone know how long the 40% discount will last?

According to other thread, 14 December, still plenty of time for evaluating trial version 🙂

On 11/14/2022 at 11:26 PM, Patrick Connor said:

The 40% off Software Sale will be available until the 14th December 2022.

When the sale ends it will go to full price 

[HoueK]

@bayustudio Thanks for reply. Right, there is enough time. worth to notice it is impossible to open V2 files in V1 so good to make some backup in case someone decide to stay with V1.

I will buy because of perspective (wrap) tool in Designer - this is what I was waiting for past last year when bought Affinity. Knife tool will be also usable. 

 

[ChrisProton]

I took the plunge and bought a V2 perpetual license to go with my V1 perpetual license. 

Now I'll be able to get new features as they're rolled out since V1's perpetual software will no longer get updates. I gotta remember this workaround for lifetime licensing if I ever sell an application.

I hope in V2 Photo I can type a font name in the drop down and not have it crash like V1 does. Fixing just that might be worth the $99.

Edited November 17, 2022 by ChrisProton

[kspriggs]

V2 strategy is most certainly a revolting development. I specifically remember Serif selling me Affinity with the contrast to Adobe and the promise that I would never have to buy an upgraded version EVER. Lifetime. One purchase. They found a money loophole onto the road to the loathed Adobe. Disgusting.

[Komatös]

@kspriggs and all other here.

If by lifetime you mean that you can use a version until you drop dead, then you have defined lifetime correctly.

When a software producer talks about lifetime for his programmes, he does not mean that you also get the subsequent major versions for free, but that the support for a major version ends when a new major version is released.

[kspriggs]

...Yeah, but that's not what what they said.

Note the lack of ignorance on my part by use of the word "Upgraded."

Edited November 24, 2022 by kspriggs