WB4 expired, alpha/beta versions require subscription?

Hi, I've been an ODNT subscriber for the last year and have not been disappointed for the most part. But, after I switched over to Macs (I only left 1 PC for games) I thought that I'd not renew my subscription and just stick to the old versions in the gaming PC.

My subscription ended March 25. Today, when I turned on my PC, it came up with the classic windows look and a little box saying something like "WindowBlinds4 has expired". Boy was I mad. I had never have any OD program "expire" on me before. But when I didn't renew - *bonk*, "thanks for the year. sorry we said you could continue using your current programs but we lied. you have to cope with that. goodbye."

Everyone (inc. people for Stardock) have said that if we don't renew subscriptions, we can still use all the programs we currently have installed/downloaded for the foreseeable future. Nobody mentioned anything about only release-level programs. So. I'd been using the WB4 alpha/beta when my subscription ended, so *why* oh *why* can't I continue to use it, just like promised.

I'm *not* going to renew the subscription/buy windowsblinds for the whole year just to get the "full" WB4 product when it's finally available. (I might, if I'd still use my PC for anything other than gaming, but not now.)

Needles to say, I'm pretty disappointed now.

\Nite - "can't rain all the time"

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

I think you'll find that the Betas are for currently registered OD subscribers, and time-out as and when new versions become available, obviously for current users.
Full releases [non betas] would still be usable by you as they do not time-out....

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Is this a new policy? Since, like I said, I have never had any OD programs expire on me, and I used the alpha/beta (don't remember which) of WB3.x for like months.

It pisses me off royally, and more since WB4 was said to be released on 25th, so I thought that It'd fit in my subscription and I could use that. Then it was delayed and the beta expired.

I'm not happy.

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I'm sure StarDock will hook you up Nite77.Are you actually having to look at regular windows?If you are,,I defiantly feel yer pain.

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kona0197

Join Date 02/2003

+86

Hey Jafo... he's another mac user. hahahaha

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Beta builds of most of stardock apps will have a timeout if they are pre x.0 builds.

So builds leading up to a major release (WB 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0) will expire but beta builds of minor releases (1.x, 2.x, 3.x, 4.x)will not. This has been the policy for a very long time.

We do this as the builds leading up to a major release may have major bugs and we do not want people to be using older builds and then reporting issues which have been fixed a long time ago.

An OD subscription allows you to continue to use software which is released (or was when you started your subscription) during your subscription period and WB4 has yet to be released.

Delays to releases are normal in software development and while we would all like to be able to release products when we originally planned, we would rather make sure the product is as reliable as possible before release.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1845

Thanks, Neil.....seems I got it right, then...

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