Many doubts before purchase - i need to convert from smf to vb

[Dark-Wolf]

Hi! First of all, sorry in advance for my poor english.

I've a complete suite with smf 1.1.11 (and many many customizations).
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I want try to migrate to vbulletin suite but i need to know how it work from admin and customization (i have a complete and free suite - before to purchase i want be sure if i can obtain best results with vbulletin).

I want try vbulletin expecially for this structure:

Eg: [URL]http://www.hwupgrade.it/articoli/telefonia/2594/galaxy-s-lag-e-file-system-la-posizione-di-samsung_4.html[/URL]
article and its replies are associated to:
[URL]http://www.hwupgrade.it/forum/showthread.php?threadid=2269537[/URL]

Is possible with vb suite?

Is possible to convert from smf 1.1.11?

With vb suite (this features are present in my actual website):
1) can i make a custom pages (with php/html)?
2) can i make a download area?
3) can i make a photo gallery?
4) can i make a guestbook?
5) can i make a games/arcade section?

Is there a lifetime license or is necessary to renew every years?

Now, if this is possible, is there any way to try a full conversion in my local machine and only if all is ok/workable, purchase a full license (maybe a trial version?)?

Thanks in advance, DarkWolf

[Froberg]

I am not knowledgeable enough to answer all your questions fully, please take what I say with a grain of salt and have it confirmed by someone else.

Front page posts in vB CMS have a dedicated forum for comments - I have seen mods at vb.org that can change that to a specific forum-tread instead.
So you'd have main page and comments in a forum thread, not sure if that's what you meant but there it is.
SMF conversion is, I believe, available using the IMPEX importer available from vB.

1. Yes.
2. There are several download-module and "Thank you" mods available at vb.org, have been for several versions now. So yes, I'd think so.
3. Every user has a personal photo gallery.
4. Guestbook? You can create a forum and allow guests to post with whichever validation method, or lack thereof, you decide.
5. vBArcade for vBulletin apparently comes highly recommended.

Reg. licensing, I am not sure. I believe a full refund is offered within 30 days or so if one is unhappy with the product, I suggest you read the terms of the license for this.

Also, do I know you from somewhere? Your name seems to ring a bell or five.

[Dark-Wolf]

In realty, i glad from current articles structure in my website (partial from forumtopic of a specific section and "read all" that pointing to entire article and its any replies) or like hardwareupgrade (replies are bridge from homepage and forum and first forum post contain simple a link to entire article) instead to have a doubled article (one in homepage and another in forumtopic) with different replies.

1 and 2: very good
3 and 4: yes, i know but, if is possible, i want maintain a website photogallery (general, not related to user - maybe already exist a mod for that) and a classic guestbook (but, maybe, i can try to make in a custom page)
5: i've seen now, it's ok

For license: ok, thanks... but i think would be best to release a trial license for this (also one week can be sufficiently to see if is valid or not)

Also your nick is familiar, but i don't remember why (routertech? hwupgrade? custom dlink firmware? Altervista?)

Anyway: thank'u very much for your reply

[Zachery]

We have no inteions of releasing a trial license, even if one did come out you wouldn't be able to mod it.

http://www.vbulletin.com/go/demo if you'd like to try working with the software.

You should be able to do what you want wiht the software with time and effort, however its not something we will support.

[Dark-Wolf]

@Zachery: Honestly, i do not understood why vbulletin doesn't consider to release a trial version (or trial workable only in localhost - maybe with a personal/customized local webserver).

Many user, before to pay a product (and, i think also for this reason, many of them, wrongly, go to search/download pirated versions), want to try it in all ways.
I've already try demo but is nothing if i can't see (work with >) code and if i can't try final results after conversion (i've a valid - also if free - forum/website, why should I risk of "throwing" my money with an unknow product)?

Just my humble opinion (potentially a future client/user).

In Italy: 01:35AM... it's time to sleep...

Thanks again, bye

[Zachery]

vBulletin is visual source, if we encrypt it it will be useless to test modifications. Also it a very good chance that it will be decrypted and then released into the wild.
We can't release a trial as is, and the time, and effort that would be required to devote to releasing a trial product would far outweigh the benifits.

[Froberg]

Also your nick is familiar, but i don't remember why (routertech? hwupgrade? custom dlink firmware? Altervista?)

Hmm.. I think I did some searching for linksys firmware once, but that was a long time ago. AvP? Gamegossip? 404Forums? hrm.. I'm leaning towards some AvP Community maybe.

[Dark-Wolf]

@Froberg: Maybe, i don't remember (sorry for delay in this reply) :P
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Anyway, i've decided finally to buy vb 4 suite + vbseo.
vbarcade is great; download 2 is ok, only quoteIT is obsolete (great mod but not compatible with vb4): http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=62470 (so, i need to find something to update it).
After of this i need to use portal for home page with article (i don't know if is best to use blog and promotion or directly article system - i can write article in blog style, with category, or use blog and promote all - no sense for me to use both), forum for support and blog for all users. It's perfect for me. I think is the best solution to make a valid/great community
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Edit: maybe i can use article for "web/relating/news" generally article and blog for only my personal thoughts but: "how i can move an old topic to blog or content system (just to reorder my actually news-board)?