vBulletin 5 Connect: license upgrade information

[dougdirac]

Can I buy now and have my free month of support start when a stable version is actually available?

[Zachery]

At this time, that is not an option. If something changes we'll announce it.

[E0N]

If I buy vB5 Beta now. Do I have to buy it again or pay extra when the stable version is available?

[Hartmut]

If I buy vB5 Beta now. Do I have to buy it again or pay extra when the stable version is available?

No, you don't have to pay again.

[atcspaul]

wil the new vbulletin 5 software allow dual side columns? thank you. looks like a great new program and want to upgrade but i need columns on either side

[Hartmut]

wil the new vbulletin 5 software allow dual side columns? thank you. looks like a great new program and want to upgrade but i need columns on either side

At this time it is not an option.

[BirdOPrey5]

This just leaves me wondering why they're charging for a Beta version of software if it's not ready for a live site. Seems to me they should just release this free to try out for existing licensed customers. Then offer the real (paid) version later when it's ready.

You are buying a VB5 license but you are free to use VB 4.x instead. The cost of the VB5 license is less than the cost of the VB4 Suite license was 3 days ago- so there is no way you are paying more and getting less with VB5. You get full access to VB4 AND what is basically a free upgrade to VB5 whenever you are ready.

[Arkham]

$

At the moment I have the licence Bulletin Suite, so I use the modules CMS and Blog, I am perfectly aware that in this first version there are not these two modules, but I would like to know if by buying now the upgrade to vBulletin Connect 5 (USD$209.00), I will have in the future these modules free of charge or if I should carry out an extra payment.

Don't forget, upgrading by end of Sept. the price should be $184, not $209 because the $25 and $40 discounts are "additive" according to how I read the announcement.

[dougdirac]

You are buying a VB5 license but you are free to use VB 4.x instead. The cost of the VB5 license is less than the cost of the VB4 Suite license was 3 days ago- so there is no way you are paying more and getting less with VB5. You get full access to vB4 AND what is basically a free upgrade to VB5 whenever you are ready.

Woah, I didn't realize that the $250 included the ability to run vB4 Suite. But I already have a vB4 Suite license which I think includes lifetime vB4 updates, no branding, and lifetime phone and ticket support.

Do new purchasers of vB5 also get access to the vB4 updates?

In another thread I was led to believe that my no branding option would carry over if I paid for vB5. My lifetime ticket support does not?

[Zachery]

The vbulletin 4 suite license includes ticket support for vBulletin 4. If you have a branding free license, that would be carried over on your vb5 upgrade.

Your ticket support would stay valid for vBulletin 4, for the life of vbulletin 4 as a product, not for vBulletin 5.

[dougdirac]

What kind of ticket support for vB4 does a new purchaser of vB5 get?

[BirdOPrey5]

What kind of ticket support for vB4 does a new purchaser of vB5 get?

30 days regardless of what vb they run.

[dougdirac]

Hmmm... well I have some acquaintances that have been considering switching to vB, and I might suggest they go ahead and buy now since $250 for vB4 Suite is quite a bargain considering we paid $400 or so for it. (I don't remember if we paid extra for lifetime support or not.)

However, as an upgrade, it's much harder to figure out the value proposition. I'd like to try it out now on a test site so I can see how I like it and plan for the future. Maybe I invest less time trying to customize 4.2, or put off buying that new skin or 3rd party add-on. Or maybe I determine it won't really be ready for some months and I go ahead with those 4.2 customizations now so that I can get more use out of them.

But the fact that the software isn't ready for a live site, there isn't much of a discount to upgrade, the fixed time frame on included support, and the high cost of additional support means I should probably wait to try out vB5. So I'm really unsure what I should do at this point. Seems a try before you buy model for existing license holders would be more appropriate here.

Any way to get a heavily discounted, limited Beta tester license that is not for installation on a live site?


Btw, I think you guys are burying the lead here. It should be:

Get vBulletin 4.2 Suite now for the low low price of $250!
Also includes free upgrade to vBulletin 5 Connect.

- - - Updated - - -

30 days regardless of what vb they run.

Actually, are you sure?

The purchases page says this:

We are in the process of advancing to the latest version of our software, vBulletin 5 Connect. This new software is currently in beta. Your vBulletin Connect license gives you the option of deploying this beta or the previous version, vBulletin 4.2. Regardless, your license will let you upgrade to all future releases in the vBulletin 5.x series at no additional cost.

Which links to the vB4 page which says this:

Free Support

Includes free ticket support for the life of the 4.x product.

This affects my recommendation to some others to go ahead an buy vB.

[Wayne Luke]

If they had purchased the vBulletin 4 Publishing Suite they would get free ticket support. We no longer sale the Publishing Suite License. If they purchased today it would be a vBulletin 5 Connect License and that is what the support would be based on in the system. Even if they used the 4.2.0 software. They would continue to receive Forum Support.

[Zachery]

Here is the breakdown.

If you owned a vBulletin license previously that included support, we will still provide you support for that version.
- If you owned a vBulletin 4 Suite license and upgrade, you will still be entitled to vBulletin 4 support for the life of the vBulletin 4 product.
- If you owned a vBulletin 3 license and upgrade, you will still be entitled to vBulletin 3 support, though it is now an EOL product. Support will be limited.
- If you have a support contract for vBulletin 4, it will be honored for vBulletin 5.