Get ready ? (0.9z-7)

[manisandher]

0.9z-7... will be the largest upgrade ever anyway.

Hey Peter, I hope I speak for the majority of XX users...

I would be more than happy to pay a new license fee for 0.9z-7. It just seems to me that this is not an 'update' but a major 'new release'. Even if you don't want to force all existing users to pay for a new license, I personally would be happy to do so voluntarily as a gesture of how much I appreciate all the work you've put into this. Unless you're in any way offended by my suggestion, I will make a payment into the Phasure PayPal account.

Mani.

[PeterSt]

Dear Mani,

You actually can't guess how close you are to my own thoughts where your good reason of all the work is only one relatively small part of it, and the other is a kind of "secret". But, you just gave me a nice opportunity to vent about it a little without saying what it really is about. But to summarize what I *can* express, it is about these things anyway :

I dove into too many items which (apparently) needed explicit attention lateron. An example could be the kind of hard work on those "dongles" thing, while it only can work with guidance which needs days to compose by itself.

I don't know how it happened, but all major parts (each taking months to finish) suddenly need those extensive descriptions. This, while really none has been there so far, and close to one-liner Release Notes could do.

It looks like I have been too mart or something, and created "generic" features, which don't even allow myself to explore them, let alone it can be layed out how they exactly work. Actually it is the opposite of how things should be : no buttons, no dials, and just press Play which doesn't need any manual.

Creating something which finally allows remote control is nice, but when extended to iPad/Andoid stuff, I clearly see that that is a world within itself, and things like selecting a good app for the Android is/was only the beginning. I appeared to be a co-operation between that app and what it lacks, and what thus must be in "our" software to really accomplish the job nicely. It even goes as far that (when not careful) other soft-keyboard apps are needed, and selecting them in theory takes a day, without installing even one for testing. When that is done it needs the hyperlinks and the advice about settings and stuff. This, while I am not even clear about the settings of the selected "RDP" app itself, because again it co-oporates with our software.
Suddenly all lights in all tunnels have become very far away.

A most major part of XXHighEnd is so new that it really will need maybe 20 pages of explanation to start with it. None of this has been done yet, and I feel like leaving out the functionality, rather.

When I said two weeks back that I may be needing 1-2 hours for explicit tablet operation, I was wrong because since then I spent all my time on it (but almost finished now). And yes I em enhusiast about it, but clearly I don't know what I'm starting - like all the elements for this version. So, Nobel Prize stuff worked within a day, but took hundreds and hundreds of hours to have it working for "you". How could I know, and how could I stop with it.

BTW, DSD playback *is* a subject I was to wise to cut it for the time being. So that too took a couple of weeks, but I just had to stop because I saw it was postponing 0.9z-7. Ehm, I think this was last December.

CRAZY

No, I am not complaiing at all, but I took up just too many subjects which all looked easy to accomplish, while by some stupid accident all were not. And as you know Mani, for sheer psycholicial reasons I should be doing some other things first. Yes, that is since November already. Like you need to paint your house and postponing that will let it collapse soon. So, something like that, and this bothers.

But why it is so convenient for me that your brought up the subject like you did ? well, because I *need* another means of licensing the product and I don't know how to do it other than let people obtain it again *or* be burried under uncountable emails and a manual procedure. I wrote 50-60 pages about how to approach this and at this time I still don't know how to do it. I have in my mind that if there's one time to get rid of this ever lasting beta stuff it is now, but for legal reasons I should jump to version 2.0 right away. Why ? well, you all payed for 1.xx - never mind it has been 0.xx so far. In the mean time though I am technically not able to let people upgrade for an upgrade price and let new customers pay a full price. Or maybe I can, but then I have to work out *that* and this is not only theoretical paper work, but needs to be programmed as well. So, again another job to finish and it can't go without it.
In the mean time I rather finish the tablet operation because I can see what to do there.

All 'n all I am smiling at the title of this topic, and now wonder who should have been prepared for 0.9z7 or whatever.
ME !

Hey, I guess this comes across somewhat sad, but I really am not; I love to do this all. It is only that the more I finish the more descriptions it needs and the further away things get. Haha.

Thank you Mani and all, for your thoughtfulness.
Peter


PS: And how to come up with an out of beta version without a decent manual ? See, all I do is create more "problems".

[arvind]

Hi Mani,

I am in complete agreement with your suggestion. Let us show our appreciation for the innumerable painstaking hours spent by Peter to bring joy to our passion.

Though this would only be drop in the ocean but its the thought that counts.

Arvind

[listening]

Hi Mani,

I agree too. I had so much pleasure the last months I can not say it with simple words.

Georg

[manisandher]

Hmmm...

Well, I suspect my suggestion will sound naive and is probably not practical, but why not consider 'XX 2.0' a totally new product? Everyone pays a new full license for it. If people don't want or can't afford to do this, that's fine - they just stick with 0.9z-6 (which you can continue to support for bug fixes).

I'd go further and start charging for major upgrades too - e.g. if/when DSD playback is introduced...

This isn't really about money, it's more about 'value'. Anyone who's taken the time to truly explore XX's current capability knows it's head and shoulders above anything else right now. God only knows (well, Peter too!) how far the new version will take the SOTA of computer playback. This has a value to music lovers far in excess of the €100-€200 (or whatever) the new license might cost.

And I for one feel almost embarrassed that I've not had to pay a penny for any upgrades these last few years.

Mani.

[esimms86]

I also fully agree with Mani's suggestion of paying for a new licensing fee. The previous fee was 72 euros but I wonder if even that is enough considering all of the R&D that has gone into the making of the revamped XXHE. I also expect that there will be a fee for purchasing a new app from the Apple store for connecting XXHE to the iPad(I don't have an Android device so I can't speak for that platform). In any event, I would gladly pay both fees.

Esau

[TimDH]

I too appreciate all the time that Peter evidently takes to make XXHighEnd better.  I'm happy to pay for a new license. 

One idea: for a manual it might actually be better to have editors besides Peter. It's not only your English, Peter! It's that you're very close to the product and it would be good to have some of it written by users.  I wonder if there could be a wiki and/or Google/Dropbox set of documents that at least some users could edit and develop once 0.9z-7 is released.

[Robert]

Perhaps release beta to your close trusted supporters to assist you in writing instructions.

I can see the issue, first for a newcomer to get there head around what you have created then to write it into understandable instructions is tricky. It is better from you but this task is almost to big alone.

Or just release it and let everyone go mad.

If the sonic difference is big then V2 is in order new fee.

[juanpmar]

I, as anyone else, appreciate Peter´s work and also I´m conscious that he´s receiving little financial reward in return. I wonder even if that exhausting work situation is sustainable without a proper financial support. What I can say is that any decision Peter takes in this regard will have my support.

Best regards,
Juan

[praphan]

Hi Guys,

I am fully aligned with this thought. It's time for Peter to commercialize this state-of-the-art product to niche market in an aggressive way.

Any marketing expert around in this forum? I am sure we are more than happy to be of help (if Peter needs one).

Product segmentation- basic XXHE (refined version of 0.9 z-6),  XXHE Plus (noble prize version), future add on, etc.

Pricing strategy - entry pricing to tap wider customer base, premium pricing for nich market, consumer vs professional licensing , etc.

Aggressive promotion campaign

Just my two cents.

Best regards,
Praphan

[listening]

 Hi Praphan,

that's not possible in the short-term, I believe. But another aspect: I always liked Peter's approach to deliver the bare and well thought function in contrast to the comfort of the user interface or modularity. It's the best Peter gives us. If commercializing means more eye-cathing features and comfort instead of functionality - I would missa lot     

Georg

[praphan]

Hi Georg,

I love the tweakability of XXHE too. I think Peter and all of us here want to keep it this way. This is why this product should attract and penetrate "niche market". Mass consumers including my wife will hardly touch this barebone and complicated looking software. To get the best out of XXHE, successful users require relatively good PC literacy both hardware and OS wise.

But with proper marketing plan, I am positive that this fine product will be able to capture wider "niche market". Perhaps Peter might consider launching XXHE to a wider online market coverage by restructuring the product website. Phasure.com is more or less a forum-base at the moment giving an impression to general public that the product is still under R&D.

I am no marketing expert. Better leave this to Peter for now. 



Best regards,
Praphan

[christoffe]

If commercializing means more eye-cathing features and comfort instead of functionality - I would missa lot     

Georg

Hi Georg,

that's it, real high class SQ/music and some stretching if I go to the keyboard/mouse.

Prices:
JRivers costs $ 50 with an superb GUI, and an update $20.
Amarra 2.4 now down to € 178,00 incl. VAT.

Joachim

[stefanobilliani]

Phasure.com is more or less a forum-base at the moment giving an impression to general public that the product is still under R&D.

But when we listen to music , we know that IT IS a very good piece of work alright now . Then let's not forget as Peter said , this is also "thanks" to the contribution of all the people right on the forum pages , discussing and reporting about their own experiences with the software *and* the music .

Having said that , I would be proud to accept any decision regarding the licence in the future .

Of course , by the fact we partecipate to the forum(s) , we want to learn new things and take decisions regarding hardware and lots of other stuff . So thanks, all of you in this wonderful forum .

s

[pedal]

I agree 100 percent with Mani's suggestion!

(I allways thought there was a decimal missing in the price tag of XX).

Pedal