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Red Gate Software - Another freeware app goes payware.

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scancode:
As many of you know, our original intention was to maintain .NET Reflector as a free tool. But, after two-and-a-half years of providing it without charge, we realized that we could not make the free model work. We know that this will cause pain for some people in the .NET community, and we apologize for the change in policy.-http://www.red-gate.com/products/dotnet-development/reflector/announcement
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Basically, .NET reflector 7 will become payware, $35. There's a catch, tho. When that version is released, the freeware version will stop working!

A free version will be available for download until the release of Version 7, scheduled for early March. The free version will continue working until May 30, 2011.-http://www.red-gate.com/products/dotnet-development/reflector/announcement-faq
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They're giving users a forum to bitch in give them their opininion, but there are complaints about deleted comments.

We lost a great tool. *sigh*

Renegade:
I'm kind of ambivalent. It must have been a hard decision. But, if it comes to continuing, or discontinuing, $35 is better than not having it at all.

Yes... They promised to keep it free forever, but it looks like it just wasn't possible/practical.

I've been checking their site for a few weeks to see if they'll reverse their decision, but so far, it doesn't look like.

scancode:
Why couldn't they just remove the timebomb and start charging for v7+?

Renegade:
Why couldn't they just remove the timebomb and start charging for v7+?
-scancode (February 20, 2011, 02:18 PM)
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I'd guess because the project is hemorrhaging money, and they need it to at least cover costs, and that's the easiest way to do it.

f0dder:
Well, if they promised it would remain free, then it's only fair to reflect reflector to reflect the timebomb - dead annoying that you have to re-download it every now and then, anyway :)

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