*Resolved* - Pirate Software Dilemma

[Cloq]

*Update*

Long story short, Foxit email support wasn't very helpful so I decided to call their tech support and explained my situation. Even though the software was obsolete, they were kind enough to provide another key for the obsolete software since I owned the software and the update was a minor revision (my assumption).

Kudos to Foxit! Wonder if it because 'tis the season to share and be nice (Santa is watching) or was Foxit actually caring for their customers? Whatever the reason, I am glad things worked out and I didn't have to obtain it from other means.
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First off, I do own a license for an older version of the software and have the means to purchase an "upgrade". I wish I could stay with the version I have but it doesn't supports newer pdfs made by various free pdf printers.

The problem is that the company no longer offers the version I want. They want you to purchase the "latest" version which isn't to my liking (bloated and no longer portable). They "upgraded" the version to an "Advanced" edition and no longer offer the basic.

Only pirate sites offer the older version (but newer than the one I own) of the software that I need.

The software in question is Foxit PDF Editor. It's a nice simple portable editor that allows me to do basic functions edit/deleting/modifying pdf pages.

What to do?

[TaoPhoenix]

(Corporate line)
Too bad. We know better than you. Pay for the new version or be miserable. We like it like that.

[superboyac]

If you were satisfied with the service that you paid for and have the trust that the company is meeting your needs, why not pay them more for the newer version?  If not, don't bother getting a new version.  it's not the company's fault that things move on in the world and the company has to change accordingly.  Now, in your case (like, if I were you) I'd be pissed that they removed a convenient feature like portability.  So i would not want to pay for it again because it tells me that they are ignoring useful features that are desired by the customer base, and instead implementing non-desired features and hyping them up to make it seem more "advanced".

This is, it seems, the proper way to prevent these companies from bullying the customer base.  Over the years it seems as though it has become very easy for a company to be successful by ignoring what the users want, and that is really the opposite of what leads to a healthy economy.  They use very intentional bullying tactics.  When Acrobat X is hyping 3D features in the latest version, that is marketing bullying.  Why?  Because they remove things that users want, and they act like this 3D thing (that NOBODY uses) is a big deal and worth all these hundreds of dollars extra.  They don't go out of their way to mention the things they remove.  And they remove them because of copyright issues.  I'm convinced now that copyright issues and usefulness of a program are practically incompatible.  If a developer is trying to implement a feature and thinks about a balance between copyright stuff and usefull stuff...it won't be useful.  You have to ignore copyright to make it useful.  This is the catch 22 of today's marketplace.  Companies want as much money as possible with as little interaction with their userbase as possible.  And they are winning because users normally don't speak up, and you need a lot to speak up intentionally for the noise to be heard over the $$$$.

Why do I like a company like RightNote?  They listen to the users at (supposedly) their own copyright expense.  They make the users feel good.  Hey, can there be a portable version?  Sure, here's one a month later.  Hey, is there a way for it to link to Evernote, but still use Evernote and have it sync up properly (quite a request!!)?  Sure, here it is a month later.  This is a company that will get repeat customers, and gladly at that.

Now let's take Evernote.  Once had a snappy, portable version and everything.  Not anymore.  Think that pleased the hardcore users?  However, it sure benefits them to move to the cloud.  Not that the product is bad or anything, but the history of events made me lose my trust a little with them.  They also made it harder to get the data out of evernote and into other things.  So would I pay for it again?  probably not, unless my back was up against the wall.  And they should pay that price.  But they won't because I'm in the severe minority.

Companies that remove useful features from now on get the F-U from me.  because that is what they are saying to us.

[Dormouse]

Now let's take Evernote.  Once had a snappy, portable version and everything.  Not anymore.  Think that pleased the hardcore users?  However, it sure benefits them to move to the cloud.  Not that the product is bad or anything, but the history of events made me lose my trust a little with them.  They also made it harder to get the data out of evernote and into other things.  So would I pay for it again?  probably not, unless my back was up against the wall.  And they should pay that price.  But they won't because I'm in the severe minority.

OTT, but I think this is somewhat unfair on Evernote.
The company was taken over and the new owners explicitly rebuilt the software so it could work in the cloud. Looks like a good call, given the the increase in their userbase and the effective demise of many of their previous competitors who stayed as they were. And, unlike the previous owners who sold out, they aren't asking you to pay - they offer it entirely free unless you do want to use the cloud sync for more than 60MB a month.
And, if you want it entirely portable, you can go HERE. btw, Evernote don't recommend working it off a flash drive because of the risk of database corruption.

[flamerz]

i will close my mouth for talking about foxit... very dissapointed with them.

[Renegade]

I make my living from software. I sell my own software, and work on technical materials for mobile platforms. Just so you know who this is coming from...

I say go for it. You paid. You deserve the use of the software that you paid for.

[eleman]

I also say go for it. Obviously they are not interested in selling what you want, so they shouldn't mind if you go to a competitor (i.e. pirate). And don't have a burden on your conscience, because you honestly wanted to pay for the software, but they wouldn't take your money.

If all comes to worst, we won't tell anyone

[tslim]

Now let's take Evernote.  Once had a snappy, portable version and everything.  Not anymore.  Think that pleased the hardcore users?  However, it sure benefits them to move to the cloud.  Not that the product is bad or anything, but the history of events made me lose my trust a little with them.  They also made it harder to get the data out of evernote and into other things.  So would I pay for it again?  probably not, unless my back was up against the wall.  And they should pay that price.  But they won't because I'm in the severe minority.

OTT, but I think this is somewhat unfair on Evernote.
The company was taken over and the new owners explicitly rebuilt the software so it could work in the cloud. Looks like a good call, given the the increase in their userbase and the effective demise of many of their previous competitors who stayed as they were. And, unlike the previous owners who sold out, they aren't asking you to pay - they offer it entirely free unless you do want to use the cloud sync for more than 60MB a month.
And, if you want it entirely portable, you can go HERE. btw, Evernote don't recommend working it off a flash drive because of the risk of database corruption.

Until today, I am still using the last version of the old Evernote.
I did pay (one-month) to try the latest Evernote then I finally give up...

The new Evernote application
Pros:
1. Cloud means portable and more convenient
2. You can search within a Note after it is brought up for editing.

Cons:
Everything else not listed in the Pros list are basically downgraded, particularly the Tag hierarchy tree.

[Cloq]

@Renegade

I will attempt another strategy with Foxit, dowgrade rights. Hopefully they will allow me downgrade rights and provide me with their last version of PDF editor. The price better be cheaper since it is "obsolete" and non-supported software.

@eleman

Yes, I am leaning towards obtaining the software from alternate means if Foxit is unable to provide a working solution.

[mwb1100]

The price better be cheaper

They might grant you downgrade rights, but I'd be very surprised if they give you a break on the price because of it.  The way they'd look at it would probably along the lines of: you're buying the latest version, but if *you* decide you'd like to use something older, that's up to you.

[Tinman57]

First off, I do own a license for an older version of the software and have the means to purchase an "upgrade". I wish I could stay with the version I have but it doesn't supports newer pdfs made by various free pdf printers.

The problem is that the company no longer offers the version I want. They want you to purchase the "latest" version which isn't to my liking (bloated and no longer portable). They "upgraded" the version to an "Advanced" edition and no longer offer the basic.

Only pirate sites offer the older version (but newer than the one I own) of the software that I need.

The software in question is Foxit PDF Editor. It's a nice simple portable editor that allows me to do basic functions edit/deleting/modifying pdf pages.

What to do?

This seems to be the norm for software now day, which is why I say "Thank god for hackers".
  Have you looked at PDF Xchange Viewer yet?  I dumped Foxit in favor of it.