PM Plus Beta not working without valid PM 6 activation

[ruimleal]

Just install version 6 Plus beta and it asks for a valid PM6 activation, how can we test this if we do not have version 6 yet?

Does this means PM Plus is an add-on to PM6 and cannot work as a standalone app?

Thank you

[Mick O (Camera Bits)]

Hello,

The Limited Public Beta will only work for current Photo Mechanic 6 licenses.  Photo Mechanic Plus is not an add-on, though.  It includes all Photo Mechanic features and when it is released, it will be available as a standalone purchase OR as an upgrade from Photo Mechanic.  Price has not yet been announced.

-Mick

[syncrasy]

Hello,

The Limited Public Beta will only work for current Photo Mechanic 6 licenses.  Photo Mechanic Plus is not an add-on, though.  It includes all Photo Mechanic features and when it is released, it will be available as a standalone purchase OR as an upgrade from Photo Mechanic.  Price has not yet been announced.

-Mick

Hi Mick,

I've been thinking about this policy of requiring a PM6 license for the PM Plus beta, and the more I think about it, the less I understand it. I'm a Media Pro user/refugee who has never needed Photo Mechanic, so I don't have a PM6 license, but I am a prospective PM Plus customer. It would seem to me that, if Camera Bits is actively seeking input on a standalone product (PM Plus), prospective customers should not have to purchase an entirely different product they will never use (PM6) and is not even required to run PM Plus. In other words, why should I pay for a product that I will never use (PM6) to test a product (PM Plus) that might actually not be a suitable replacement for Media Pro?

I sincerely hope that you reconsider your policy for the PM Plus Beta and open it up to all users (without a PM6 license). I think this will attract many more experienced DAM users who can give you better feedback on the beta and allow you to make PM Plus a better product. This would be consistent with the "try before you buy" policy that Camera Bits has used for PM6. Why not for PM Plus?

[Mick O (Camera Bits)]

This would be consistent with the "try before you buy" policy that Camera Bits has used for PM6. Why not for PM Plus?

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the feedback. I can see where you're coming from, but this is not the same as an evaluation or trial. When Photo Mechanic Plus is actually available for purchase it is will be available for free 30 day trial at that time. For the time being we're collecting input from people who know and use Photo Mechanic first.  Getting feedback from people who have never used Photo Mechanic would have some value, certainly, but for this first beta, this is the course we feel makes the most sense to get actionable response.  I understand some people may disagree with this, but this is where we are right now.

Mick

(Edit to add: We will be reading all the feedback such as yours as we consider our next steps. So, thank you for your civil request :-)

[syncrasy]

This would be consistent with the "try before you buy" policy that Camera Bits has used for PM6. Why not for PM Plus?

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the feedback. I can see where you're coming from, but this is not the same as an evaluation or trial. When Photo Mechanic Plus is actually available for purchase it is will be available for free 30 day trial at that time. For the time being we're collecting input from people who know and use Photo Mechanic first.  Getting feedback from people who have never used Photo Mechanic would have some value, certainly, but for this first beta, this is the course we feel makes the most sense to get actionable response.  I understand some people may disagree with this, but this is where we are right now.

Mick

(Edit to add: We will be reading all the feedback such as yours as we consider our next steps. So, thank you for your civil request :-)

Thanks, Mick. (I realized after I posted that the full PM Plus release will get the usual 30 day trial). My concern (perhaps unfounded) is that DAM design/feature decisions will have become so "baked in" by the time the PM Plus is officially released, that the opinions of experienced DAM/catalog users will no longer carry much weight.

For example, while looking at the beta screenshots in the Read Me file I find myself scratching my head about certain design/UI decisions and wondering whether a certain critical DAM feature is missing or just not listed, and if missing, whether a novice DAM user will even know to request it during beta. Of course, if I had the software to try, those head-scratcher designs might make more sense and I could verify the feature set myself, but without access, I am left to speculate and draw hasty conclusions.

[bsmialowski]

It is disappointing to see that a PM6 purchase is necessary to participate in this beta. Not to minimize the value of Blue-ray disc burning, but PM6 doesn't seem to offer much over 5. In fact I have found PM6 a bit buggy, clunky in full screen mode, and inefficient with its new "streamlined" UI. None of the features seem to justify the cost of an upgrade. The catalog features seemed interesting and worth investigating. It is too bad they will be delayed for some of us. I understand that once out of beta the PM+ will be available for trial. However you're missing out on good feedback. I am one of those photogs who uses PM for daily work but relies on other programs for archiving. This just encourages me to continue to look elsewhere. -Brendan

[ruimleal]

Hi Mick,

thank for clearing this out. It seems that having this the way you're looking at it right now will loose a lot of impact and input fro a lot of other sources has Mark referred here. If we take in to account that most of the people here are using Lightroom and were drag to it over beta testing then I feel it should be open o anyone this PM+, also would attract a lot more people to the software and the feedback would be from the newbie to the Pro.

I understand your point of view on the closed beta, but as Brendan referred here, I'm also one of the people who do not like PM6 either for the slowness and for the new UI design that I never got any beta to test and give my opinions on it. I'm also a pro photographer using PPM from longtime ago and v6 is the only version I feel it could have been a great release if there were sent any beta to us to test it out instead of pushing us to buy a new version without any really new features and paying a lot of money for it, not to mentioned the promised and advertised speed that I never got and the ugly UI ala 1989. I also believe that the new PM6 did not came to help us out, for me, it came out to keep us out! So much time waiting for a new version that it backfired 

I think you should put PM+ as a full beta so you can get the max input from everyone just like Lightroom did on the first beta versions and by the looks of it on the forum you're still struggling hard with the database, maybe more opinions would ease out the things as most of the PM users never got or use a database to begin with.

My 2 cents on this matter, I'm still on hold for PM6 until you guys change the way the UI looks and the so promised "lighting speed" on Mac.

[Kirk Baker]

My 2 cents on this matter, I'm still on hold for PM6 until you guys change the way the UI looks and the so promised "lighting speed" on Mac.

What would you want changed about how the UI looks?  Your comment is too vague for us to do anything actionable whatsoever.  The speed problem that only affects Wide Gamut Retina displays will be fixed.

I need specifics.  Without them I could try dozens of redesigns and never know what appeals to you.  We've received a number of positive comments on the UI in PM6 and few critical comments.

-Kirk