Xojo Pricing Changes

It is not like that. It is more like: how can we get a few more new customers. And there Bugfixing is not the one.

bug fixing is focused on customer retention

Something Geoff has never focused on except once in 2008/9 or so where the was a release that SOLEY fixed bugs and added no new features (TBH I dont believe he thinks fixing bugs would generate revenue because its JUST existing customers that would get the benefit - I think this is a false premise)

I dont believe that was ever repeated

The Rapid Release Model has turned into nothing more than the rapid release of new buggy or incomplete features. That was true when I worked there also so this isnt new.
The original thought, I believe, was that it would release new highly tested & well implemented new features in every release (I didnt work there when it was originally introduced)

That hasn’t turned out to be the case (@MarkusWinter actually predicted this way back then and said it would turn RB, Xojo into a perpetual beta)

So now they focus on new lead and new customer cultivation
Apparently thats easier than changing their work style to do a new features release, bug fix release style tick tock tick tock release schedule

:man_shrugging:

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And still focus not to get people ranting about the company what ever the company does. Tricky. But Bans are working all time.

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Eventually, all possible new customers will have come… and gone. Not a long-term vision, obviously..

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Retaining customers is the core of most businesses
Starbucks isnt the size it is because it flips customers all the time
Or Costco, or Walmart, or Apple

Repeat business is vital. There just arent many businesses I can think of that are “one & done” and can cultivate enough new customers year after year. Even the cemetery where my grandparents, dad and several other from my dads side arent “one & done”. They actually have “family plans” so you can bury several members in close proximity. They want to see your family come back year after year … just NOT as Zombies or anything :slight_smile:

Xojos pricing changes years ago that really turned it into a “subscription” model where you paid more or less full price every time you bought a license hurt that. So now instead of renewing every year with a 50% discount people think twice about it and, I would believe, renew much less frequently. I cant prove that with any public numbers but that wouldnt surprise me in the least.

And so they have no choice but to try & find new customers that will pay full price
And I believe that has really forced them to shift focus more & more away from existing customers & fixing their issues.

For instance, Android support is just barely over 2 years old
Yet there ARE bug reports in their system that are 2-3 years old about this new code (I have a few)

https://tracker.xojo.com/xojoinc/xojo/-/issues/?sort=created_asc&state=opened&label_name[]=Android&label_name[]=Bug&first_page_size=100

This points out 2 things

  1. Rapid Release isnt working as intended - new code ISNT “well written bug free & table the day its released” as intended.
  2. the delay in getting bugs addresses affects everything even brand new “features” like Andorra and they arent getting fixed in a timely manner

BUT we all already knew this

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Actually there are LOTS of them. They are called scams.

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I should clarify
Many “legitimate” businesses :slight_smile:

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In most of the conversations here it seems that either the Xojo developers can bug fix or add new features.

Why can’t it do bug fixing as well as new features addition?

Have been using WinDev where bug fixing and new features addition go hand in hand.

Every release has a few bug fixes and a few new features (which in turn may be very buggy as times).

Have also similar experience with a Delhi VCL called TMS VCL UI Pack. They keep on adding news features as well as adding new features all the time.

Did you use a GUI Framework and which one?

Yes, Windev brings you to the next cage. It is a really small company. The Wlanguage remembers me storngly to basic syntax. And there is the problem: if they end jup you can’t use your code for uture projects. And they are not that big so you can rely on it. Remember: languages like C++, C#, Java and also Python granting long time code use. Java and C and also C++ now for over three decades.

Looking on Windoev it is only a subscription model. Saying this you get a license as long as you pay for it. There is no chance to compile the code with another IDE/COMPILER/TOOLCHAIN. In other words: you are locked in. Looking on C++ and Java (the languages I use mostly) I can change the IDE without any problem (IntelliJ, Eclipse, Netbeans and others, even vsCode is working). You end up in a lock in which is even harder than with Xojo. If they are not getting new customers paying monthly they are dead within a month.

You can even see on their pricings that there is something at least unusual. They have one time fees and every now and then you can get the Software without the one time fees:
Paying 89,- Euro per month (means 1068,- Euro per year). If you end the subscription: your toolchain stops working. And the old Dongle Versions: they told me that they are not selling them anymore while they changed to SAAS model. Okay. One Platform (Desktop for example) is 49,- per year. 588,- Euro. And again: if you stop paying you have no IDE anymore.

But let’s look how this works for Java for example (same is also CLion IDE and RIDER IDE from Jetbrains): stopping the subscription means you are not getting updates anymore but you have the license for use the version until the day you stopped payment. Simply different.

Let’s speek about platforms. How it is going with App notarization and Windev with macOS and iOS? Strong process, isn’t it. And also: how you want to push the App to the iOS Appstore? In most cases it is a drama. You may be faster with flutter/dart. Or using one Codebase with Java and CodenameOne or JavaFX and GluonMobile or using Kotlin Multiplatform. Ah, one thing you’ll need to know: building with Codenameone is free. Only using their BuildServers will cost money.

At the end: I would not risk to have the same amount of lock-in like I have with XoJo. Ahh. No. Xojo is working in the version you paid for when not renewing. At least that.

And how this works for the platforms? And the libs around (the ecosystem) with other languages. Oh man. Java has much more ecosystem around for free. So: I can’t understand why using Windev. And you can only work on: Windows. Not a good Idea at all, you are even locked to one platform. And by the way: iOS and macOS development outside of a mac is always requiring a mac.

For what I was doing I used MS MAUI
Avalonia or Uno would have worked as well

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This is an interesting statement. I still have WinDev 20 installed on my old Laptop and it is still working. Just like VB6 is still working even after M$ discontinued it. And I am not paying a single dim to PCSoft for using it.

This is only for those who do not want to use the dongle.

This applies to every toolchain be in VB6 or Xojo or Delphi or WinDev.

This is wrong because we purchased the dongle version of WinDev 2024 and are not planning to upgrade till 2027 version is launched.

For understanding this, you need to check and use app build in WinDev.

The sheer number of polished features provided in controls in WinDev is just mind boggling.

And to build such feature rich controls in almost all dev platforms that I have used like Xojo, Delphi, FPC, Java, C# would prove to be a very lengthy and costly exercise. So either one has to invest heavily (in terms of time and money) to build such features by self or use a third party library which in most case is a paid library, which again means one will have to shell out more money even if using a free and opensource programming language like Java or FPC or C#.

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Three things: first i can compile Java on every IDE OR EVEN WITH IT’S COMMAND LINE COMPILER.

Second I do t know which paid libs for Java you mean. But I. Think you will provide me with the needed information.

Third: they answered me that they will stop continuing dongle version but hey: I am stupid, never mind

Two things: first, second and third :wink:

(it’s ironic, I don’t meant to blame you, of course)

But you are right. The third arg came and I was not correcting the rest :slight_smile:

I guessed so; it can easily happen :wink:

BTW: any idea why, when I receive a notification of your posts by email, your name appears as “hidden by default”? It started happened today :man_shrugging:

I did not changed anything in the configuration … I HAVE NO IDEA WHY

For troubleshooting, it’d be nice if someone else could confirm the behaviour (is it just me?).

I understand you may not care about it, though.

Got it but it is long time so that it settled to invisible. I have changed this setting and it should now spit out the clear name

I confirm.