Fab's AutoBackup 6 Pro - a must have tool for techs

@fabs may I add a feature request? Make the GUI more modern. Kind of like the flat Metro style and make it so we can completely change the background.

With that being said, you mentioned you were going to put those requested features in version 7, so, now they aren't going to be, what can we expect to be in version 7 then?
 
Your PCMD said:
@fabs may I add a feature request? Make the GUI more modern. Kind of like the flat Metro style and make it so we can completely change the background.

With that being said, you mentioned you were going to put those requested features in version 7, so, now they aren't going to be, what can we expect to be in version 7 then?
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The GUI is already metro style in my opinion. Not everything that is right but most of it. It is already possible to change almost all colors and logos, what is wrong with that?

About V7 exclusive features, I am exploring VSS snapshots (allows backups while apps are running) and ability to restore several user profiles in one operation. That is just ideas at the moment.
 
Well,

All this stuff is very time consuming for me. All of you may know that I am coding Fab’s AutoBackup on my spare time, which means less time for my family and I.

I have been weak regarding these cloud services features because I broke under inquiries about it.

If I was selling as well as I used to do, there should not be any problem for me adding such big stuff. Today, a Fab’s AutoBackup sale means a new customer. Most of Technibblers already have their copies, the others are just not interrested and this is my main distributing channel. So, everything I add in Fab’s Autobackup today, I do it for free since updates do not bring me much more sales and they are just decreasing more every day. I also cannot afford advertising, so, this is not a solution either.

I know that most of you will be very disappointed to ear that : all of this cloud stuff has to be in Fab’s AutoBackup 7 instead of 6 or I will have nothing interesting to put on the table.

I am really sorry for teasing you like that and finally jumping backward but if you really support me and my product, I hope you will understand my point of view.
 
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@fabs I totally agree and understand. But it seems your selling yourself too short IMO. While yes, we have our copies, that does not mean you could not make money off of version 7. Adding all those new features would be in my mind considered addons. Sell them as such. Version 6 is fine for most, but version 7 with the additional features should be a paid upgrade - $10, $20, $25 perhaps? Some people here would agree with me, some wouldn't. But if they want new features and your willing to do them, then charge for them.

Think of it like this. If you just now created the program with all the features now and what you going to add, how much would you sell it for? If you say $75, then you should charge a upgrade fee of $25 for those wanting the new features. (based on the $50 I paid with the discount you graciously provided us TN's a while back). I am sure I would find the new features very handy - if not now, in the future so I would have no issue paying for the upgrades/addons.

Just my 2 copper.....
 
Your PCMD said:
@fabs I totally agree and understand. But it seems your selling yourself too short IMO. While yes, we have our copies, that does not mean you could not make money off of version 7.
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That is not what I meant. Of course version 7 will be fine to make money, even for V6 customers who will want to upgrade if new features are worth it. The problem I had is that I was adding the features to V6 because of the time required for me to make a new V7 and current customers that would not want to wait that long for them.
The most valuable for me now is to keep these features for V7. When it will be out, current customers could ask for a discount if I sell it the same way as V6. I admit I am thinking about subscription plan with a very low price (I think about a price around $7 per month). That would not harm businesses that make money from the software and much more valuable for me, even with a small percentage of subscribers among my current customers. This is something I have to think about since that is not easy to do with the online shop I am running now.
 
fabs said:
I am thinking about subscription plan
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That would be fine. However, heres what you would be up against with current customers. "Will my copy of FABs suddenly after a patch get locked until I start paying the subscription?" OR do you intend on making the subscription for version 7 moving forward? If so, are you going to continue to update version 6 for bug fixes if found or make everyone port over to version 7? These are just some of the questions out of many that would probably arise.

The issue is that many of us don't always use FABs while online. I know I don't. So in order to check if the program has a subscription, you'd have to be online.
 
There will be no nuke of Fab's AutoBackup 6. It will still be maintained for bug fixes. Subscription would only be for V7. I know I cannot force a continuous internet connection for it. What can be done is to start it sometimes online (let's say once in a month) so it can check the subscription validity and then continue to work offline.
 
fabs said:
There will be no nuke of Fab's AutoBackup 6. It will still be maintained for bug fixes. Subscription would only be for V7. I know I cannot force a continuous internet connection for it. What can be done is to start it sometimes online (let's say once in a month) so it can check the subscription validity and then continue to work offline.
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How about a license # that has an expiration date?
Add a grace period of x weeks (or whatever).
You can copy the expiration file onto your off-line media.
Perhaps UVK is using this technique ... I cannot say for sure.
 
allanc said:
How about a license # that has an expiration date?
Add a grace period of x weeks (or whatever).
You can copy the expiration file onto your off-line media.
Perhaps UVK is using this technique ... I cannot say for sure.
Click to expand...
That is another way to explore.
 
allanc said:
How about a license # that has an expiration date?
Click to expand...
^ This +1 because if someone pays $7 for one month and you "check the subscription validity - once a month" it wouldn't matter because they simply wouldn't connect to the internet to validate it.

The ONLY problem I would see is date reversal. The old trick of fooling software into thinking its new is to set the bios and system time date back. Most people whom get the subscription would be legit, but you know there are bound to be some that wouldn't.
 
Your PCMD said:
^ This +1 because if someone pays $7 for one month and you "check the subscription validity - once a month" it wouldn't matter because they simply wouldn't connect to the internet to validate it.

The ONLY problem I would see is date reversal. The old trick of fooling software into thinking its new is to set the bios and system time date back. Most people whom get the subscription would be legit, but you know there are bound to be some that wouldn't.
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There are third party software licensing solutions that are designed to try to combat this type of funny stuff.
However, as we all know, there will be the serious hacker who will succeed.
 
I have no problem paying for software, and I certainly want to support Fabs. For me, I'm getting to a point with subscriptions that I'm moving away from products & services that require them. I understand my voice in this discussion doesn't carry much weight, but I would support almost any other option before a subscription model.
 
Your PCMD said:
And its those SOB's I hate.
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I know, I know.
Years and years ago I was a self-employed s/w developer.
Well, I suppose there are two main separate issues (IMHO).
Potential loss of revenue (from hacking the licensing code, back-dating, etc.) and someone possibly reverse engineering and stealing the code and profiting from the same.
If sales/renewals/whatever are fairly frequent then I don't think that the loss of revenue in scenario # 1 would be significant.
 
Mike McCall said:
I have no problem paying for software, and I certainly want to support Fabs. For me, I'm getting to a point with subscriptions that I'm moving away from products & services that require them. I understand my voice in this discussion doesn't carry much weight, but I would support almost any other option before a subscription model.
Click to expand...
Do you consider an annual maintenance fee that includes updates/upgrades to be a 'subscription' or is it merely semantics?
 
allanc said:
Do you consider an annual maintenance fee that includes updates/upgrades to be a 'subscription' or is it merely semantics?
Click to expand...
Oh, it's probably semantics to some degree. I would prefer to see something that would include patches/updates for the first year after purchase. A reasonable (whatever that might be) yearly charge for patches/updates. A product that continues to function unimpeded should I opt not to pay the yearly fee.

I'm old, so I recall purchasing a license to use software, which included all the .x.x stuff at no additional charge. Major version changes like 1.0 - 2.0 required a discounted upgrade fee rather than a complete repurchasing. That said, I certainly can see the difficulty of working with such a model and am not suggesting it's viable or desirable. What I am saying is, I've developed an aversion to monthly fees/subscriptions which are so pervasive. Making a single purchase of a product or service is getting scarce. Even Amazon wants us to subscribe to laundry soap! Enough with the subscriptions already!
 
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