MC14 Upgrade(?) policiy

[bkeeler-disable]

I see a "fantastic" deal for upgrading to MCad 14. I thought I was getting a pretty good deal when I upgraded to version 12 with all of the extensions. After I did that (too late), many users here told me that the software was unstable and unpredictable. Of course, I was posting here because I had experienced some of that.

Now reading the upgrade policy for version 14 I am left with the impression that you get the current release, and no future releases (no bug fixes)- you're stuck with what you originally got for $99.00 whatever that turns out to be. Is that right?

I have never heard of such a policy before from any company; so consider this a sanity check (for me, if I am wrong, or for PTC if this is indeed the policy). I don't want to end up with another unusable piece of software, and a bunch of wasted effort with no results to show for it.

And I don't want: "Here's a great deal on some awesome software! But if you want to get software that actually works reliably, you have to pay 10 times what we're offering as a promotional price for junk software."

Thanks,

Bill

[StuartBruff]

As far as I'm aware, buying Mathcad offers you no rights to upgrades as a single-licence user. You need to get a maintenance package to allow that.

However, whilst M14 does have problems (it still has SUC), it is by no means an unusable or, IME, unreliable piece of software. It certainly knocks the socks off M12 and it would have to be a pretty exacting definition of utility that would categorize it as "junk".

Stuart

[RichardJ]

If you have MC12 now, then you should pay the $99 for MC14. MC14 is way better than MC12. The reason they are offering it cheap is probably that MC15 is due out later this year. Based on available information though, MC15 will have no significant improvements over MC14, just bug fixes.

Richard

[bkeeler-disable]

I have been reading other threads and wonder how bad my MC12 really is when I find out that MC14 doesn't even shut down when it's closed. Sounds like an "upgrade circus" to me. I guess it's a matter of trading off one bunch of bugs for another.

I find it incredible that a bug like actually shutting down isn't fixed until a whole new version (and not a patch) comes out!!!

Bill

[RichardJ]

On 4/27/2010 8:51:45 PM, bkeeler wrote:
>I have been reading other
>threads and wonder how bad my
>MC12 really is when I find out
>that MC14 doesn't even shut
>down when it's closed.

That is true only for 035 service release. You can't even get that unless you have a Maintenance agreement, and wouldn't want it even if you did. MC12 is the worst version of Mathcad for as far back as I can remember. For $99, upgrade.

Richard

[rmix22-disabled]

On 4/25/2010 1:38:09 AM, bkeeler wrote:

>Now reading the upgrade policy
>for version 14 I am left with
>the impression that you get
>the current release, and no
>future releases (no bug

Even worse - I think you won't get the current release but probably MC14 M020. So you miss some bugfixes (MC030 is able to integate x*ln(x) symbolically correctly) but you would also miss the shutdown bug (introduced in 035) mentiond in a later post by you.

If you are still with MC12 the offer of buying a single user version for the price of a student version might be of interest and agood deal nonetheless.

I agree that PTC is a company thats hard to deal with and the current policy of supplying bugfixes (not additional features) to customers who have additionally paid for maintenance only is IMHO far away fom being OK. But they are making the rules and it's your decision if you want to play with them.
With Mathcad 15 which is scheduled for coming June (and in reality seems to be MC14_M040) the policy is changed a bit to a little more customer friendlyness. Maintenance for one year is included if you buy MC15. At least thats what I understood from some posts.

And, no - MC14 is not a piece of unusable software, I think. You will just be disappointed if you rely on symbolically evaluated definite integrals.

So its your choice of buying a cheap MC14M020, waiting for MC15 in June or even for MC Prime at the end of this year. Staying with Version 12? If you are happy with it, why not. But most people here aren't.

RMix

[RichardJ]

On 4/28/2010 9:50:05 AM, rmix22 wrote:

>You will
>just be disappointed if you rely on
>symbolically evaluated definite
>integrals.

Keep both versions installed. That way you have access to the Maple and Mupad symbolic engines (this is what I do).

Richard