Topaz Labs..... (Page 3): I personally have no issue with the way Topaz puts out their updates. I would much rather have an update every week if they had found a security flaw or a...

Ron 717 Loc: Pennsylvania

Blurryeyed wrote:

Worst thing about Topaz Labs are the continuous Updates, it almost seems that I am asked to update 2 to 3 times a month.

I personally have no issue with the way Topaz puts out their updates. I would much rather have an update every week if they had found a security flaw or a function that could cause the app to work slower and cause issues that would effect my work flow. But maybe that's just me.

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

I am happy enough with updates - but Gigapixl puts the new version where God himself couldn't find it - but if He did it would be nicely inlarged

AzYooper Loc: Sun Lakes AZ (Almost Phoenix)

I like improvements. Don't find it to be an inconvenience.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Blurryeyed wrote:

Worst thing about Topaz Labs are the continuous Updates, it almost seems that I am asked to update 2 to 3 times a month.

Oh, you mean like Microsoft ! ?

gessman Loc: Colorado

DaveO wrote:

Free if you have an active "subscription."

I have never participated in a discussion with anyone from Topaz about a "subscription" until yesterday when I was told that my SharpenAI subscription was expiring. It was news to me. My only arrangement with Topaz until AI came along was that all updates were at no expense to me and I could install my downloads on as many computers as I chose to. Suddenly, all that changed when they saw an opportunity to incorporate what is being called Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their programs in response to the release of Photolemuer which doesn't fit the definition of AI as it existed when we first became aware of it 40 to 50 years ago, something I dabbled in the programming of in the early 1980s. I am a fan of frequent updates but not necessarily a fan of companies that shift the cost of their R&D to keep them competitive in the market from the company to the customers in conflict with the original agreement between the two although I do realize that often it becomes a matter of necessity. I will remain a fan of Topaz.

SafetySam Loc: Colorado

I just received a update notice BUT since my year updates were up as of August 1st, they want a $49 fee for another year of updates.
$99 if you want to update all the Topaz products in the year or $49 for each you have.
Guess it’s back to a semi subscription with Topaz . .

gessman Loc: Colorado

SafetySam wrote:

I just received a update notice BUT since my year updates were up as of August 1st, they want a $49 fee for another year of updates.
$99 if you want to update all the Topaz products in the year or $49 for each you have.
Guess it’s back to a semi subscription with Topaz . .

Sounds like we enjoyed equal treatment this time around except they offered me a discount price of $63 for the upcoming year's updates as opposed to the $99 they want from you, not exactly equal treatment, I'd say.

SafetySam Loc: Colorado

Must be the zip code . . wonder the difference?

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

gessman wrote:

Yep, just yesterday. I'm a long time user, select... (show quote)

Sorry you have to keep searching. Look for 'coupons', etc. and you will find something. The Topaz website can also, apparently, detect that you are searching for a better price (AI???) and they will offer you a 'best deal' of a few dollars instead of tens of dollars per upgrade.

To me, this is still better than outright 'renting' the software like Adobe monthly subscriptions.

gessman Loc: Colorado

Paul Diamond wrote:

Sorry you have to keep searching. Look for 'coupons', etc. and you will find something. The Topaz website can also, apparently, detect that you are searching for a better price (AI???) and they will offer you a 'best deal' of a few dollars instead of tens of dollars per upgrade.

To me, this is still better than outright 'renting' the software like Adobe monthly subscriptions.

I wasn't and haven't been searching for anything to do with Topaz. I've been content to use the non-updated versions I have and wasn't planning to update anymore so the only thing they may have detected is that I wasn't playing the new game in a manner convenient to them and I took it to be a need for a donation and served one up in appreciation for all the previous years of satisfied service from them.

Your last comment appears to support a belief that we end users "own" software which would be contrary to the reality - we as users never own their software - we merely pay for a license to use it and how, with Topaz, that differs from Adobe is a matter of semantics and pretty meaningless. They've figured a way to have a renewable source of income and it is in our better interest to play along so they don't go out of business, something that would not be a good thing for most end users. At 84 I figure I'll be the one out of business before most software producers. My association with computers began in the late '60s as a programmer/analyst. I have done my fair share and I may even have an even greater appreciation for what they do than many other folks might. As a software junkie I appreciate every bit of the effort that someone else does that produces software that performs a useful task I want to get done. They usually earn their keep.