EDUCATIONAL VERSION IS A SCAM

[tombempty]

I might be opening a can of worms here for the rest of the world but I happen to know for a fact that THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FULL VERSION AND THE EDUCATIONAL VERSION. This was haunting me for a while until I got in touch with a few people in my field and did some investigating. As it turns out, this is a marketing scam to get you to belive this to get you to WANT the "Full" version.

Sheesh

Sorry for the rant, I just had too do this because I was getting tired of hearing this term flipped around like some kind of threat.

[jhb]

I have not purchased the flash mx educational version yet, but from past experience (flash 5) it was no different than any other version to my knowledge. Also, where I attend college they are getting it around the first of April and it is expected to be $99 for the "full version" or perhaps the only version.

[skipintro]

Originally posted by tombempty
I might be opening a can of worms here for the rest of the world but I happen to know for a fact that THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FULL VERSION AND THE EDUCATIONAL VERSION. This was haunting me for a while until I got in

Of course they have no programmatic differences, Student vs. Full isn't like Trial vs. Full. What is being traded here for the $100 savings is the right to make money off what you create with the Student version of the license.

Most importantly, it is an excellent way to provide a more affordable version for classwork as that general is not used for commercial purposes.

If you have no need to make money off of or otherwise commercially distribute what you make in MX and you are a student, then by all means get the $99 educational price!

[Abelius]

skipintro:
Nice first post, I fully agree with you...

[tombempty]

I do not debate that it is an excelent option but when people are doubting on buying it because they feel that they will not get the full fetured product there is a problem. When I did not know the difference I looked on the web, asked around and I found that out of the 10 people I asked 7 of them said that the edu version did not have all the bells and whistles of the comercial one. 2 said it was the same as the full and 1 did not know. I am a student and felt kinda betrayed in beliving that this was a lesser version. I also kept hearing it over and over from different people until I met a marketing director of a software company. He stated that it was made up orginally by microsoft to 1) Give students a break and 2) give people the impression that there is more in the ful version so that they would unknowingly buy the full license.

I do agree skip that is is and excelent option just a misleading one.

[skipintro]

Originally posted by tombempty

I do agree skip that is is and excelent option just a misleading one.

First off, I did a quick search on the macromedia site and found this link: http://www.macromedia.com/support/se...du_license.htm

I think that quite clear states what they consider educational pricing is still full featured.

I understand why you felt misled, and yes, Macromedia's accounting department will always prefer getting a full version sale over a student version. However, I do not believe that they create a student version just so they can get people to buy the full version. If that was their goal then they wouldn't even make a student version. The name doesn't imply limits of features, it implies limits of who can use it and any other inference by you without asking Macromedia themselves can't be held against Macromedia.

MM has positioned the flash player so well that it is in almost every browser now. This driven primarily by enabling as many people as possible to learn how to develop flash. Not everyone can afford the full version price tag, and in the demographic that can't afford it but wants to buy it are a high percentage of students and teachers. Since most colleges and other educational institutions do not have a need to publish commercialized products, Macromedia has followed a clear industry trend in offering a more affordable educational solution while protecting its investments in the commercial market.

In the vast world of information available on the internet it's easy to be misled if you don't start looking in the right place.

Here's that link again in case you've read this whole thing: http://www.macromedia.com/support/se...du_license.htm

skip

[bit-101]

oh, come on. grow up. wake up. go into a college bookstore/software store. you will find educational versions of just about every program out there. they are all exactly the same thing as the full version. they are cheaper so students can afford them. that's a good thing. you need evidence that you are a student to get them. you are not supposed to used them for commercial purposes. pretty much everyone who has been around software for a while knows this. don't make it into a big conspiracy by macromedia. (leave the conspiracies to microsoft )

[gSOLO_01]

everyone knows the edu versions are full versions. well maybe not everyone. marketing scam, give me a break. it's an offer to full time students/teachers who need the software for classes but don't have the ~$500 for each of the softwares they need for each class. and again you're limited to non commercial use, think about how many full time students are using this software to make money. and if you are using it to make money, you can afford to buy the full version/upgrade, if not you're in the wrong line of work and need to concentrate on your full time school studies.

Originally posted by skipintro
The name doesn't imply limits of features, it implies limits of who can use it

exactly.

Education version products are intended for training purposes only and may not be used for any commercial purpose

Who can purchase from the Macromedia Education Store?
The Macromedia Education Store allows qualified educational end users in the United States to purchase Education versions of Macromedia products at a reduced price. Education end users are full-time students, faculty, staff and employees of bona fide educational institutions, consisting of Elementary, Middle, Junior High and High Schools, Junior Colleges, Private and State Colleges and Universities.

[Bapha]

Hi have to agree with bit-101

It would seem you haven't had much experience with software before so I recommend you dont tell the world about that fact.


[Edited by Bapha on 03-12-2002 at 07:48 PM]

[tombempty]

Well,
Maybe I better re think this then. I was not picking on MM inparticular, Just the concept as a whole.

I guess I will think twice on this.

Thanks for the input and debate.

pm

[Pishposh30]

They sell the educational ver. cheaper so more people will learn the software. The theory is if they allow people to learn it cheap and they like it they'll go out and buy a commercial ver. adding to the profit of the company. The only diff is the liscenes(sp?). The edu doesn't let you legaly "publish commercialized products" so if you want to make money off flash you legal need the commercial ver(which of course cost more).

So by having an edu ver. of flash they are hoping to get more people to buy the commercial ver. Which makes MM richer.

The only reason the edu ver. doesn't cost less is because MM knows that if it did, no one would buy the commercial ver. they'd just violate the liscen(sp?) of the edu ver. Besides who really reads them anyways!

[nerv_03]

yup, i agree with bit-101. As a student, the cheaper prices are a great on our budgets considering some of us who work part time to pay for our $100,000+ tuition (for 4 years). I've experienced both educational and full version software and there are no differences in content or functionality. It's only the licensing (at least to my experience)... as for marketing schemes, I'm not going to tread into that territory or say anything about that.

[swampy]

let me get this straight. People are complaining that you can buy a fully functioning version of the software at a fraction of the price if you buy an educational licence ?



sheesh.

[bit-101]

tomb, sorry to jump on you there. there's just been so many rumors and misinformation and warez talk and illegal copies and all this other crap surrounding mx, i just couldn't stand the thought of a new scandal being started!

now you know about educational software. if you are a student, go for it. otherwise, be a professional and get the full version.

[tombempty]

Thanks for picking that up and dont worry about it. I got pounded enough in here today anyway that I don;t feel a thing

Thanks for all your inout though

[bit-101]

Originally posted by tombempty
I got pounded enough in here today anyway that I don;t feel a thing

oh....now i really feel bad....

[tombempty]

Aw geez, No worries. I did not mean for it to be that way.

[mwilber]

Just to throw a little twist in the thread. Why to SW companies have to charge at all for the educational version. I just got out of college but while I was there I couldn't afford to shell out $100 dollars for flash, let alone the dozen or so other programs I needed on a regular basis.

I personally think that a valid student ID should be payment enough for a "for educational purposes only" version. Especially when it's us students that recommend their software to big businesses later on.

These companies should be greatful to have the free advertising, yet they can't resist to squeeze every little bit they can from our wallets.

[bit-101]

i disagree. why should you get a free ride just because you are a student? a discount is good.

[mwilber]

Originally posted by bit-101
i disagree. why should you get a free ride just because you are a student? a discount is good.

So you don't think a student's future commercial contribution to software sales is payment enough? Then why have a student discount in the first place?