Karaoke Forums

Hi All,
This is just my personal feeling/opinion about this situation.
LESS than 3 WEEKS after purchasing Microstudio 3.004 for $40.00, MTU released Microstudio 4.000. After many attempts of trying to reach them to find out about an upgrade, I was told I need to purchase a new registration code for another $40.00 to upgrade. This really cheesed me off. I've been trying ever since to contact them via email but no response. Where is the customer satisfaction? After all they have been a reputable company since 1977. There is no way I gonna let MTU double dip into my pockets and I'll never buy another MTU product AGAIN.
Sorry about my ranting and raving but I do feel a little better now.
Happy Karaokeing.

I agree.

If it had been 2.x to 3.x, it wouldn't have bothered me so much. But they released 3.x and after less than a year orphaned it.

I also bought 3.004, after having bought 2.x. I does tick me off, and I will not buy 4.0 -- I will try PowerKaraoke instead.  To pay them three times for the same program seems pretty darned ridiculous.

If it was an outstanding program, it would bother me less. But their user interface probably changed yet again to some non-standard, unique, inconsistent new interface with incomprehensible dialog boxes inserted apparently just to make you click your mouse.

The underlying algorithms are good, I think. But no more. I will try something else.

I don't understand what you're complaining about.  You bought 3.xxx, you got 3.xxx, 3.xxx works as advertised (yes?), yet you are unhappy?  Did you or do you work in law enforcement?

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Okay, who took my pants?

what does THAT have to do with anything?

I use a lesser product even though a newer one is out.

Are they not supporting the older 3.xx version? I could understand being upset if they stopped ALL the support for lower versions... but if you want the brand new version and they released it, then upgrade! Simple!

Are you going to take back your milk you bought at 2.49 a gallon because a month later you saw it for $1.99??

sheesh!

I think the proper thing for MTU to do in this case and future upgrades or re writes of their programs is to post very visibable that a NEW VERISION will be available in 3 weeks. This upgrades take months to test and the know well in advance of any new improvements coming forth.  NOW IF THEY DID THAT ....than thats too bad and the buyer must be aware and READ their website.

I agree that if you searched and were happy with buying 3.004 than you got what you paid for....simple......  They could offer you and other current customers  a discount to upgrade...but thats a business decision that in this case has cost them a customer and some bad presss.

MTU e-mailed out discount certificates to all current customers to their registered e-mail addresses. I know, I got one for $10.00 off, and another for $5.00 off. They also offer a free demo so you can see what you are getting before purchase.  I don't know of any software Mfg that automatcally bills you for a product when a new one comes out, I believe you have to make the decision, and purchase yourself.

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

It is pretty common practice for software manufacturers to offer a free upgrade to people who bought within the last XX days/weeks/months. I purchased 3.xxx because of the feature upgrades their site touted, and didn't feel ripped off at the time.

The problem I have with this is version 3.xxx being abandoned with only a year of life. To have that combined with no free upgrade when I purchased less than a month before release of 4.xxx, that makes me feel shorted. If they had told me I needed to pay a $40 per year subscription fee for the software to keep current, I would not have purchased and would have looked elsewhere. In essence, that is what they are extracting with this move.

As I said, if the program was high-quality in all aspects, that would be one thing. But its high-quality underlying algorithms -- the same ones available in 3.xx, I think -- are counterbalanced with a very poor, substandard user interface. The combination of this and the other doesn't make me want to buy 4.xxx.

I am now moving away from MTU software because of those two things -- poor user interface and heavy-handed upgrade and licensing tactics. There are good things about the software, but not enough to make me a happy camper.

Oh, and if anyone wants to continue to excoriate me for my opinion -- go right ahead. I have a thick skin.

You know, one week after buying my Nissan XTerra last year, they released the 2007 models, yet they wouldn't give me the upgraded 2007 model for the same price.

In case you don't get my sarcasm, the point is that THEY are not intentionally "double dipping" into your pocket. They have two products for sale, you decided to be an uninformed consumer and purchase the older model instead of waiting for the newer model. Had you done just the slightest bit of research, I'm sure you would have found that MTU had announced the release of 4.0 about 5 months PRIOR to releasing it, so you could have saved this whole situation by just paying attention and researching the product you intended to buy. I don't see a customer service issue at all. Like someone else said, you bought a product, it works as advertised (and obviously fills the need you needed it for, or else you wouldn't have bought it, right?), so why are you upset? MTU or any other company in this country isn't responsible for giving you an upgrade for free everytime they put in the investment and manpower to create such an upgrade!!

Oh, and P.S., if you have only had the 3.004 version for a week, take it back to the store where you bought it and claim it is defective, get your money back, and go buy the newer version. That doesn't sound so tough and it is actually surprisingly reasonable...

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Maybe you spend lots of time researching a $40 purchase -- I don't. I noted that I had purchased 2.xx in Nov 2005, noted 3.xx on sale in Feb 2007, and purchased the updated version since it was about a year since my last purchase of a previous version. If they had mentioned the 4.xx release on the product page I purchased from  at MTU, I probably would have waited.

Your analogy breaks down, too -- because cars have minor changes (updates) on an annual basis, and major model changes only every several years. Software programs move faster, but it is very unusual to have a major version last less than three years. In fact, it is indicative of either 1) poor design, since it wasn't a framework that lasted very long or 2) intentional manipulation of the customer base to extract money. MTU promises a free upgrade to the next version with every purchase, and it is highly unusual to receive none when the product has only been out a year.

And if you think all software companies operate this way, you are simply wrong. Some do, but usually they don't last for long.

To force the customer to do extensive caveat emptor to is a poor way to do business, because it leaves the customer unhappy. MTU can choose to do business this way, but it doesn't make me want to continue to do business with them.

Does $40 break me? Not in the slightest. But I feel poorly served because they orphaned 3.xx after a very short time. It is NOT normal in the business, and when it is done free upgrades are usually freely handed out because of that.

So I will continue to use 3.xx, and when I am next in the market, I will look elsewhere besides MTU. If they had kept me happy, I probably would have bought some future upgrade.

Fair enough.

For the record, though, I do research, to varying extents, almost everything I buy unless it is an impulse buy while I'm walking through a store. And I would still rarely make a $40 impulse buy, especially on a piece of software that I intended for a larger purpose like my home or professional karaoke setup!! It may only be $40, but that is a major cog in the machine that certainly deserves more than a buy on a whim, in my opinion. This way, I not only never have to shop, which I hate doing anyway, but I am also RARELY if ever dissatisfied with purchases I make, saving me time, money, and frustration

Anyway, I don't know if MTU is a sponser of this site or monitors it for mentions of their product, but if they are prepare to have this thread annihilated anyway. Sometimes this site is a bit fascist like that.

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C Mc
KJ, FL

Well, you are certainly entitled to your opinion and I guess I would respect your opinion more more if I knew the basis for it.  You have refered to what a modern program should do or look like as if there was some ideal model.  There isn't, or if there is I sure wish someone would tell me.  If you're in the software business, write a better one.  If you're not in the software business, I would doubt that you could have enough information to form you opinion as stated.

All of us (developers) are just guessing at what will make the rest of the world happy.  You can hardly expect us to fully succeed.

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Okay, who took my pants?

If MTU announced the release of a new version months prior to your purchase then I think they have meet all the obligations and it is YOU who ripped yourself off

Just cause i'm bored at work... (not to start a flame war)  most people who buy a car would know when the new model is coming out.  If not... then you're not looking hard enough, and many times they DO give you "discounts" off the old version.  

Anywho it's only 40 bucks...

One time I "ordered" a dvd player from a Best buy store , i had to pay up front (my mistake) before they "special" order my shipment, it took me 3 trips, one month to NOT get my product and to finally get a refund after hearing 3 scnerios as to how my product SHOULD be arriving

But my understanding is the new version was advertised on their site for months before it went on sale.  So they weren't hiding the fact.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Oh I dunno dahlin you do a pretty good job its not your fault that the rest of the world makes their wish list up as they go along

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Few notes from developer's point of view.

When introducing a new product that is going to replace the current one we give free upgrade to all customers that had purchased the old software within 3 months before the release of the new one. While we may loose a couple of bucks we certainly do not want customers complaining.

Analogy with buying a new car is wrong -- replacing the car would be a financial loss to the manufacturer (making a new car is costly). Providing a new version of the software is not -- the manufacturer will not earn on the upgrade, but will not loose as manufacturing costs for a single copy of the software distributed electronically are nearly zero.



This is not entirely true. Software business is the same as any other -- you need to provide what people need. So we listen to customers and try to add features and products that are needed. Not to mention that there are some guidelines that need to be followed, like GUI design.


In this very case MTU added voice recording, vocal remover, and key change during playback to version 3 of Microstudio to make version 4. And in my opinion it is something that does not belong there at all. The user interface was clumsy and ugly without additional stuff. But my opinion is biased of course -- we have separate applications: one for burning and ripping, and one for playing and recording. We are working on a hosting software for KJs, but still a lot of work is needed for it to be ready.

Yeah, I do my reaserch too, but my software isn't all things to all people and neither is yours.  What are these guidelines?  Somebody forgot to give me the list!!!  Somebody is not going to like what you do no matter what.  If you have a crystal ball please share.

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Okay, who took my pants?

This is getting quite OT

Here are GUI guidelines from Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/System/pl ... lines.mspx

And here some more general:

http://www.otal.umd.edu/guse/standards.html



I agree it is not possible to make everyone happy. But I am sure that you also ask people what they need instead of guessing it.

I guess you are entitled to your opinion as you are a software developer also. But in the Case of MTU adding this to the program. It was added because it was asked for by the users of the program on the forum. MTU listens to the people who buy from them and trys to accomodate their wishes when it can into the product.

No, I dont work for MTU, I am just a satisfied Customer.

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

Thanks for the useful links.  But who made them God?  Microsoft can't go to the bathroom without four structures and a confirmation box.  "Warning:  If you delete this excrement you will no longer be able to use it."  I do listen to what folks need, why do you think I'm on these forums (and you too I suspect.)

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Okay, who took my pants?