[MPA] Logic Express Pricing from Apple

[KathyMac!]

Just curious - wondering if I'm the only one that thinks this is 
wrong....

I purchased Logic Express 6 from Apple about 45 days ago. Brand new. I 
bought it thru the Education Store for $149 (regular pricing is $299).

Logic Express 7 just came out. I thought that since I just made this 
brand new in the box purchase so recently that an upgrade at no cost 
would be the appropriate thing to offer customers - say to those who 
had just purchased their new software within 60 days of this revamped 
version being released.

On the website there IS an upgrade price of $99 for regular store 
customers. That's 1/3 the cost of the whole program (at $299). So, I 
then assumed that the upgrade price for those who paid $149 for the 
whole program would also be 1/3 - which comes to $49.

There is no "free" upgrade if you just purchased Logic Express 6 before 
the release of 7.
There is no "$49" upgrade if you want to move up to 7 from 6.

Basically, if you shelled out the full $149 for the brand new version a 
few weeks ago, you now must pay the $99 upgrade path that was 
implemented for the $299 pricing OR you might even have to pay a whole 
new $149 for the new Logic 7 because the $99 upgrade may not install or 
be compatible with the "academic" priced Logic 6 (although I doubt this 
theory since the box for Logic 6 still has eMagic on it and Made In 
Germany and NO mention of Academic on it anywhere - I think Apple just 
priced it academically but there probably is not any difference in 
serial numbers etc...)

Before I get branded as a complainer let me say that I do indeed 
recognize the wonderful educational pricing of $149 for my software. I 
thought I was making a great savings and great deal. I knew Logic 7 
would be out someday but could not see it anywhere soon on the horizon 
so I bought now. I appreciate that I have this at half price from 
regular retail of $299. But let's be realistic about the rest of the 
problem: Having to pay the same amount again or even $99 just to get 
the latest version only weeks later seems quite unfair. If Apple 
doesn't want to honor a 30 or 60 day arrangement for people who just 
freshly bought this version of 6, well that's their choice. But at 
least offer fair pricing for those of us who paid $149 just a few weeks 
ago. I wouldn't squawk about paying $49 to get version 7. But having to 
put out almost the same amount of money is ridiculous.

Basically, my purchase of Logic Express 6 in August was a complete 
burning of money. I have to rebuy it all over again because there is no 
fair upgrade price or complimentary upgrade.

There are many other software companies out there who offer free or 
reduced price upgrades to their latest version for those people who 
JUST freshly bought an outdated version. At the very least, if Apple 
knew that Logic Express 7 was just weeks away from shipping out the 
door, what kind of ethics do they have to continue selling Express 6 
right up to the last minute with NO notice to customers that 7 will be 
out within a month or so and that their purchase will be honored for a 
free upgrade? They should have announced this and allowed people the 
opportunity to either wait for 7 or to purchase now and get a voucher 
for a free upgrade to 7 or reduced price upgrade to 7 when it was 
released.

Am I the only one who thinks this timing loophole is a bit unfair?

Kathy