Do we still have to buy both Mac and PC versions?

[Mow webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

One of the great hurdles to Director development is the platform cost, especially having to buy both Mac and PC versions just to create a stub projector for the platform not being developed on.

The cross-platform support is now advertised, so do I still need to buy both versions as in the past for cross-platform development, or can I buy just one and deploy to both, like Flash ?

It seems to me that this has been very quietly announced (slipped in at the end). Please explain. Thank you.

[Jayem Abania - MMTS]

Hi,

With the new cross-platform feature of Director MX 2004, you don't need to
purchase both version to create cross-platform application. Director MX 2004
has the capability to create stand-alone projectors for both operating
system. The only reason you need to purchase both version is when you plan
to develop Director movies using both operating system.

Best regards,

Jayem Abania
Macromedia Technical Support

"Mow" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:btfd4g$epc$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> One of the great hurdles to Director development is the platform cost,

especially having to buy both Mac and PC versions just to create a stub
projector for the platform not being developed on.

>
> The cross-platform support is now advertised, so do I still need to buy

both versions as in the past for cross-platform development, or can I buy
just one and deploy to both, like Flash ?

>
> It seems to me that this has been very quietly announced (slipped in at

the end). Please explain. Thank you.

>
>

[col sam trautman webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

well it seems the new version is cross platform ready so you would think there would be a cheap upgrade price for those of us that paid out for both versions of MX so in my dreams it would be "if you own director MX for mac and PC you upgrade price is $199"

and then i woke up and will have to pay $399 and never use my mac version of MX ever again

shame

[cb]

know exactly how you feel, purchased an eMac and Director MX for Mac in late
October 2003 - approx. Australian $4000 - to complete a cross platform
product..... impressed that at long last we have the capability to build
cross platform projectors from a single dev platfform, certainly not
impressed that there was no hint of it coming!!

Haven't approached Macromedia to see if there would be a discount available
for at least one upgrade of the product - my betting is that they won't!!

Having come from a computer vendor product management environment some years
back, I know the most certain way of pissing your customers off is to keep
them in the dark on future direction/developments of products, certainly
with a feature as this one ...



"col sam trautman" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:btfmub$pgg$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> well it seems the new version is cross platform ready so you would think

there would be a cheap upgrade price for those of us that paid out for both
versions of MX so in my dreams it would be "if you own director MX for mac
and PC you upgrade price is $199"

>
> and then i woke up and will have to pay $399 and never use my mac version

of MX ever again

>
> shame
>
>
>
>

[cb]

Jayem I'm confused - according to the following post from a thread
yesterday:

-------------
Here's the deal:

Windows version can publish Windows projector and Mac OSX projector
Mac version can publish Windows projector, Mac OSX projector and Mac Classic
projector.

To answer your question, you only need to activate one version in order to
make both win and mac projectors. But windows version cannot create Mac
Classic projectors.

Hope this clears things for you.

Regards,
Mike Soriano
Macromedia Technical Support
---------

So my reading is that if you require to create a full cross platform product
suite - as I still currently have to - (ie including Classic) then it can't
be done on the Windows platform - thus requiring you to either develop and
build your projectors on a Mac or - once again and yet still - purchase two
copies!!!!

Correct??




"Jayem Abania - MMTS" <supportinfo@macromedia.com> wrote in message
news:btfgq2$ivp$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> Hi,
>
> With the new cross-platform feature of Director MX 2004, you don't need to
> purchase both version to create cross-platform application. Director MX

2004

> has the capability to create stand-alone projectors for both operating
> system. The only reason you need to purchase both version is when you plan
> to develop Director movies using both operating system.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jayem Abania
> Macromedia Technical Support
>
> "Mow" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
> news:btfd4g$epc$1@forums.macromedia.com...

> > One of the great hurdles to Director development is the platform cost,

> especially having to buy both Mac and PC versions just to create a stub
> projector for the platform not being developed on.

> >
> > The cross-platform support is now advertised, so do I still need to buy

> both versions as in the past for cross-platform development, or can I buy
> just one and deploy to both, like Flash ?

> >
> > It seems to me that this has been very quietly announced (slipped in at

> the end). Please explain. Thank you.

> >
> >

>
>

[Rob Dillon]

The Windows version of MX 2004 can create projectors for Mac OS X and
Windows. The Mac version of MX 2004 can create projectors for Mac OS X
and classic and Windows.

You can purchase a platform specific version as a web download, or, you
can purchase a physical, boxed product that can be installed on either
platform. You will have to choose which platform you wish to install
to. While you can have two active installations, both installations
must be to the same platform.

So one copy of Director will now allow you to author to either or both
platforms. Remember that you will still need to test your application.
So, if you are producing cross platform applications, don't throw away
that other platform box.

If you don't choose to author on both platforms you may find that
testing and debugging will be complicated by your having to rely on the
verbose errors from the runtime version of the platform that you don't
have.

While finally allowing for the creation of projectors for other
platforms is a good thing, this new Authorized User Licensing Agreement
control is not. It's a very high maintenence program that puts the
pallor of dishonesty on all users of Macromedia products.

--
Rob
_______
Rob Dillon
Team Macromedia
[url]http://www.ddg-designs.com[/url]
412-243-9119

[url]http://www.macromedia.com/software/trial/[/url]

[gtr webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

While finally allowing for the creation of projectors for other
platforms is a good thing, this new Authorized User Licensing Agreement
control is not. It's a very high maintenence program that puts the
pallor of dishonesty on all users of Macromedia products.


Uuuggghhh! This blows! I have a similar 'DRM' with my Sibelius music notation software and it's a MAJOR pain-in-the-arse if you want to use two computers! Very much a punishment to paying customers!!

I don't know how MM is implementing their DRM yet, but I hope it doesn't interfere with the ability to work on two machines. ie: desktop and laptop. Sometimes you just got get change of scenery to stay productive (hence the laptop), and having to deal with DRM issues every day would SERIOUSLY hurt productivity and ultimately my commitment to Director as a developing tool.

I was all high on the thought of DVD support and other new features, but after hearing about the new 'controls', my hopes for Director 2004 are crushed!

JP

[Andrew Morton]

> I don't know how MM is implementing their DRM yet, but I hope it doesn't
interfere with the ability to work on two machines. ie: desktop and laptop.

[url]http://www.macromedia.com/software/director/productinfo/faq/#item-29[/url]

Andrew

[gtr webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

My concern is this paragraph:

While you can install and activate your software on two machines, The new Macromedia End User License Agreement (EULA) does not allow concurrent use of the software on two different machines.

Can someone explain "concurrent" to me? Are they talking about network access to the app? To me, it sounds like you can't have both machines activated at the same time. (as with the Sibelius software I mention above)

Thanks.

[Richie Bisset]

Surely they just mean you can't have two copies *running* concurently.
This is pretty standard. Basically you can have it on your work
machine and on your home machine and run it on either, but you can't
work on it on your home machine and have someone else work on it on
your work machine at the same time.

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 16:19:14 +0000 (UTC), "gtr"
[email]webforumsuser@macromedia.com[/email] wrote:

>My concern is this paragraph:
>
>While you can install and activate your software on two machines, The new Macromedia End User License Agreement (EULA) does not allow concurrent use of the software on two different machines.
>
>Can someone explain "concurrent" to me? Are they talking about network access to the app? To me, it sounds like you can't have both machines activated at the same time. (as with the Sibelius software I mention above)
>
>Thanks.
>
>
>

[Real World Televisual]

> Hi,

>
> With the new cross-platform feature of Director MX 2004, you don't need to
> purchase both version to create cross-platform application. Director MX

2004

> has the capability to create stand-alone projectors for both operating
> system. The only reason you need to purchase both version is when you plan
> to develop Director movies using both operating system.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jayem Abania
> Macromedia Technical Support
>

So... does MX 2004 include the standard set of shipped MM Xtras for both Mac
[Classic & X] and Win?

I'm asking 'cus it would seem a little on the side of "pointless" if as
developers we can now produce both Mac and Win projectors but don't have
access to those external parameters that make the things fulfil our goals...

Please tell me I'm being paranoid and not to worry!!

PS. I really don't want to embed the Xtras if that's the answer...

[gtr webforumsuser@macromedia.com]

Basically you can have it on your work machine and on your home machine and run it on either, but you can't work on it on your home machine and have someone else work on it on your work machine at the same time.

I understand this as part of the User Agreement and makes sense. My example with Sibelius, however, is that you can't effectively use the second copy without first going through a 'transfer' process involving entering codes and using paper to write down the code you need to activate the second copy. My worries were that MM was going down this road in terms of user restrictions, which would greatly impede work flow.

As long as a single user can freely run the software on two machines without jumping through ANY hoops, then the new user aggreement should be fine. (we'll see how the 'activation' procedure goes...)

[Rob Dillon]

> So... does MX 2004 include the standard set of shipped MM Xtras for both Mac
> [Classic & X] and Win?

Yes, just as the MX Mac version has a folder full of Classic Xtras,
you'll get the Classic and Windows Xtras with the Mac version of MX
2004. However, you will only have the capability and get the supplies
for the OS X projectors from the Windows version of MX 2004. You do get
the OS X version Xtras with the Windows version of MX 2004.

You will still have to supply any third party Xtras as in previous
versions.

--
Rob
_______
Rob Dillon
Team Macromedia
[url]http://www.ddg-designs.com[/url]
412-243-9119

[url]http://www.macromedia.com/software/trial/[/url]

[John Dowdell]

"gtr" ["JP"] [email]webforumsuser@macromedia.com[/email] wrote:

> Uuuggghhh! This blows! I have a similar 'DRM' with my...

If you're referring to "product activation", which checks whether a
given serial number has recently been used on many computers, then the
Macromedia implementation has been working quite well across various
applications over the last half-year. It's a little different than other
implementations from other companies in the past. More info:
[url]http://www.macromedia.com/software/activation/[/url]

> I hope it doesn't interfere with the ability to work on two
> machines. ie: desktop and laptop.

Technically, that was illegal under previous versions. The new licensing
and serial-authentication now allows this. A team of two people can't
both use the same copy, but if you've got an office and home machine
then you can work at each location on the same purchase.

jd




--
John Dowdell, Macromedia Developer Support, San Francisco CA
Search technotes: [url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/search/[/url]
Soapbox column: [url]http://www.macromedia.com/desdev/jd_forum/[/url]
Daily technical diary: [url]http://www.macromedia.com/go/blog_jd[/url]
Offlist mail is trapped by spam-filters... best here, thanks!

[Real World Televisual]

Thanks for the clarification Rob

;-)

[FoolsErrand]

>>>The Mac version of MX 2004 can create projectors for Mac OS X and classic and Windows.

If I want to create product for Win, Mac OS X, and Mac classic ? I only need buy the Mac version, yes?

QUESTION 1: Can I import a Windows Director MX .DIR file into Mac Director 2004?

QUESTION 2: Is Mac Director 2004 Panther proof?

[Rob Dillon]

In article <btjj31$2sm$1@forums.macromedia.com>, FoolsErrand
<cliff@fools-errand.com> wrote:

> >>>The Mac version of MX 2004 can create projectors for Mac OS X and classic
> >>>and Windows.

>
> If I want to create product for Win, Mac OS X, and Mac classic ? I only need
> buy the Mac version, yes?

Yes. But you'll have to test and debug by going back to the Mac
authoring system each time.

>
> QUESTION 1: Can I import a Windows Director MX .DIR file into Mac Director
> 2004?

Yes. You can just open the file like you could with any other single
version number step up. When you save the file it will be saved as an
MX 2004 file.

>
> QUESTION 2: Is Mac Director 2004 Panther proof?

If you're asking if Director runs in Panther, yes.

--
Rob
_______
Rob Dillon
Team Macromedia
[url]http://www.ddg-designs.com[/url]
412-243-9119

[url]http://www.macromedia.com/software/trial/[/url]

[FoolsErrand]

Rob,

This is good to know, for I'll only need one upgrade.

Thanks!

CLiFF