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Mac App Bundle Sales: Parallels Desktop 8, Toast and More
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Apart from parallels, I personally don't have a legitimate use for any of the other apps. Doesn't mountain lion already consolidate all app updates through the App Store? Why would I still need an automated app updator?
Internet security? Are you serious? I am not surprised they are bundled. Not to sound mean, but at those stated prices, I honestly can't see anyone ever buying them!
Internet security? Are you serious? I am not surprised they are bundled. Not to sound mean, but at those stated prices, I honestly can't see anyone ever buying them!
Cheap is good, free is better
Having used Parallels up through V7, and VMware Fusion up through the same time period, I don't see why anybody would purchase either product now. VirtualBox is a free, very mature product that does everything I need -- I run both Linux and Windows VMs on my MacBook Pro, sometimes simultaneously.
And I really have to wonder why anybody would need a product to keep software updated.
There may be some components of this bundle that are of interest to some people, but in many cases free is much better than cheap.
Having used Parallels up through V7, and VMware Fusion up through the same time period, I don't see why anybody would purchase either product now. VirtualBox is a free, very mature product that does everything I need -- I run both Linux and Windows VMs on my MacBook Pro, sometimes simultaneously.
And I really have to wonder why anybody would need a product to keep software updated.
There may be some components of this bundle that are of interest to some people, but in many cases free is much better than cheap.
I too have DEVONThink and it is fantastic. The best digital filing solution. Smart search and auto classify. That along with my ScanSnap is my road to paperless. DT Pro alone makes that bundle worth it.
Actually, The Pro edition in this bundle does not support scanners, for this you need the "Pro Office" edition.
http://www.devontechnologies.com/products/devonthink/comparison.html
Hi Everyone,
It's always nice to see the exposure and support MacRumors gives our bundles. I can only speak for our bundle, but to answer some of the questions:
1. Most of the titles in our bundle have never been in another bundle (or, if they have, the versions we're selling represent a paid upgrade from the previous version that might have been in a bundle, meaning they still deliver additional value), this includes:
2. Regarding paid upgrades, we ensure that no developer has a new version that you would have to pay for on the horizon for at least 3 months after our bundle, and to the best of my understanding I don't expect any paid upgrades for any of the titles in our bundle to emerge for at least 6 months.
Even with paid upgrades, you'll generally end up ahead with our bundles (and of course the version you buy as part of the bundle will continue to work as it does now, it's not as if apps stop working when a new version is released).
For instance, the upgrade price from DEVONthink Pro 1 to DEVONthink Pro 2 is $30. Assuming the same pricing is in place when version 3 emerges one day, you will be able to go from our bundle ($49.99) to DEVONthink Pro 3 (+$30) for the same price as DEVONthink Pro 3 would cost by itself ($79.99). But you get to use DEVONthink Pro 2 in the mean time, and you get 9 other apps!
Even in the case where the upgrade math isn't quite as favorable, the value is still apparent. Parallels Desktop gets upgraded on an annual basis (usually in Q4) and upgrades costs $49.99. The cost of acquiring Parallels Desktop 8 now as part of our bundle ($49.99) plus the upgrade to version 9 (+$49.99) totals only $20 more than what version 9 would cost you to buy when it's released. Yet for that extra $20 you've been able to use version 8 for many months and got 9 other apps.
3. In terms of Parallels vs. Fusion, MacTech did an exhaustive comparison and once again found Parallels delivers better performance and battery life (in some cases substantial differences; 40% better battery life and 50% better performance in some tests). VirtualBox isn't really a competitor, it's a much more basic solution with none of the OS X integration or graphics support that Parallels and Fusion both offer. It's free, which is nice, but any regular virtual machine users will see a big improvement going to Parallels Desktop. http://www.mactech.com/2013-01/virtualization-benchmarks
4. Regarding Apple's App Store and MacUpdate Desktop, the App Store will only update the apps you buy/download from the App Store. Obviously none of the apps in our bundles are App Store apps, and there are thousands of other titles that aren't on the App Store. MacUpdate Desktop also doesn't just manage apps, but also many plug-ins and preference panes, which the AppStore does not support.
5. Regarding DEVONthink Pro and scanners (eldaria's comment), the Pro Office version offers improved native support for scanners (scanning directly to the app), but nothing prevents you from scanning the document as you normally would and then dragging the PDF to DEVONthink Pro. This is how I personally use DEVONthink Pro and my ScanSnap S510M. Upgrades from the Pro version ($79.99) to the Pro Office version ($149.99) can be purchased for $70 from http://www.devontechnologies.com/discounts/upgrade-assistant.html
Of course, thanks to our bundle being only $49.99 it means you can get the Pro Office for a net cost of just $119.99... a $30 savings, plus you get 9 other apps.
We'll be keeping an eye on this thread in case any other questions or concerns come up. Thanks for your support!
Misha
macupdate.com
It's always nice to see the exposure and support MacRumors gives our bundles. I can only speak for our bundle, but to answer some of the questions:
1. Most of the titles in our bundle have never been in another bundle (or, if they have, the versions we're selling represent a paid upgrade from the previous version that might have been in a bundle, meaning they still deliver additional value), this includes:
- Parallels Desktop 8
- DEVONthink Pro 2 (the Pro version has never been in a bundle, period)
- Prizmo 2 (no version has ever been in a bundle)
- 1000 OpenType Fonts
- iStat Menus 4
- Mac Internet Security 2013
2. Regarding paid upgrades, we ensure that no developer has a new version that you would have to pay for on the horizon for at least 3 months after our bundle, and to the best of my understanding I don't expect any paid upgrades for any of the titles in our bundle to emerge for at least 6 months.
Even with paid upgrades, you'll generally end up ahead with our bundles (and of course the version you buy as part of the bundle will continue to work as it does now, it's not as if apps stop working when a new version is released).
For instance, the upgrade price from DEVONthink Pro 1 to DEVONthink Pro 2 is $30. Assuming the same pricing is in place when version 3 emerges one day, you will be able to go from our bundle ($49.99) to DEVONthink Pro 3 (+$30) for the same price as DEVONthink Pro 3 would cost by itself ($79.99). But you get to use DEVONthink Pro 2 in the mean time, and you get 9 other apps!
Even in the case where the upgrade math isn't quite as favorable, the value is still apparent. Parallels Desktop gets upgraded on an annual basis (usually in Q4) and upgrades costs $49.99. The cost of acquiring Parallels Desktop 8 now as part of our bundle ($49.99) plus the upgrade to version 9 (+$49.99) totals only $20 more than what version 9 would cost you to buy when it's released. Yet for that extra $20 you've been able to use version 8 for many months and got 9 other apps.
3. In terms of Parallels vs. Fusion, MacTech did an exhaustive comparison and once again found Parallels delivers better performance and battery life (in some cases substantial differences; 40% better battery life and 50% better performance in some tests). VirtualBox isn't really a competitor, it's a much more basic solution with none of the OS X integration or graphics support that Parallels and Fusion both offer. It's free, which is nice, but any regular virtual machine users will see a big improvement going to Parallels Desktop. http://www.mactech.com/2013-01/virtualization-benchmarks
4. Regarding Apple's App Store and MacUpdate Desktop, the App Store will only update the apps you buy/download from the App Store. Obviously none of the apps in our bundles are App Store apps, and there are thousands of other titles that aren't on the App Store. MacUpdate Desktop also doesn't just manage apps, but also many plug-ins and preference panes, which the AppStore does not support.
5. Regarding DEVONthink Pro and scanners (eldaria's comment), the Pro Office version offers improved native support for scanners (scanning directly to the app), but nothing prevents you from scanning the document as you normally would and then dragging the PDF to DEVONthink Pro. This is how I personally use DEVONthink Pro and my ScanSnap S510M. Upgrades from the Pro version ($79.99) to the Pro Office version ($149.99) can be purchased for $70 from http://www.devontechnologies.com/discounts/upgrade-assistant.html
Of course, thanks to our bundle being only $49.99 it means you can get the Pro Office for a net cost of just $119.99... a $30 savings, plus you get 9 other apps.
We'll be keeping an eye on this thread in case any other questions or concerns come up. Thanks for your support!
Misha
macupdate.com
Even the upgrade from Parallels 7.0 to Parallels 8.0 is $49.
I might just buy this bundle and get a couple of 'extra' programs for the same price.
This is a good price especially if you have never bought Parallels before.
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I'm thinking about buying the bundle for Parallels, Prizmo, and DiskAid, and then selling the rest of the apps at a fair price on the Marketplace. However, when checking out, it says that all of the apps will be registered to me using the info in my MacUpdate profile unless I type in the names and email addresses of who I will be "gifting" the apps to. Is this new, or does it not matter?
Interest in the bundle but iMac is not here yet
I am still waiting for my iMac to arrive, but I am interest in the parallel bundle. Will I be able to purchase the bundle now and download the items later when it arrive? Is there a limitation when I have to download the bundle?
Thx.
I am still waiting for my iMac to arrive, but I am interest in the parallel bundle. Will I be able to purchase the bundle now and download the items later when it arrive? Is there a limitation when I have to download the bundle?
Thx.
No, there doesn't appear to be any limitation. I bought a bundle years ago and the downloads are still valid. Granted, they've all been replaced with higher versions and there's not much of an upgrade path.
I'm already on PD8 but interested in a few of the other titles.
Maybe I'll score a bundle and see if anyone is interested in the PD8 for like $30 - that saves them another $20 (and I could definitely get $20 worth of value out of the remaining apps).
Maybe I'll score a bundle and see if anyone is interested in the PD8 for like $30 - that saves them another $20 (and I could definitely get $20 worth of value out of the remaining apps).
I'm considering the MacUpdate bundle.
I have no use for Parallels......will that app be tied to my account or can I give the activation code to my mom who could use it?
(regarding the Internet Security app, even if free, I wouldn't install it. I can just imagine all the "warning" popups it would create, constant updates it would require and reminders to buy the new version, ect... I had Norton back in 2001 and it took me years to finally get it completely removed. It was always asking me to buy a new version. One of the great benefits of Macs are not having to deal with anti virus apps)
I have no use for Parallels......will that app be tied to my account or can I give the activation code to my mom who could use it?
(regarding the Internet Security app, even if free, I wouldn't install it. I can just imagine all the "warning" popups it would create, constant updates it would require and reminders to buy the new version, ect... I had Norton back in 2001 and it took me years to finally get it completely removed. It was always asking me to buy a new version. One of the great benefits of Macs are not having to deal with anti virus apps)
The whole bundle would be tied to your account/name but you can just give the parallels activation code to your mom so it will be activated on her computer.
Some of the apps are keyed specifically to your name/email, meaning if you gift them after buying the bundle, the person who receives the registration information might need to enter your name & email address. Gifting at the time of purchase (which is how we have always handled this) ensures that this doesn't happen.
No limitation! You can buy now and download later; your receipt, serial numbers, and download links will always be in your MacUpdate account.
You can gift Parallels (or any of the other apps) to your mom at the time of purchase.
Regarding Internet Security 2013, Intego has done a good job with this latest version of making the app very unobtrusive. It quietly runs in the background and only gets your attention when it detects a virus (as it did in an email attachment I received recently; it was a Windows virus, mind you, but it still quarantined it). Macs are still really secure as is, but this is starting to change a bit (Apple acknowledged just last month that a number of its employees computers had been hacked).
Thanks for the continued positive remarks about our bundle!