Hello TimTheEnchanter,
thank you for your kindly response. Well, the situation is that, that i already own a Fusion 11 license (for both Mac an Win) and also a FAP 3 license...
So there would be no problem at all to buy any of these updates for me. But i don't want to make a bad decision.
Right now im in phase of trying out Linotype FEX 2 Pro trial version... so far so good. The interface is simple, and there is also an option, that the fonts can be leaved on the original place, where they are stored (similar to Suitcase, don't know, how it is in the newest version).
Also, the price of FEX Pro is cutted to half until the end of february (yet, we have to pay the price, that mean in US you pay 39,99 $ + German VAT, we in EU pay 39,99 + German VAT). Anyway, this price is somehow the same as the upgrade prices for Suitcase Fusion 2 and FAP 4 Pro. That's also a point to consider.
However, what does really bother me at FEX Pro, is, that - as you already pointed out - because FEX so relativelly new product (so we can say not a mature), can it somehow happen, that Linotype thinks in a situation, that there would be not enough registered customers, that they simply stop the further development of this project..? Since their main living/activity is to sell fonts, not app making. I'm quite affraid of this. You see, they pulled the freeware FEX version from one day to another, that it's not supported anymore. The same can happen with their Pro product. Just a trough.
Insidersoftware and Extensis do live from their products... that's why I think, these two product will see future version. Maybe i am not right and FEX Pro will be THE industry standard Font Manager (the next version) in the following years. Who knows.
I have serious to consider, what should i buy. FAP looks OKay, used it on Tiger on my old PowerMac G5.
Now i've got a Mac mini with Leopard and really need a godd font manager, that's why did opened this whole thread. Well, maybe I should also try the FAP Pro 4 demo/trial version just to see how it runs...