Well, DXO practices/actions have finally caught up with them… Maybe DXO One was not the problem at all, management practices??
Their update models and lack of respect for their users has caused serious damage to DXO’s reputation. Will takes months if not years to regain that lost trust for many.
Reading the many recent comments on numerous photography forums in regards to DXO recent actions ,will re-enforce the about statement.
But, I really already new that from DXO prior actions.
I am not so pessimistic. If you don’t like what you get just don’t buy it. Whining does not help.
Nobody is forcing anyone to pay for something that one does not like.
If you like another software one can move on easily.
Thanks for your wise advise, really helpful. Not really about money, its about lack of any real development for awhile now.
And I do use other software along with DXO.
Whining and presenting facts are two different things.
Once again thanks for your advise
Mike
Some of the decisions taken by DxO feel strange indeed. Offering DPL (without NIK) side by side with NIK (including DPL) is one of them. When I compare slashed prices, I see that NIK’s additional cost is only 20 EUR. But we cannot get just the NIKs for that price… If DPL without NIK comes in Elite (dunno, have not checked) as compared to Standard with the NIKs, why not tell it on the very page (shop.dxo.com)
While the current pricing model for Nik 2 negatively affects loyal customers and those who already have PhotoLab, I think that DXO felt constrained to keep the pricing simple. Imagine all the pricing schemes they would need to support for both new users and current customers, those who already have DXO Photolab Elite, with or without the DXO Nik Collection version 1, those who already have DXO Photolab Essential with or without the DXO Nik collection version 1 , and those who have neither version of Photolab, and don’t want it, but own the DXO Nik Collection version 1.
You would need a bunch of different pricing options to satisfy everyone, and there are always going to be some people who rightly will feel cheated no matter how you price it if they are not happy with the cost for the minimal feature update included. Those who recently purchased the Nik Collection 1, just a few weeks ago, feel especially cheated since they’re now being asked to pay virtually the same amount all over again for the upgrade. So you would need a separate pricing scheme for them as well, or perhaps even a free update if the previous version was only purchased 3 or 6 months earlier.
And then there are those that just recently purchased PhotoLab Essential for $129 USD. As of yesterday they could get the same package along with the new version of the Nik collection for $30 less. I can’t imagine how angry they must be. Adding Photolab Essential to the Nik collection for no additional cost has unfortunately created an untenable pricing situation for DXO.
And now on top of everything else going forward Photolab Essential is now an integral part of the Nik Collection, which Photoshop and other Nik plug-in users have absolutely no need for. It’s a marketing nightmare. The heat that the DXO is facing will wear off over the coming days. Even today I’ve noticed the number of negative posts and comments around the web seem to have diminished a bit. But this is a situation of DXO’s own making. Maybe it’s part of a grander strategy that we’re not aware of, but it’s certainly not making their current user base any happier.
I’m not trying to defend or condemn how DXO is handling this, but merely trying to point out the difficulty of implementing a truly fair pricing model for every situation. The only people that really benefit this time around are those who do not currently use either PhotoLab or the Nik Collection, but would like to. At $99 USD, Photolab Essential plus the Nik collection is a true bargain.
Difficult to set up a pricing plan? With all due respect, and certainly not wanting to get in to a back and forth thrashing, the pricing scheme should have been quite simple. That is, if a person owns a license to PL2, ViewPoint, or Film Pack the Nik2 price is X ( euro or $). If you are a new buyer the price for the generous bundle is x ( euro or $ ). For me, and apparently many others, I have licenses for 3 DXO products. So to get NIK2 I’m being asked to pay the same amount as a new buyer. I’m more than eager to pay for a NIK2 upgrade ( frankly I don’t even need it but would support DXO so that NIK lives on); however, the marketing package is ridiculous. In essence, I would have paid 30-50 USD and upgraded so DXO would have the resources to continue to improve NIK. With the current marketing DXO will get zero USD from me.
Those who very recently purchased DXO Nik Collection version 1 have to pay all over again for version 2.
Those who very recently paid $129 USD for PhotoLab Essential by itself are finding that the application is now free with a $99 USD purchase of the Nik Collection. More software for a lot less money.
Those of us who already have PhotoLab Essential or PhotoLab Elite have to spend the same amount of money and get no additional value from the free copy of PhotoLab.
Those who only want and need the Nik Collection to use as a LR/PS or other plugin get no benefit from the free version of PhotoLab.
DXO’s website is misleading when it suggests the Nik Collection now supports editing raw images. They do not explain clearly enough that it requires editing raw images in PhotoLab and then exporting them to the 7 Nik apps at tiff or jpeg files just as before. A large number of people have been confused by this and feel deceived.
The only group that has a clear benefit are those who are not committed to a specific raw processor and are first time users of PhotoLab and the Nik Collection. Even the upgrade to the Elite addition is not that much more expensive. For that group, this offering is an excellent value.
I strongly support DXO and am not as upset as others over the pricing. I love the software so much I am willing to support their efforts with my dollars. But, I wish they would stop shooting themselves in the foot. Much of the confusion, and resulting anger, is their fault. The Nik and raw editing fiasco could have been handled better.
and:
6. Those who now pay $129 USD for PhotoLab Essential by itself are finding that the application is now free with a $99 USD purchase of the Nik Collection. More software for a lot less money.
All fair and well-said, Mark … I don’t mean to sound like an “apologist” for DxO - but, like you, I am keen (and personally invested) to see them succeed so that these excellent tools continue to develop and improve.
