I’m leaving this post as is for posterity and because I think the point is valid… but the target definitely isn’t! Check out Ken Chase’s excellent reply below. If you look at this discount as a bonus for beta testers, it becomes really reasonable. I wasn’t aware that OmniFocus’s beta was that wide-spread. So this goes from a “Suck eggs, Omni!” to a “Well done, Omni!”
I remember years ago asking The Omni Group about a feature that was critical to me in OmniWeb. I’d heard they were adding it soon, so I asked them for details.
The guy who replied told me something very simple: “If it doesn’t do what you want, wait. Don’t buy anything that doesn’t already do what you want.”Over the years since, I’ve really appreciated this advice, and wished every customer would live by that rule, and every software company would advocate the same rule. It’s simple honesty, really. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like The Omni Group still lives by this rule, because OmniFocus is now available with introductory pricing that goes away as soon as the final release ships, pressuring people to buy now. How could beta software possibly deliver?
Maybe it was a Wil Shipley philosophy that Omni has left behind. I must admit, I’m not sure that Delicious Monster lives by this rule, but I strongly suspect they do. Whatever the cause, it’s a shame Omni lost it. I like honest companies; they’re refreshing.