What new version, I haven't received any newsletter
They are coming, but slowly, we can't just blast them out onto the interwebs all at once, as that creates massive backlogs.
Do I have to move to the new version?
Absolutely not. We are not forcing any one to move to the new MailWasher. MailWasher 6.x is still available and has free updates for the life of the product. We will issue bug fixes from time to time and for example, replace components as new mail clients come available.
If you're looking where to download, just checkout the download page and select the 'Old is gold' http://www.firetrust.com/en/products/ma ... o/download
Why are you charging for this new version?
MailWasher has been going for 9 years and we've never asked for an upgrade fee for new versions, they've always been supplied free of charge. As you might appreciate, over time this strategy, while popular with users, meant we couldn't throw as many resources at it as we would have liked.
MailWasher was never designed to be the program it became and over time as more features were added it became more difficult to work on, even small bug fixes were taking longer to resolve and sometimes even brought more problems in. Whilst we could have chosen to rewrite aspects of MailWasher using the same technologies, that would not have improved the situation.
We can see the effect that the one off purchase model has had in MailWasher 6.x and earlier, for essentially the last 4 years we did nothing but try to fight bugs, there was no innovation, and little improvement overall to the program. As the saying goes, you can't polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter.
How much is this fee then?
For registered users it's $10USD.
And there is now a renewal fee too?
Yes, $9.95 USD per annum the new version of MailWasher will expire if not renewed and will cease to function. You can of course continue to use MailWasher 6.x
What does the renewal fee cover
Updates, bug fixes, support, and the subscription for FirstAlert. We will also do our best to offer up extras as best we can, the most obvious extra that's high on our list would be a portable version that could run from a USB stick.
What about the Lifetime License
Rather than a yearly fee there is instead the choice of a one off fee, this covers updates, bug fixes, support, and the subscription for FirstAlert for the life of MailWasher. If there is another version of MailWasher written as well then this too will cover a free update to that version. We aren't going to do this, just sayin'.
You guys are just a bunch of thieving scumbags!
We aren't trying to shaft users, we're trying to forge a path for the future. That starts with the reworked MailWasher. You might disagree, and that's fine as we know it won't be for everyone, but there is no intention at all to remove MailWasher 6.x from the website.
We are however drawing a line where a persons expectations on improving the software is balanced against the costs associated. The burden is on us to front up and deliver with things that truly add value, if we don't you won't renew and we'll lose a customer and that would make us sad.
Where do I complain
The best thing to do is vote with your wallet.