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[CLZ News] The top 5 questions about Update Plans

Dec 27, 2013

This is CLZ Alwin, with the last CLZ newsletter for 2013!

I can happily report that 2013 was a great year for Collectorz.com, the highlight being the success of the new Cobalt versions and our new Update Plan system.

What makes us even happier is that just this morning, we have sold the 15,000th Update Plan! If we include the 16,000 users who received a free Cobalt license (because of a recent purchase), plus all new customers since the Cobalt release, this brings the total number of Cobalt users to 37,886 !

HOWEVER: we are still receiving a lot of questions about Cobalt and the Update Plans. So in this newsletter I’d like to try and answer the 5 most common questions.
In other news… I’ll cover recent Cobalt updates, upcoming Cobalt updates and what’s coming up on mobile and online. Here we go:

The top 5 questions about Cobalt and Update Plans
(and their answers)

#1 : Do I need an active Update Plan to use the software?

No, you don’t. The Cobalt versions are still “pay once and use forever” programs, they have not become “rental-only” software (like the Adobe programs). You only need an Update Plan to get software updates (newer versions). In other words, Update Plans are a replacement for the old “yearly paid major upgrades” system.

#2 : When my Update Plan expires, will my software stop working?

No, it won’t. When your Update Plan expires, your software will stay fully functional.
You just won’t be able to upgrade to any future versions, that is, versions that are released after the Expiry Date of your Update Plan. You will however always be able to re-download, install and use the latest version that your Update Plan entitles you to.

#3 : Has it become more expensive to update my software?

No, it hasn’t. The flexibility of the Update Plan system can even make it cheaper than ever. For example, you could upgrade to the newest Cobalt version now, by getting a 3-month Update Plan (just US $6.95) and enjoy all updates for the upcoming 3 months. Even after your Plan expires, you keep using the software for free.
Then maybe in the future, when you spot a feature being released that you like, just activate your Update Plan again and you’ll be able to download the latest and greatest, including *all* features that have been released in the meantime. No need buy a new license, no need to pay for the months you “missed”.

Even if you “stay on the Plan” continuously, e.g. if you like getting all updates immediately, then it will cost you roughly the same as during the old “yearly paid major upgrade system” (US $25 per year).

#4 : Do I need to be online to use the Cobalt version?

No, you don’t. You do need a CLZ Account, a Username and Password, used for unlocking the software. You only need to be online *once*, during this unlocking.
You can still use the software while offline, your data is still stored locally, on your own computer. Using the CLZ Cloud storage is still completely optional.

#5 : Do I need a Connect subscription to use the Cobalt version?

No, you don’t. Connect is the online / web-based edition of our cataloging software. Basically, it is an upgrade of your free CLZ Cloud storage, that lets you add and edit items in your cloud collection directly, using the online interface.
Using Connect is completely optional and not needed to use the Cobalt versions, or even to sync data between your desktop and mobile apps.

What was added to the Cobalt versions in December?

We absolutely love how the new Update Plan system is speeding up the development and releases of new features and improvements on both Windows and Mac.
Here’s the score for December:

Coming up in the Cobalt versions:

Lots of new stuff coming up too. And this is only the short-term planning!

  • All Windows editions: completely redesigned Options screen.
  • Book Collector for Mac: Automatically catalog ebook files by scanning your folders.
  • Music Collector for Mac: Edit directly in the main screen list.
  • Comic Collector for Mac: Edit directly in the main screen list.
  • Game Collector for Windows: Edit directly in the main screen list.
  • All Windows/Mac editions: completely configurable User Defined fields system, allowing unlimited number of fields of any type and syncing through the cloud to the mobile apps and Connect.

Coming up on the other platforms (mobile and online):

Of course, there’s more to life than just Windows and Mac. As you know, we’re spending a lot of our development time on mobile and online. This is what you can expect from us in that area in the upcoming months:

  • All iOS editions: new builds with optimized image storage (resulting in lower memory usage) and other tweaks and fixes.
  • CLZ Movies 1.6 for Android with CLZ Cloud syncing.
  • 1.6 versions of the other 4 Android apps.
  • Complete redesign of the Connect online software, with a focus on usability on all devices and screen sizes.

Finally, the entire CLZ team wishes you a Happy New Year, with lots of new music, movies, books, comic books and video games !!! We will keep bringing you the software to organize it all 🙂