Why Do We Have To Pay For Plugins?
Hi,
Let me start by saying we have a long-term commitment to the company and software beginning with Genuine Fractals in 2010. We have bought and used every version of your software. They have been an important part of our business and help us deliver quality, competitive work to our clients.
Last year we reluctantly paid for the plugin for ON1. This year we won’t and will get along with the older versions on our Adobe software. It’s both a business decision and one of principle. Beginning with Perfect Photo Suite your programs have been accessible through plugins to Adobe and other software. Among the services we provide is graphics and design. Being able to switch between programs is an important part of our workflow.
We purchase ON1 because of the quality and value it provides us. Part of that value is the ability to interface with other programs. It is a feature we have enjoyed in the past and is a big part of your value to us. Now we have to pay an additional fee for the same features we have not had to pay for in the past. You are taking away value and asking us to pay to get it back. We have spent the past year working with the On1 Effects and On1 NoNoise AI plugins and find them clumsy and inconvenient. Many times, we choose to finish a job in Photoshop instead of using them. The plugins make it difficult to use your software.
When I complained about this last year, I received a very kind response explaining that part of the decision to require the plugins be purchased separately was there is less demand for the plugins. Maybe that reduced demand is caused by customers not needing what ON1 provides – which I seriously doubt. The other reason might be that customers want to be able to access the full Photo RAW program and not the individual plugins. I really question the marketing logic behind punishing the customers who want to access Photo RAW through Photoshop. You spend a fortune fine-tuning the workflow and experience you provide your customers and then destroy it with the plugins.
ON1 Photo RAW is a superior program for images but we have to include text and graphics. These are things other programs are designed to do better. Also, we have to be compatible with the files we send to and receive from clients and agencies. We have to stay with Photoshop and other Adobe products. How can you make it easy and practical to work with you?
I realize that $79.99 is not a lot of money but it is something we shouldn’t have to pay. I know you want to be able to serve both the photography and the professional markets. Please reconsider this decision. I can’t believe it will help to make you more profitable long-term.
Thanks for considering my comments
Andy Johnston
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Andy, this is a user forum. There is no one from On1 reading your message. You can send it to customer service if you like, here is the link.
https://on1help.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
By the way, there are workarounds to use Photo Raw as a plugin using the 'Send To' options. Whether that's useful depends on your needs and workflow.
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Andy,
Either the plugins are important to your business workflow or they are not. If they are not, why spend any money on them? If they ARE important, but $80 is more than they are worth - don't buy them. But if the plug-ins would save you way more than $80 in time/labor and you DON'T buy them because of an emotional or personal grievance, I would suggest you rethink your business philosophy. Typically business decisions are made using facts and due diligence. They are based on what will have the best positive effect on the bottom line. I expect THAT is what ON1 did when they decided to charge extra for the plug-ins. It was a business decision - it was not personal.
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Hey Rick & Lou,
I'm sorry I posted on the wrong forum. I don't do this often. Lou, I spoke with our designers before I posted the comments. It's important that customers communicate with suppliers. That's how companies like On1 stay in sync. We just question their logic. Thank you both for responding. I'll follow up with customer service.
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Andy,
I agree that customers and suppliers in a business to business environment need to communicate with and understand each other's needs. However ON1 is not (just) a supplier of business systems. It deals heavily with the general public. There is a lot of price pressure on them to keep prices of their main product low in order to be competitive. Including a second product line, "free", may mean they would have to raise the cost of the main product to recoup development costs of the second product. Post production photography software is a very competitive product. The fact that On1 seems to need to release a poorly tested product every year suggests that they have cash flow needs that prevent delaying a release.
I mostly use ON1 - though I sometimes use another product - but do NOT have any need for the plugins. Unfortunately ON1's yearly release issues detract from an otherwise good product. Raising the price to cover costs of something I do not use may cause me (and probably others) to make the move to a competitor.
You may not like their decision, but hopefully you understand the business reasons behind it.
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