OrchidWiz 30% OFF until Sunday! - Page 2 - Orchid Board

andypandy · #11 07-23-2009, 09:39 AM

i no it dosnt cost that much to produce what they have done, seeing that all the imformation is there anyway on various websites, ie thats why we have the internet saves money and most of all with this there is no monoply so if you what it then you have to pay the price but if there was another company doing the same then there would be competition , also the main reason we download is because in the past they have been to greedy with everything and so on and so on

cb977 · #12 07-23-2009, 11:07 AM

OW is a great program and now that there's a personal collection journal option, I love it even more. I can't imagine not having it. Yes, there is a lot of free information available on the internet but most of it doesn't compare to what this program offers.

To buy or not to buy?
It is totally a personal choice

kavanaru · #13 07-23-2009, 12:15 PM

indeed an interesting software... I would buy it without thinking twice about it, but only the day the make it MacOs compatible... otherwise, I can also have a nice life without it... It is a "nice to have gadget", not a "must have lifesaver" (39 years old and survived without OW!!!

)...

goodgollymissmolly · #14 07-24-2009, 06:30 AM

I'm bumping this to hopefully get an answer to the question I posed earlier before the offer expires.

My question was: Are the rumors that OrchidWiz does not contain the latest AOS awards data and RHS hybrid registration data true? If that's true it would certainly diminish the value of the program for me.

I went to a friend who owns the latest 6.0 version of OW and the latest AQPlus (3.5). It appears that AQPlus includes AOS awards through March 2009, but OW only contains through Dec 2008 (exactly as in the earlier version prior to 6.). Then I looked at the RHS Orchid registration website and it shows data through March 2009, but OW only shows data through Jan 2009.

I do not know for sure what this means, but it certainly makes me think that maybe the rumors circulating are true.

Again, does anyone know anything firm about this before I miss the opportunity to get in on the promo?

cb977 · #15 07-24-2009, 09:29 AM

I'm confused...
Last month, you posted a thread regarding your concerns about the June update not being released on time...don't you already have the program?

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...orchidwiz.html

goodgollymissmolly · #16 07-24-2009, 09:54 AM

Now I'm confused. I own AQPlus (and the latest version was delayed, but has now been delivered). AQPlus and OW are not the same though some data has been common between them. I've used OW on a friend's machine to some extent, but never owned it myself. Just as I was about to buy my own, this came up.

Do you know anything about what I inquired about?

If it's true (and I don't know) then potential purchasers deserve to know that the program is not exactly what users have come to expect in the past. I guess the reluctance of someone associated with OW to explain makes me even more suspicious about the truth of this internet rumor. I hope it isn't true, but I certainly am not spending $200 on a pig in a poke. I'm just trying to get someone to tell me that I shouldn't worry, nothing has changed. That seems logical and easy. What am I missing?

cb977 · #17 07-24-2009, 10:08 AM

When I open the program, the info given is that it's the June 09 update, the RHS info says Jan-Feb 09 and the AQ info says Dec 08.

I'm sure the info will be updated in our next quarterly installation. That info isn't quite as important to me as it might be for somebody else so I hadn't even noticed it. I love the program, it gives me almost everything I need but it might not be what you are looking for at this moment in time.

OrchidWiz · #18 07-24-2009, 11:10 AM

andypandy,

I am the creator of OrchidWiz and am answering your post. I started development of OrchidWiz in January 2004, a few weeks after my first son was born. My job at the time required extensive travel and I was looking for a way to work from home.

Initially I worked on it part-time, but by Summer I knew I was on to something and quit my job to dedicate to OrchidWiz full time. OrchidWiz was released in November, 2005, after 18 months of full time work. During those 18 months I did not get paid a dime, and I often worked 50 and 60-hour weeks. Since then I've been programming and improving the product every year.

There is a perception that what we sell with OrchidWiz is the data. This is wrong. As you very well point out, the data is free and in the public domain. Most of it can be looked up for free on the internet, if you have the time and patience.

What we sell is INFORMATION, not data. We sell the *analysis* of the data, cross-referenced against about 40,000 photos, 80% of which were donated by volunteers. We sell the ease-of-use in looking up this information.

I find it funny you accuse the makers of OrchidWiz of being greedy, and then when you scroll down you have a message from someone else saying they don't buy OrchidWiz because it's not available on the Mac. Well, it's not available on the Mac because you can hardly make enough money selling on Windows, which has 8X the number of users.

OrchidWiz is a labor of love. The market is tiny. Nobody makes loads of money doing this. This is the truth. The RHS published software like this and then quit because it wasn't making any money. The AOS doesn't make any money with AQ-Plus, after you factor in the salaries of all the people involved. Wildcatt makes little money, they did it out of spite against the RHS, and that is why they've done very little to improve their product.

I assure you I know a lot of people who have made comments like yours and then bought OrchidWiz because they saw their friends running it and realized what it was. This is the truth, believe me. There are no greedy people here repackaging data to make a quick profit. There is only hard work and value add. And great software that makes people happy.

Respectfully,

Alex Maximiano
President and Founder
OrchidWiz, LLC

cb977 · #19 07-24-2009, 11:19 AM

Hi Alex

My

:

Your product and your dedication to your customers is, and always has been, outstanding.

Thank you for all your efforts.

goodgollymissmolly · #20 07-24-2009, 11:41 AM

Just a damn minute here...I never accused you of being greedy or anything that could be construed as being nasty to you in any way. I never mentioned a Mac anywhere at any time. Interestingly the friend's computer that I sometimes look at OW on is a Mac and I paid for Fusion so he could conveniently use OW on that computer. Yes, I know Fusion is not necessary. Boot camp is sufficient. However the fuss of restarting the computer every time you want to change operating systems is a nuisance that I chose to fix for him. AQP is also on that computer so both programs utilize Fusion.

I repeat that I only asked what I believe to be an appropriate question for a consumer about what is in the program. I never said or insinuated that you are greedy or a bad person in any way whatsoever.
I resent your including me in a response that implies I did something wrong. Anyone who buys something without knowing what it is a fool not a problem.