Parallels 8 upgrade to Parallels 9 "Complain Page"

The below states..

"Parallels offers a free of charge upgrade to Parallels Desktop 9 for Mac for all customers who purchased a qualifying¹ upgrade version, full version,
student license or OEM version of Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac between August 15, 2013 and October 31, 2013 from an authorized² reseller or directly from Parallels.
Qualifying customers can claim an activation key for Parallels Desktop 9 for Mac until October 31, 2013."

Why is this?...i made my purchased on the 1st of August 2013 and i felt cheated when i have to pay more for an upgrade,
i believe those who brought one month or two months before should deserve more than this.

Are they trying to take advantage of us?...This was taken from Parallels 6 upgrade to Parallels 7

"Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac users who purchased their copy of Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac from an authorized reseller
August 1, 2011 – October 31, 2011 were eligible to upgrade to Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac at no additional cost.
Qualifying customers could claim an activation key for Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac until November 15, 2011."

As OSX is releasing the new Mavericks OSX soon Parallels a complain has to be sent to them to lower the price and
give out free upgrades to those who made payment without knowing that was going to be an upgrade.
As i made payment to buy Parallels 8 and paying for an upgrade only after using for a month is really unfair.

I believe most of you here share the same problems and this post is to raise complains to Parallels.

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST AROUND AND LET PARALLELS KNOW HOW WE FEEL.

 

Have I been cheated

I found parallels support to be great but this upgrade within months of a purchase should be made available to those with a previous version for not less than 12 months.
Where I might have thought about upgrading in the future at a fair time when extra money might have been a fair proposition there is no way I will rely on this software again as it could simply be another 3 months before they discover some more "Bug fixes" and compatibility issues that they fix and then call an upgrade that we need to pay for.

Anyway As a windows user who bought a Macbook Pro I am coming to the conclusion that a Macbook can only perform at an impressive speed/level if you switch accross to all macbook OS software - I have an ASUS machine i fitted with a SSD and it easily outperforms the macbook pro with a HDD (at about half the price).

 

It should be noted that although the time window has been shrunken from last year, that in both cases the time window to be eligible for a free upgrade was announced before it started, it has never been implemented retroactively. And although I can totally understand the frustration of just having bought the previous version this is no different from most pieces of commercial software. PDM8 is totally capable and continues to be supported, PDM9 is not revolutionary, it's evolutionary, as a user I would hold onto PDM8 and wait till PDM10 to upgrade, taking in consideration Parallels has consistently released a new version every year (around the same time, September/October), and that each version has been supported with updates for at least 2 years, it's reasonable to expect Mavericks will be supported in PDM8, and unless you specifically need a feature only present in PDM9, like FireWire/Thunderbolt storage support, PDM8 is a perfectly fine product.

 

You are correct it is quite frustrating but it is also a warning sign for users or potential users of parallels.
The version 9 was released 5th of Sep 2013 and parallels in their "policy" state that only the paid upgrade is available to those that purchased on or AFTER 15th August 2013. That's a maximum 3 week guarantee for those who purchase Parallels in the future before another paid update could be required to keep "up to date"= update.
Many software vendors offer lifetime updates (not support but updates). Those software that do not more often than not offer at least 12 Months of updates. Paid updates can be a way for software vendors to keep milking their past clients.
Parallels have and could again release updates within 3 weeks of you purchasing their product and require you to pay them again to remain up to date. Nothing stops parallels from doing this repeatedly... EXCEPT forums like this and raising awareness to people so they are well warned of these “update” practices.
Windows 2000 is a "perfectly fine product unless...." haha
Also thanks for the warning that Parallels currently have a policy to make us pay at least once a year around this time of the year with an "update".
Parallels have little choice but to quickly do the right thing by their current recent clients and going forward offer a fair upgrade path.

Again, to those wondering what's the alternative... Get a PC with a SSD drive at perhaps half the cost of a similar speed MAC and keep using the applications and software you have already paid for and are used to for PCs; hell, if Apple cannot even get their keyboard to behave like a PC keyboard(or give you the option) why struggle with dual operating systems, keyboard mismatches like the "DEL" key and wondering which system with use the USB devices you plug in (Unless you have a great memory into configuration settings within parallels). BTW mapping your normal network drives in parallels is also a perplexing operation with drive letters changing over from time to time... unless you have some obscure setting with parallels set.
In my opinion those that say they have moved across to Macs from PC and never looked back most likely used few PC applications and need to justify the time it took them to get used to the new environment.
It is getting hard to justify business time to move across to Macs and Parallel's updates milking policy is helping push that justification out of reach. Thank goodness most apps on the iphones don't do "a parallels" and milk you for scheduled updates to keep current.

 

Are you implying that Parallels could release a PDM10 three weeks after releasing PDM9? The problem with that argument is that such thing never happened, and never will, not because of forums and such, but mainly because of competition, VMWare as roughly the same behaviour with Fusion. Which is supporting a version for at least 2 years with updates and release a new version (new features) once a year by the end of the Summer.
And I think you are confusing up-to-date and upgrade. As said above, each version is supported with updates for at least 2 years.
Considering this and upgrade prices versus full price, the sane choice for most people is to upgrade every 2 years be it Parallels Desktop or VMWare Fusion.

 

I am not implying I am stating that there is nothing to stop Parallels from deciding to release an update/upgrade that you have to pay for within 3 weeks and 1 day of you purchasing their product and that has happened.
Further there is nothing to stop Parallels from releasing PDM 10 or (PMD 9.001a or what ever they want to call the next update money grab) within 3 weeks from their last update.
Remeber we are not talking about a phisical item like a TV or Computer where a "upgrade" is tangible; we are talking about a change in the software that improves it and that costs Parallels nothing to provide their existing customers.
One might argue it does cost parallels something to provide better service in this area - lost revenue in update/upgrade charges. On the other hand it will be bourne out that it costs parallels far more when it is clear there is nothing to stop Parallels from deciding to release an update/upgrade that you have to pay for within 3 weeks and 1 day of you purchasing their product and that process being repeated; please don't expect ANYONE to "trust" parallels that they will limit themselves in when and how they will release chargeable updates/upgrades; it is clear they are thinking of their revenue stream well ahead of the existing clients in this area.

 

The facts are simple, what we have here is a company that has consistently released a new version every year (once a year), by the end of Summer, for at least the last 5 years, and has supported its software with free updates for at least 2 years for each version.

And please, stop deliberately confusing updates with new versions.

 

These sound like Parallels Facts and not customer facts.
The facts from the customer's perspective are:there is nothing to stop Parallels from deciding to release an update/upgrade/version that you have to pay for within 3 weeks and 1 day of you purchasing their product and that has happened.
People don't want to split hairs about what parallels calls an update or a version or an upgrade they want to know they have the latest and best program they purchases and that they will have that for a reasonable period of time without having to pay extra for it.
As things stand anyone that is not employed by Parallels or a "Product Expert" will expect the most recent behavior of parallels to be the best indicator of their future behavior; that's life!
Please stop introducing different phrases like updates and upgrades and versions to deliberately confuse what rightly frustrated parallels customers are feeling.

 

If you refuse to understand it's not my problem, but I'm just curious to know what committee nominated you to speak on behalf of all costumers?

 

Given you infer you are not affiliated in any way with Parallels, I can understand why it is not your problem; if you were affiliated and you were taking the above stance you would only be demonstrating to parallels clients that nothing is likely to improve with the problem identified in this forum discussion.
The forum topic is "Parallels 8 upgrade to Parallels 9 "Complain Page""

So let's put it right - I understand well the problem with currently frustrated parallels clients where there is nothing to stop Parallels from deciding to release an update/upgrade/version that you have to pay for within 3 weeks and 1 day of you purchasing their product; that has happened.

 

There is an easy fix for this Parallels Team, make the Parallels Access year subscription give you PD as part of it. That way you actually get people to get PA, since mostly useless for most people.

 

i am with you on this. I purchased parallels 8 lease than a year ago. I had many issues with Parallels at that time and I thought it would be better this time around. I understand about upgrades costing money but the level of frustration I have experienced in the last 6 hours in trying to get P 9 to work has been awful. Emails sent for support and I am told to go to links provided and check my ports. I am not a computer wizard so why should I start messing around with different ports. Now all I want to do is get my money back and go back to using Parallels 8 which isn't that great but something is better than nothing. I am in a service industry and wouldn't exist if this is the level of support I provided to my customers.

have no idea where to go from here.

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST AROUND AND LET PARALLELS KNOW HOW WE FEEL.....

 

Are there other options to use certain window application programs with an iMac instead of Parallels?

 

Of course there is - if you use Bootcamp then your Mac will behave exactly like a Windows PC. I do know how other customers feel about upgrades. I purchased PD6 in July 2011 and had to purchase PD8 just over a year later when I upgraded to Mountain Lion. However, from what I've read I won't need to upgrade to PD9 this time around when Mavericks is released as PD8 will continue to get support up to the PD10 release September time or thereabouts 2014. So it looks like it's a two year cycle not one and if a new version of OS X isn't released or you don't want to upgrade your OS then you won't need to upgrade Parallels either.

 

Boot Camp for mac

If I use Boot Camp what effect will that have on my mac programs?

 

Absolutely none. Imagine it like this - your Mac will be split into two, the Mac will still remain a Mac nothing will change and Bootcamp will become a Windows PC. You will have to reinstall Windows from scratch including all your programmes etc. but once you do it and you will only have to do it the once it will for all intents and purposes be a Windows PC in Bootcamp, and it will run at full speed. You will of course need to reboot from one into the other.

 

and to put in facts that parallels will never do anything about this so there is no point for customer support group, they will not listen, i sent them a lot of emails none replied, i believe a lot of people are complaining about this matter yet parallels won't do anything as people who buy have to pay to upgrade just to keep their computers up-to-date.
for them money will still roll in no matter what, it is the people who helped build the company, without us paying you guys won't get anywhere and why are there not much people complaining is because there are most users using windows which is far more better, more software ect..., by all means whoever post on this thread has the right to complain about how they feel, and if parallels won't listen then don't bother to reply trying to act as if you are helping.

 

Yes, there is VMware and VirtualBox. VMware is the same price and VirtualBox is freeware, but not as good but works decent. There is also boot camp as others have said, but it runs Windows or Mac, not both at the same time, you have to reboot to run or access the other unless have drivers to read/write to the HD for the other OS, but still if your in OSX and want to run a Windows program you have to reboot into Windows, then reboot into OSX to run their programs.

 

I'not amused about this policy. I bought Parallels 8 in the beginning July 2013 - and now it shoudn't run with Mavericks??? ... and I have to upgrade to Parallels 9 for cash? - This policy is not only unprofessional, it is ridiculous! I think Parallels-managers know what they have do to make money - And this seems to be one of their teaching peaces. The only one who disturbs is the customer... and the only one who is happy is Parallels. - good luck!

 

I bought Parallels on 13-July-2013, and I agree with most of the posts here. Being new to MAC and being new to Parallels, I was not aware of an inpending release of Parallels 9 nor the upgrade policy. Had I known I could have a) waited for Parallels 9 OR b) bought VMware. The only reason I bought Parallels over VMware was due to all the positive reviews. Now that I have bought and experienced Parallels, I must say it is a very good product, but the IO performance especially Disk access is somewhat an issue. Having seen that Parallels 9 improved the Disk IO, this is the feature I want the most. Hence if Parallels provides this improvement as an update to Parallels 8 I would be more that happy to pay for an upgrade when Parallels 10 comes out. If they do not provide this enhancement to Parallels 8 I will not be supporting Parallels into the future with further upgrades or buying other products. Customer satisfaction should be your number one concern.

I urge Parallels to consider their customers and at least provide an update to Parallels 8 with the improved performance and not in 6 months, but now.