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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,143
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,143 |
Hi there,
As a regular upgrader and sometimes half yearly upgrader who has Band in a Box dvd's and hard drives around the house, I asked this time about downloading option only without any media being sent from PG. To be honest I would have expected a small discount for this as it saves PG from having to supply me with the hard drive or dvd's (and no doubt would have saved me the cost of the postage as well) but the good folks at PG tell me its the same price whether its hard drive sent or no hard drive.
I do feel a bit miffed about this, maybe its unreasonable of me to do so, but thats how I feel anyways.
musiclover
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 826
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 826 |
I wouldn't be too miffed. They do still send you the media anyway and the HD version ends up as an inexpensive external drive after you finish with a given version. I mean the HD itself only costs an extra $40 compared to the DVD version. I can't get a 160GB external drive for $40 anywhere else.
As for getting a download only version cheaper than the DVD version, I'd guess that bandwidth and download charges are as much as the cost of duplication so I don't see how it could be any cheaper.
BiaB 2013 b366, RB 2013 b4, WinXP Pro SP3, Toshiba M70, 1.8GHz 2GB RAM 100GB HD. Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, Ketron SD2. BiaB Wiki
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,806
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,806 |
Just give PGMusic a call and ask.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 826
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 826 |
Quote:
Just give PGMusic a call and ask.
I think he did John. I guess they just don't offer that option right now. Maybe they will in the future, who knows. As I posted above though I'll bet the cost of supplying the upgrades as downloads is at least the same as a DVD (bandwith and download charges etc.).
BiaB 2013 b366, RB 2013 b4, WinXP Pro SP3, Toshiba M70, 1.8GHz 2GB RAM 100GB HD. Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, Ketron SD2. BiaB Wiki
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 615
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 615 |
IMO, the advantage of having an "all-in-one" restore capability is worth the $40.00 or so. The time I need to re-install, 2010, upgrade to 2011 and then apply the new RealTracks, I can get $40 worth of work done.
Jan - 12 Core AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
32GB DDR4
Win 10 64-bit
Samsung m.2 SSD Boot drive,other SSD internal and USB drives.
MOTO 2
Ketron SD4,SD1000
Yamaha RX-v381amp
VB-Audio virtual cables
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360
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Joined: Oct 2008
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Hi musiclover,
I had a similar experience (with similar feelings) last year and then I did a bit of arithmetic and worked out that I got 101 RTs for $139. This meant that each RT was about $1.39. For the quality of musician that BIAB gave me, I thought that that was a bargain-basement price. These days, I am so impressed with the service that PG Music provide in addition to the quality of product that they provide (at an incredibly good valued price) that I don't question it. I think the program is amazing dollar value. Did you pay freight when you downloaded it?
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 312
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 312 |
Quote:
As for getting a download only version cheaper than the DVD version, I'd guess that bandwidth and download charges are as much as the cost of duplication so I don't see how it could be any cheaper.
Not at all. If that were the case than youTube, Netflix, Vimeo and every other content site would never have started.
Like with most products and services, there is a huge gap between retail pricing and business/wholesale pricing. So for a business, you can get a dedicated server for under $150 per month with much higher download speed and unmetered maximum bandwidth. If pgmusic had so much volume that the unmetered traffic was clogging the T1 line or whatever pipe was being used, then they could just get another dedicated server. But even so, that amount of traffic would imply huge product purchases. Just get a few more servers. Most likely, they contract with specialist hosts for the peak downloads, as many other publishers when they release a new product.
The biggest cost of duplication is the people, not the materials. Whether you do it inhouse or outsource, the expense is people. If you use machines, to send physical product, that costs capital. At the end of the day, sending physical product is expensive and in contrast, download costs start to approach zero per unit at larger unit volumes over fixed costs. Physical product, which has to be estimated, produced, wharehoused, handled, and then shipped, will always cost much more than downloads.
There is also the environmental advantage in not cutting trees, plastic, glues, oil for transportation etc.
It's almost like this new internet thing is fundamentally changing business models or something.  Now that's change that you can believe in. 
Finally, I have found a cool signature with sufficiently dry humor.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 8,021
Veteran
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 826
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 826 |
Last time I ran a batch of CDs they cost $0.49 CAD each for 500 of them. For larger batch sizes it went down to $0.29 each. They'd need to sell 517 download only copies per month to break even on a dedicated server. I don't know if that's a resonable number but it seems high to me. I doubt there's that many people who want download only.
Of course since they let you download the program anyway as a courtesy I suppose an argument could be made to deduct $0.29 plus shipping from your download only order. lol
BTW I agree that medialess shipping is probably more environmentally friendly but I still like the HD option as it's my backup too.
Last edited by pwarren; 12/10/10 01:41 PM.
BiaB 2013 b366, RB 2013 b4, WinXP Pro SP3, Toshiba M70, 1.8GHz 2GB RAM 100GB HD. Focusrite Saffire 6 USB, Ketron SD2. BiaB Wiki
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,143
Veteran
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,143 |
Thanks for all replies. On reflection probably I shouldn't have asked or expected any price reduction for downloading only. After all it’s a business and they set their prices.
This was my first time contacting PG by phone, and maybe I expected too much because I personally had read too much into posts on the forum (usually in previous years) about better deals they can do if you contact them directly.
Also because of the great customer experiences most people have had when contacting PG maybe I expected too much.
Anyways I will continue to enjoy band in a box 2010.5 and get back to the business of trying to make music
Happy holidays to all.
Musiclover
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 14
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 14 |
Been around since the first few versions in dos and been upgrading ever since.I sit back at times and figure how much the prog cost me over all and it's quite an impressive amount. But the cost of development and where BB is today it's been worth it. Done the email upgrade and this one (2011 mega) took a full day. My fault, they offered the hard drive but couldn't wait for uncertain delivery time at holiday processing time could have been 5 weeks or so . Guess it's a small price to pay for almost instant gratification and a couple of hundred mouse clicks. All i all these thoughts been going thru my head each up grade and wrong way Ziel I always order the wrong package but love BB and just happy to have supported something that has payed for itself over and over. Happy Holidays From a saxman
and B3 fanatic. Stan
Last edited by jzee; 12/10/10 03:51 PM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,360
Veteran
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Veteran
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Quote:
Anyways I will continue to enjoy band in a box 2010.5 and get back to the business of trying to make music
Hi Musiclover,
Now that I know that you've got 2010.5, PG Music actually do have a cost-saving version. The $99 option is especially for 2010.5 users. I suspect that you've already read about this and know that it upgrades 2010.5 UltraPlus/Everything PAKs to 2011. What you might not know is that the download size is around 6 GB (I recently downloaded it). If this is the option that you are talking about then the download would fit onto two DVDs. The cost of 2 x DVDs, here in Australia, wouldn't amount to much more than $1.00. Given this, there is essentially no cost difference between downloading it or having PG Music provide you with DVDs.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,143
Veteran
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OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,143 |
Thanks for reply Noel. Actually it’s only the 2010.5 in the main band in a box I have got, so I’m missing the realtracks summer pak, my fault for confusing you.
Anyways I have had a think about what you and others have said and will order the 2011 hard drive after Xmas, though it would have been possible for me to download the files if that option had been available to me at a lesser price but its not there.
I will just miss out the summer paks in future and only consider upgrading at Holiday time, maybe even skipping a year or so as on current pricing skipping a year or more only adds $20 to pricing.
In retrospect I do wish that my first direct contact with PG had been a more pleasant experience from my point of view but I do appreciate that many others have had different experiences.
Thanks to you Noel and everyone else for your kind help.
Musiclover
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Team PG
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