When will it be availablle and where is the ReadMe?

 from this site

The new HD systems are expected to be available in Q2 2008

Readme won't be available for a while yet.

Avid is Hoping (Please notice the emphasis on the word hoping) to roll out the new hardware and software in June.

No firm release date, just a target date so don't go gettin' all in a twist if that date slips.

Sorry, but that is the kind of thing that needs to be changed in this "New Thinking" era.

 BLKDOG,

I just purchased the Xpress Pro upgrade to MC (2.8.1) last week. Have you heard or do you think they will charge me again for an upgrade to 3.0?

Sonny

Hi Sonny,

No announcement yet on what the upgrade pricing will be, and we're not allowed to speculate on these forums, so no "I heard it's going to be X dollars to upgrade" or "I think it's going to be X dollars" either.

good luck,
Carl

sonpit:

I just purchased the Xpress Pro upgrade to MC (2.8.1) last week. Have you heard or do you think they will charge me again for an upgrade to 3.0?

Me 2

I have no idea. I have no idea if there is even going to BE an upgrade price. However, if this does roll out in June then I would expect that you would have to purchase the upgrade just like the rest of us (If there is an upgrade price). We all made the purchase to upgrade just as you did, I would hope that having the software for two months didn't preclude you from paying whatever upgrade price there may be. 

Now (Here goes the speculation...gonna have to moderate myself), if Avid follows through with the grace period policy they have applied to the MC update, then you may have a time-period that Grandfathers you into the new update. I don't know, nobody does. So, let's just sit back and wait. Any more speculation about this and we're gonna have to lock this thread.

 Me too,

I have no problem with being  charged for the upgrade, but will be pretty miffed if people with AXP get to upgrade to version 3 for the same I paid to upgrade to 2.8 and then I get charged ontop of the amount for the same product.

I would like to think the fair route is for 3.0 to be only available as an upgrade from 2.8 - that way everyone upgrading from AXP gets charged the same.

That way lies happiness.

 I disagree.  I have AXP and I plan on sitting on it until we hear more from Avid, just like I have for the last few months.  It's not even a recent version of AXP.  It's 5.2.4.

In the meantime, others have paid their upgrades and have been taking advantage of the new features.  Just last week I really could have used Spectramatte, and the BCC effects would have been nice too, but since I'm likely to get the green light for only 1 update this year, I'm waiting to see if I can go straight to 3.0.  In the meantime, I don't have all the extra functionality you do because I haven't paid for it. 

Hopefully there will be no upgrade fee or a reasonable one to go from 2.8 to 3.0, but just because you took the plunge early doesn't mean others should be locked out from it. 

Michael.

Butcher:

 I disagree.  I have AXP and I plan on sitting on it until we hear more from Avid, just like I have for the last few months.  It's not even a recent version of AXP.  It's 5.2.4.

In the meantime, others have paid their upgrades and have been taking advantage of the new features.  Just last week I really could have used Spectramatte, and the BCC effects would have been nice too, but since I'm likely to get the green light for only 1 update this year, I'm waiting to see if I can go straight to 3.0.  In the meantime, I don't have all the extra functionality you do because I haven't paid for it. 

Hopefully there will be no upgrade fee or a reasonable one to go from 2.8 to 3.0, but just because you took the plunge early doesn't mean others should be locked out from it. 

 

Michael.

HEAR! HEAR!

 I take your point but don't really agree.

OK so you're not using the extra functionallity now like Spectramatte because you haven't paid for it, that's fine. But are you suggesting that just because you don't need it now you shouldn't pay for it when you do?

All I know is that it is out of our hands and from past experience Avid seem to have imposed restrictions on upgrades and on many occassions people running older versions of AXP have had to go throw a couple of upgrades and pay for them when they want to run on a newer version

Meanwhile I'm going to put off buying my new car 'cause I don't really need it this week and maybe next week I can have it for free

Only kidding

Graham

Michael:

You are totally correct.  I would love to make the leap to MC right now, but also want to wait and see what happens.  If you have the patience to wait you should be rewarded - just like with Adobe products.  You can be on like Photoshop 5 and still upgrade to the latest stuff for a great price.

sasfog:

Meanwhile I'm going to put off buying my new car 'cause I don't really need it this week and maybe next week I can have it for free

I appreciate that! 

I understand that, in the past, if you waited a few cycles to upgrade it got progressively more expensive, but that's typically within a product group.  Right now you can upgrade from any version of Xpress Pro to Media Composer--any version of Xpress Pro! 

I see no reason for them to change that simply because Media Composer gets an update.  Right now it could be considered unfair that folks with Xpress Pro 4.0 can upgrade to MC for the same price as those with 5.8.  Shouldn't the older versions cost more to upgrade?  Probably, but they don't, and that's really cool on Avid's part.  Hopefully they'll continue to be cool and the upgrade to MC 3.0 will be reasonable or free for those who upgraded immediately from Xpress Pro.

Time will tell.  In the meantime, enjoy your MC and I'll curse at my Xpress Pro! 

Michael

PS.  If you figure out how to get a free car, please let me know.  My wife wants a hybrid, but I don't want the payments.