LaserSoft Imaging

Hello,

I have bought few days ago new scanner Nikon LS-8000ED with bundled SilverFast Ai and SilverFast HDR. When I unpack parcel there were older version of SilverFast - SilverFast 5.5.
As I heard I am entitled to get current versions of SilverFast.
What should I do to get them ?

Michal

Dear Michal,

the only way to get the latest versions would be buying an upgrade, sorry.

kind regards

Hello,

I think that this is not fair.
Would you be so kind and tell me if LaserSoft Imaging realize in the past such free upgrade for user who bought older version of bundled SilverFast 5.5 i.e. in year 2003 ?

Michal

Dear Michal,

I am sorry that you bought an old version, but there has been no free upgrade for silverfast versions in the past.

Only if you would have recieved an older version and the next week you would have been able to buy a newer one.

Silverfast 6 is 2 years in the market now - so it is well known.
You have still the abiltiy to buy the upgrade with a lower price here :

http://www.silverfast.com/product/en.ht ... upgrade5-6

kind regards

Hello,

If that is truth, let ask another users.
Dear forum users - if someone has got free upgrade to version SF 6 (from older bought boundle version) please let us know.

Michal

The scanner vendors buy a specific version for distribution with their scanners at one time and distribute that version through the retail chain. WHen you purchase the scanner several years after that production run, you still get what was originally packaged in the box. No fault or unfairness intended. i agree it is upsetting to have to pay additional for the latest version. i bought a scanner years ago, just to get a full version of Photoshop. A month later the new version of Photoshop came out and i had to pay the upgrade price. It was still cheaper than paying full retail for Photoshop and i found that the new features were usefull.

You could try taking it up with the company that you bought the scanner from but i doubt that they will be amenable. Nikon will likely be the same. Silverfast is certainly not being unfair as they were bound by the contract with Nikon when Nikon purchased the software several years ago. If Nikon had purchased a license to distribute to the user whatever version what current at the time the user purchased the product, then Nikon would have provided a way for you to update for free.

Frank

BTW, " i do not work for Silverfast"

Sorry, Michal, but I agree with degrub and Mr Bruhn. The lifecycles of computer hardware, peripherals, and software are so short these days, it really makes it imperative for the consumer to do some homework before making a purchase. You should always do a quick search online, or talk to the vendors directly to find out which versions of the software will be shipping with your hardware.

Since you have only recently made your purchase, you might be able to return the scanner to the store after you politely explain your dilemma to the manager. S/he might be much more inclined to help you out if you:

a) made your purchase with a credit card (I'm sure they'd prefer to process a return instead of a chargeback)
b) allow them to substitute a different item from their store that is more suitable to your purposes.

Good luck! I hope it all works out for you.

Hello,

That is absolutely untrue !! I had bought 1,5 year ago Nikon LS-4000ED with SilverFast 5.5 included in the box and got from LaserSoft Imaging free of charge upgrade to version SilverFast 6 (which was current version at this time)

Dear All,

please think just one moment about the package you get from your manufacturer.

This package will only include what the manufaturer is willing to pay for.

just my two cents

kind regards

Just to throw in my 2 cents, too:

- I bought the Nikon LS4000 with SF 5.0 a couple of years ago (with a free update from Nikon immediately after buying, to 5.2 I think, but this was free anyway); I paid for 5.5 one year later, then for SF 6 again.
This is fair, of course, after all I got more than when buying the scanner, and every regular LaserSoft customer would have had to do this.

What I don't like about this is that I felt more or less forced to upgrade, because the older versions used to be quite buggy, and getting updates in order to get your machine to crash 2 or 3 times less often is what you learn with almost every piece of software you buy nowadays.
Getting the customer to pay for bug fixes (wrapped into some (more or less usable) new features) seems to be the usual strategy of most software companies.
(To be fair, the upgrades to 5.5 and 6 really delivered some nice new functionality!)

- Of course, when you buy a scanner you should expect to get up-to-date software with it, not a version from 1 or 2 years ago. This is, however, the responsibility of the scanner manufacturer (who, as LSI_Bruhn mentioned, buys the software from LaserSoft and sells it to the customer), and not of LaserSoft.

- The LS-8000, however, has been discontinued since about 1 year ago when they released the LS-9000, so don't get me wrong, but that a discontinued product comes with old software is no great surprise.

Regards,
BB

Dear customers,

bug fixes have to be free, but for e.g. multiuser support was not ment be with in the early 6 and have been supplied with 6.2 for free also, so even functionally has been given free of charge in this case.

I think everybody could have his individual critics or favours but there is always our goal to keep everyone happy.

kind regards

And basically I am VERY happy with SilverFast!

Regards,
BB

I'm happy, too. The Silverfast team have earned my respect for their constant improvements and hard work. It's the one piece of software that I have never regretted buying. I absolutely feel that I am getting my money's worth.

Hello,

So I bought scanner with version SF 5.5 not yet supported by LaserSoft Imaging. Upgrade is a new cost for me therefore I try to get version SF 6.
Now I quit. I will use Nikon Scan 4.

Michal

Dear Michal,

it is you decision as it was buying the scanner with an old software. I can just recommend the upgrade which is still accessable for 65$.

I understand that you are dissatrjust bought a scanner and should spend money again.

kind regards