You just bought Microsoft Plus !

hammer1head · 04-02-2005, 07:58 AM

If you have bought Micro$oft Plus ! or maybe the Plus ! Superpak, as I did, and have veiwed the screensaver and noticed it said " To get more Fish" click here... And you did......... Then you'll see all these downloads,, right,, then you get your box out, the one you just paid, 29.99 , at the store, and you see you have Version 1.1 and you think , oh great, there's an update here for 5.95 for version 1.1....STOP THERE.......Do Not Download the Upgrade....First of all, and I wouldn't have known this without the help of this forum, BUT , what we (you and I ) didn't know was, that we bought a DEMO... Now, your thinking wait , I didn't buy no DEMO , its (the screensaver) it's the real thing, it works and has 4 fish.. Right.. Well, what happened here was the fella who made this program, made it for Micro$oft as a Demo, right, Micro$oft liked it and the fella didn't get paid a penny, so I hear.. But Micro$oft put it on the Plus ! package anyways, without telling us its a DEMO.. Nice huh. So he ( the fella who made the program) said the heck with it and moved on, right, well now your looking to upgrade your fish.
The upgrades are not for us.. They are for people who paid full price for a product. So what we have is , 4 lonely fish...
The upgrade for 5.95, thats for the people who can move up to 2.0 version, this DOES NOT include us..
What do we do now ?
Well, you can send Micro$oft a message (lol) or
we have to pay 19.95 or more to get a version that is compatible with ALL the upgrades here.
Just so you know I'm not employed by this company or anything , I'm just a layed off Carpenter who waited a long time to get this Fish screensaver and was and still am " Ticked Off " when I found out about this DEMO crap.

Did you think this was gonna be an "unhappy" ending ??

No way Jose. I got the 2.0 and I don't have " JUST 4 LONELY FISH" anymore, I got a bunch of them..HE-HEE and as the song goes " I'm lov'n every minute."

Good Luck !

Marian Nichols · 04-02-2005, 08:34 AM

Great! I am glad that you didn't let this rip off get you down. You will never regret getting this beautiful and realistic screen saver.

Although I bought the Plus program, I already owned the screen saver so I was not suckered in as some will be.

My favorite screen saver in the Plus package is the leaves falling into the water.

Ralph · 04-02-2005, 08:45 AM

This is a long standing issue in this group, but I am curious? Is the Screen Saver program to which you refer is the "only" program included that is a demo?

It seems to me that "every" CD sold comes with additional "stuff" to try or not. Any game I buy has limited features (demo) software included. Any application software as well has "extras" which cost "extra". Include as well music and video CD's ...........

No matter what you buy there are options to "upgrade"..... always

One must also remember that Microsoft became the company it did "NOT" through fair practices or clever software.

cjmaddy · 04-02-2005, 09:42 AM

We all have to learn the hard way. - Plus packs are principally just another way of getting more money out of us.
They should be thought of in the same way as extended warranties: ... Something we don't/shouldn't really need!
We should wait until things are needed or necessary, - and then go buy them. - But dangled carrots are tempting!

ps. I still have my Win95 and Win98 Plus packs!

Marian Nichols · 04-02-2005, 09:44 AM

As do I
I didn't vote because nether one applied to me.

Tiny Turtle · 04-02-2005, 10:44 AM

Isn't everything in the Plus! (Their exclamation mark – not mine) Pack demos?

As for why they don't tell you it's a demo you already answered your own question by stating that you wouldn't have bought it then...

One more view is that you bought the PP to get the three fish aquarium. If there would've been no link to a "full" version – or even if there was no full version at all. Would you still feel ripped off?

04-02-2005, 11:12 AM

As for the other screensavers in the Plus! pack that I purchased, I can find none that are upgradeable. The Plus! Nature (leaves on water) is quite pretty, but the movement makes me nauseated, like trying to read in a moving vehicle. My favorite is the Plus! Space screensaver, with the astronaut jetting around the space station as it orbits the Earth. I wish it were upgradeable, because it is really nicely done, IMO. As for the MA Demo--again IMO--it is a sweet simple and beautiful screen saver by itself. Of course for those of us on this forum, it merely whetted our appetites for the full meal deal.
None of this is a defense of Miro$oft or its misleading marketing practices (so don't stone me!).

Jim Sachs · 04-02-2005, 05:07 PM

To add insult to injury, we have to give Microsoft some money for each of those angry customers who comes to us through their link.

ESHIREY · 04-02-2005, 05:08 PM

WHAT? That's nuts.

feldon34 · 04-02-2005, 05:14 PM

Microsoft Plus for 98 was $20 because it was just a box of demos.

Microsoft saw dollar signs when they managed to wrestle the Aquarium demo out of Prolific's hands and doubled the price of Plus XP to $40 even though it is still just a box of demos.

ESHIREY · 04-02-2005, 05:18 PM

I'd tell them to p... up a rope.

feldon34 · 04-02-2005, 05:29 PM

I've been tempted to print out stickers "Go to SereneScreen.com to buy the full version of the included Aquarium for $19.95" or better yet "This product cannot be upgraded."

ESHIREY · 04-02-2005, 05:33 PM

There you go.

04-03-2005, 11:39 AM

Here's a screen from the Plus! Space screensaver. I've cropped it a bit to narrow the focus onto the astronaut.

View Poll Results: What do you think about this " DEMO " pack ?
Great, Micro$nott saved alot of money and now XP will be cheaper.	0	0%
Its a bunch of crap, why didn't they (Micro$nott) put on the box it was a DEMO.I wouldn't buy it.	8	100.00%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 8. You may not vote on this poll

04-02-2005, 07:58 AM	#1
hammer1head Registered Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 11	You just bought Microsoft Plus ! If you have bought Micro$oft Plus ! or maybe the Plus ! Superpak, as I did, and have veiwed the screensaver and noticed it said " To get more Fish" click here... And you did......... Then you'll see all these downloads,, right,, then you get your box out, the one you just paid, 29.99 , at the store, and you see you have Version 1.1 and you think , oh great, there's an update here for 5.95 for version 1.1....STOP THERE.......Do Not Download the Upgrade....First of all, and I wouldn't have known this without the help of this forum, BUT , what we (you and I ) didn't know was, that we bought a DEMO... Now, your thinking wait , I didn't buy no DEMO , its (the screensaver) it's the real thing, it works and has 4 fish.. Right.. Well, what happened here was the fella who made this program, made it for Micro$oft as a Demo, right, Micro$oft liked it and the fella didn't get paid a penny, so I hear.. But Micro$oft put it on the Plus ! package anyways, without telling us its a DEMO.. Nice huh. So he ( the fella who made the program) said the heck with it and moved on, right, well now your looking to upgrade your fish. The upgrades are not for us.. They are for people who paid full price for a product. So what we have is , 4 lonely fish... The upgrade for 5.95, thats for the people who can move up to 2.0 version, this DOES NOT include us.. What do we do now ? Well, you can send Micro$oft a message (lol) or we have to pay 19.95 or more to get a version that is compatible with ALL the upgrades here. Just so you know I'm not employed by this company or anything , I'm just a layed off Carpenter who waited a long time to get this Fish screensaver and was and still am " Ticked Off " when I found out about this DEMO crap. Did you think this was gonna be an "unhappy" ending ?? No way Jose. I got the 2.0 and I don't have " JUST 4 LONELY FISH" anymore, I got a bunch of them..HE-HEE and as the song goes " I'm lov'n every minute." Good Luck !

04-02-2005, 08:34 AM	#2
Marian Nichols ~Author~ Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Rocky Mount, NC Posts: 7,429	Great! I am glad that you didn't let this rip off get you down. You will never regret getting this beautiful and realistic screen saver. Although I bought the Plus program, I already owned the screen saver so I was not suckered in as some will be. My favorite screen saver in the Plus package is the leaves falling into the water. Write paranormal mysteries. Six books so far.

04-02-2005, 09:44 AM	#5
Marian Nichols ~Author~ Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Rocky Mount, NC Posts: 7,429	As do I I didn't vote because nether one applied to me. Write paranormal mysteries. Six books so far.

04-02-2005, 10:44 AM	#6
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	Isn't everything in the Plus! (Their exclamation mark – not mine) Pack demos? As for why they don't tell you it's a demo you already answered your own question by stating that you wouldn't have bought it then... One more view is that you bought the PP to get the three fish aquarium. If there would've been no link to a "full" version – or even if there was no full version at all. Would you still feel ripped off? Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

04-02-2005, 08:45 AM	#3
Ralph Retired Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Edmonton Alberta Ca Posts: 2,438	This is a long standing issue in this group, but I am curious? Is the Screen Saver program to which you refer is the "only" program included that is a demo? It seems to me that "every" CD sold comes with additional "stuff" to try or not. Any game I buy has limited features (demo) software included. Any application software as well has "extras" which cost "extra". Include as well music and video CD's ........... No matter what you buy there are options to "upgrade"..... always One must also remember that Microsoft became the company it did "NOT" through fair practices or clever software.

04-02-2005, 09:42 AM	#4
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	We all have to learn the hard way. - Plus packs are principally just another way of getting more money out of us. They should be thought of in the same way as extended warranties: ... Something we don't/shouldn't really need! We should wait until things are needed or necessary, - and then go buy them. - But dangled carrots are tempting! ps. I still have my Win95 and Win98 Plus packs!

04-02-2005, 11:12 AM	#7
klyntun Guest Posts: n/a	As for the other screensavers in the Plus! pack that I purchased, I can find none that are upgradeable. The Plus! Nature (leaves on water) is quite pretty, but the movement makes me nauseated, like trying to read in a moving vehicle. My favorite is the Plus! Space screensaver, with the astronaut jetting around the space station as it orbits the Earth. I wish it were upgradeable, because it is really nicely done, IMO. As for the MA Demo--again IMO--it is a sweet simple and beautiful screen saver by itself. Of course for those of us on this forum, it merely whetted our appetites for the full meal deal. None of this is a defense of Miro$oft or its misleading marketing practices (so don't stone me!).

04-02-2005, 05:07 PM	#8
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,774	To add insult to injury, we have to give Microsoft some money for each of those angry customers who comes to us through their link. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

04-02-2005, 05:08 PM	#9
ESHIREY Smilie Dragon Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lebanon, PA Posts: 4,725	WHAT? That's nuts. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

04-02-2005, 05:14 PM	#10
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,938	Microsoft Plus for 98 was $20 because it was just a box of demos. Microsoft saw dollar signs when they managed to wrestle the Aquarium demo out of Prolific's hands and doubled the price of Plus XP to $40 even though it is still just a box of demos. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

04-02-2005, 05:18 PM	#11
ESHIREY Smilie Dragon Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lebanon, PA Posts: 4,725	I'd tell them to p... up a rope. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

04-02-2005, 05:29 PM	#12
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,938	I've been tempted to print out stickers "Go to SereneScreen.com to buy the full version of the included Aquarium for $19.95" or better yet "This product cannot be upgraded." "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

04-02-2005, 05:33 PM	#13
ESHIREY Smilie Dragon Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lebanon, PA Posts: 4,725	There you go. Thank you for taking the time to read this.