Why do we have so many issues with software programs

[Terry - Somerset]

Like many of the views expressed I also dislike paying an annual subscription when for most (if not all) I would be entirely happy with the functionality of software I purchased outright 10+ years ago.

I am also a realist:

• as Rhossydd commented a few posts back - we are simply unimportant as we don't and won't generate any revenue
• software companies exist to provide services to users who spend money. They are not charities. They exist ultimately to profit their shareholders - as do most companies.

Reluctantly I pay for Office 365. I am IT basically competent but have no interest in spending endless amounts of time to get my unsupported Microsoft Office purchased probably 15 years ago to work with other IT - printers, emails, data downloads, imported imagery etc.

I'm sure it can be done, there are other free packages around with smaller user bases, some evidently like the challenge and do so. Similarly with other software packages folk may use including Adobe.

It is a personal choice, but I see little merit is getting upset or angry. It creates needless stress over that which individually or as a group we have almost no influence.

 

[Spectric]

endless amounts of time to get my unsupported Microsoft Office purchased probably 15 years ago to work with other IT - printers, emails, data downloads, imported imagery etc.

They do essentially have you by the dangly bits, the reason many upgrade is because of the threat of vunerability and once the OEM drops support then as hardware changes your old version is left high and dry. Software on your Pc, infact your IT should be a set of tools you use and once you start to spend a lot of time just fixing it and getting it to function then that is non productive and really just an unwanted headache. You don't have to rent office 365 as you can still purchase office 2021 outright but you do not get the major upgrades that you get with 365, you do get the security updates and minor patches and that works fine for me.

 

[sploo]

That's because gcode is gcode is gcode. That can't change. The compilers do but won't affect the gcode output.

Yes/no/kinda. If I recall correctly the original context of that post was that running old software does make sense.

That said, newer CAM software may well produce "better" gcode for the same machine, and newer control software may run a machine better with the same gcode (e.g. I believe Mach4 does variable acceleration, which Mach3 does not).