OS 15 Ultimate

I'm struggling to justify paying $40 for the Ultimate edition. I purchased the full edition when OS 9 and OS 12 was released but this version is 3x the cost.

I still think this is the best distribution available.

Convince me this is worth the money. Lots of alternatives out there.

I've requested Team Zorin look at the potential of a discount for long-time users/supporters/purchasers of Ultimate - Awaiting response.

Carbonsteel wrote:I'm struggling to justify paying $40 for the Ultimate edition. I purchased the full edition when OS 9 and OS 12 was released but this version is 3x the cost.

I still think this is the best distribution available.

Convince me this is worth the money. Lots of alternatives out there.

Carbonsteel, I have exactly the same feelings! I expressed this in viewtopic.php?f=12&t=14505

I like your comment - Convince me this is worth the money....

It is 40 EUR + VAT, some 48 EUR!

@Carbonsteel Thanks for your post and for your contributions to Zorin OS, they help us enormously to keep the project running for the benefit of all! I have just sent you a PM about this.

As a small team working full-time on Zorin OS, we could keep the project going and progressing over the past decade primarily because we've been able to pay the bills with the sales of the Ultimate edition. However, if you've been following the development of Zorin OS 15, you probably noticed that it has taken much longer than expected to get the release developed and this is due to the limited manpower we have for programming, documentation and support, amongst other administrative tasks behind the scenes.
The long-term goal would be to be able to hire more full-time developers to not only improve Zorin OS faster, but also contribute to upstream projects such as the kernel, Gnome, XFCE et al. We think this would accelerate progress towards our goal of making Linux accessible to as many people as possible in the general public.
In order to raise the funds to go on this path, we didn't want to make the compromises that other companies have done such as advertising or selling user data. We're aware that not everyone is able to pay money for Zorin OS – which is why we've made the Core, Lite and Education editions free – but having a sustainable way to fund the project can mean the difference between it thriving and it abruptly ending, like what recently happened to Antergos. Our plan over the next year will be to develop tools and services for business & government users of Zorin OS and generate revenue from them. This will hopefully allow us to avoid price increases to Zorin OS Ultimate in the future while still allowing us to achieve our goal and improving Zorin OS for everyone, but it will still require more resources than we have now to get there.

In addition, when we previously launched both Zorin OS 12 Ultimate and Lite Ultimate, there were many customers who were confused about the 2 editions and that they were purchased separately (2 X €19). With the new version, we've included both the full Ultimate and Ultimate Lite editions (which will be available later this summer) in the same bundle, so anyone who purchases Ultimate for their main computer would be able to use the Ultimate Lite edition on an old PC they might have. We've combined the 2 editions so you'd be getting both this time around.

Once again, thank you for your contributions, they really mean a lot!

We (self included) are forgetting that this LTS like Ubuntu 18.04 will be supported until 2027.

Carbonsteel wrote: I still think this is the best distribution available.

And you just maybe 100% correct on that.

I am a paid user. I've donated about the same amount to other Distro's and am now on my 2nd go around with Zorin (also paid for 12.2).

As far as having to convince anyone, that comes down to personal choice. I personally am not one who expects things, especially something as good as Zorin, to be free.
Nothing is free. I also have personal pride and don't expect others to take care of me nor my needs, but that's me. I also want Zorin to be around for a long time, and am
doing my part to help make that happen. Maybe convince us why you should get it for free. Would you spend countless hours creating, coding, testing, fixing and helping
others for free? Would you go to work and tell your employer, hey don't pay me, today I'm working for free?

If you want free, use Core 15, it's free. Lite is free too.

There are a lot of free alternatives out there you can use. I, and others, have chosen to keep a good thing around instead of it going to the wayside. It's not like many of the others
don't ask for donations to support the cause. And for someone to say convince me? LOL, that comes across a little bit funny, don't you think? How much is a pizza and a 6 pack?
And is that going to last you for several years? It all comes down to each individuals personal preference. You know mine, and we know yours.

JeffK969 wrote:How much is a pizza and a 6 pack?
And is that going to last you for several years? It all comes down to each individuals personal preference. You know mine, and we know yours.

This is a very good point. It is interesting how many people act without considering fully what they spend on.
The psychology of it.

Carbonsteel and Svatas both expressed that they were dismayed by the price increase. They did not say they wanted Zorin O.S. for free and Carbonsteel has bought Ultimate. What got their attention and many peoples attention was that the price changed- it went Up and they asked for justification for this change.
The price did not go up by a couple of Dollars or a couple or Euros, either. It was a significant increase.
So, if Carbonsteel picked up the phone to get some pizza for his family get together this evening and found out that the Two Large -two topping special that used to be $24.99 is now $44.99, he would understandably raise his voice. As it should be.

I am a novice and as a novice, I believe that what sets Zorin apart is the attention to detail, the careful organization and melding together of all the components of the distribution. Many click components together and then release whereas Zorin clicks them together and then tweaks them to ensure the best fit and best performance possible. A Linux Guru may not need that but a novice sure does. Zorin goes above and beyond. There are many Free Distributions that are Worth Free.
Zorin is worth more. I think Zorin Lite is Worth More, too.
Jeff, your perspective of Personal Responsibility and financial planning and responsibility is worth a lot, as well. It makes more sense to spend on what you really value. Sometimes, the Pizza has that value, with friends and family spending time together and creating memories- even if you are going to turn what you actually spent the money on into human poop.
But not every night. That would be wasteful, unproductive and useless spending.
Carbonsteels perspective on holding pricing accountable and fearlessly questioning is also worth a lot. How often it is that companies known for quality start raising prices and cutting quality means we all must stay diligently on our toes.

Aravisian wrote:Carbonsteel and Svatas both expressed that they were dismayed by the price increase. They did not say they wanted Zorin O.S. for free

You are correct in that, I totally understand people not liking a price increase, the cost doubled. I'm one of them! The difference being the support for 15 will go until 2027 I believe. That's more than twice as long, so to me it evens out.
I'm also not a fan of getting the two for one. Ultimate and Ultimate Lite. I believe each should stand on it's own merit, and be sold separately. After all, I paid for Lite 15 which isn't out yet.
They expressed a discount. I would love a discount. But would they go into a store to buy a pair of jeans and say I've been wearing Levi's a long time or shopping in your store for years and think I should get a discount? And that's at a store, most likely a big company which makes plenty of profit. But to ask 2 young men who spend the better parts of their young lives doing this. Does that seem appropriate? Would they ask M$ for office or windows 10 at a discount? No, they'd move to Linux.

In the link Svatas posted,"Are there any plans to somehow bring advantage for long term supporters? Otherwise from my side you will not get any money when I can not feel I can
get something for the money. My feeling right now is that people behind ZorinOS have chosen business..."

He may be 100% correct. I ask, is Zorin not a business? Are they to foot the bill out of pocket and give it away?

I apologize to to Carbonsteel and Svatas if my words offended in any way.

There has to come a point where people stop asking for stuff at someone else's expense. But maybe I'm just a jerk. But I'm a jerk that pays my own way in life and makes choices based upon my wallet everyday. Look at something like soda/cola. Has the price of that increased in the last several years? Is the cost of Zorin supposed to be $19 20 years from now? Prices increase.

JeffK969 wrote: The difference being the support for 15 will go until 2027 I believe. That's more than twice as long, so to me it evens out.

I did not know this.

JeffK969 wrote:I'm also not a fan of getting the two for one. Ultimate and Ultimate Lite. I believe each should stand on it's own merit, and be sold separately. After all, I paid for Lite 15 which isn't out yet.

Agreed. This falls into "opinion." Zorin gave good reasons why the bundled it, as well.
Admittedly, I have never like bundles much.

JeffK969 wrote:They expressed a discount. I would love a discount. But would they go into a store to buy a pair of jeans and say I've been wearing Levi's a long time or shopping in your store for years and think I should get a discount? And that's at a store, most likely a big company which makes plenty of profit. But to ask 2 young men who spend the better parts of their young lives doing this. Does that seem appropriate?

I really agree on this one. I got pretty testy on this issue sometime back when a lot of people that had bought 12.4 sometime in the past wanted a discount on 15 or even a "Free Upgrade." My Politometer broke down that day.

JeffK969 wrote:Would they ask M$ for office or windows 10 at a discount? No, they'd move to Linux.

I'd have no qualms asking MS for a discount but I wouldn't see the point given the product you would be getting.

JeffK969 wrote:In the link Svatas posted,"Are there any plans to somehow bring advantage for long term supporters? Otherwise from my side you will not get any money when I can not feel I can
get something for the money. My feeling right now is that people behind ZorinOS have chosen business..."

He may be 100% correct. I ask, is Zorin not a business? Are they to foot the bill out of pocket and give it away?

I did not read the link so that quote is new to me. I disagree with it. To act like they feel like they are not getting something for the money is not a realistic statement.
As it stands, Zorin Lite, Core and Educational all can be obtained without spending any money at all and all three of those are VERY good Operating Systems. Ultimate stands as a way of supporting the project and while it offers more bundled software, it does not provide a Better Operating System. You still get the same great system no matter how much you spend. Should long term supporters get an advantage? I am in two minds on this one. Because while sound in principle, it seems unnecessary. If I bought Zorin6, Zorin9, Zorin12, but did not want to buy 15 Ultimates, I would download Zorin 15 Core freely and still be just as well off as I was with 6,9,12 Ultimates. I mean, there already IS that advantage. Core. Lite. -shrug-

JeffK969 wrote:There has to come a point where people stop asking for stuff at someone else's expense. But maybe I'm just a jerk.

No.
I did want to make the point that both posters above did not ask for a Free Product that I saw and that it is commendable and valid to speak up to a Doubled Price.
Prices may slowly increase but when Dr. Pepper went up by 40 cents for a 20 oz- I got loud about it. And gas prices? ugh.
But a jerk, no- your points are strong and valid and I find your attitudes honorable. And sadly lacking in modern Society.
Fair is fair.
But given many things you have said on this board, I wish you were my next door neighbor instead of the jerk that "Borrows a tool" only to keep "forgetting" to return it.

Am wondering what type tools you have. Might be worth my while to borrow some...lol Free, discounted. Asking for something IMHO for less than the stated valve is asking for something for free. While yes, even if paying 75% of the cost, you are getting 25% for free. My terms were incorrect. But premise not.

You are correct, neither one said they wanted it for free. While Carbonsteel came from a point as to where he just wanted to be convinced the extra cost was worth it, the other came across as not so much. But that is my interpretation from how I read it, and I could be wrong.

Either way, I'm just still waiting for Ultimate Lite 15... Which reminds me, have to figure out how to install that as my primary OS on my Dell (erasing Linux MATE) so I can dual boot Lite with Ultimate. Research time....

In case you are wondering where I got the 10 years support from:

https://liliputing.com/2018/11/ubuntu-1 ... y-lts.html

I seen the same on many Linux websites Swarf, aside from Zorin's. Extended security maintenance for customers.