The End is Near for HomeSeer 1.7x

[electron]

Maybe the discontinuing of the 1.7 product, which is rock solid, is because of the illegal use of this product, due to lack of protection and control.

This is one of the reasons.

I hope that statement isn't true, we all know that DRM, copyright protection schemes, only affect the HONEST people, the ones who paid a lot of money, not the copyright infringers. On top of that, this is only going to force these people to start working on cracking the new version of Homeseer.

Dan,
Are you serious? Tell us how you would handle your licensing issues.

Serious about what? That DRM/Copyright protection schemes only affect honest people? You know it's true (trying backing up one of your DVD's). I am just saying that the reason you specified shouldn't be included in the list of why to discontinue 1.7 downloads.

Anyways, I just want to be able to rebuild my machine whenever I want to. Look at my case now, I just lost everything in a lightning storm, if this happened after December, I would have been in a really bad situation. I am not asking to continue to provide support, just setup an FTP server where I can download the latest build and a copy of the plugins. People can come to this forum if they want help with their HS 1.7 install.

 

[Guy Lavoie]

That is not a true statement. HS 1.7 license will be good for as long as you use it. Please state facts.

It just seemed to me that if the company was going out of its way to make sure that you cannot fully re-install it after December, then they were effectively terminating your right to use it freely.

About the Ocelot: It hasn't crashed or needed a restart in 6.5 years. And since I put it on a UPS two years ago, it hasn't stopped a single minute either (hydro power is very stable here). I don't consider a power failure to be a system crash.

 

[Rupp]

Anyways, I just want to be able to rebuild my machine whenever I want to.

Dan and others,
I do not believe the sky is falling quite yet. HST is giving everyone 5 months to back up there data. If you want the HS 1.7 installer just ask for it and write it to a CD. It's really not as bad as you guys are painting it. HS 1.7 isn't going away. Your license is still as good as it was the day you bought it. Then only thing that is changing is the support for the constant barrage of "Uh, I lost my license file can you send it to me for the 5th time" type questions. Backup your license file an the HS 1.7 installer and for 99% of you guys nothing changes.

 

[Rupp]

That is not a true statement. HS 1.7 license will be good for as long as you use it. Please state facts.

It just seemed to me that if the company was going out of its way to make sure that you cannot fully re-install it after December, then they were effectively terminating your right to use it freely.

About the Ocelot: It hasn't crashed or needed a restart in 6.5 years. And since I put it on a UPS two years ago, it hasn't stopped a single minute either (hydro power is very stable here). I don't consider a power failure to be a system crash.

Guy,
This is simply not true. Comments like this is why this BB is known as the HomeSeer bashing board. There is absolutely nothing that is going to prevent you from continuing to use HS 1.7. Your license will still be valid. I'm missing what the big deal is here. The only thing that is changing is the active support. There will still be users on the HS BB using HS 1.7.

 

[kyham]

As long as HS 1.7.44 keeps working after they "STOP SUPPORTING IT", I really don't care. Lack of support dosen't concern me since I haven't had HS1 support for a LONG TIME anyway. That ended even before HS2 was released as BETA.

If HS1 stops working while I am still running a PAID FOR LEGAL PRODUCTION RELEASE, with or without support, and HS has not provided me with a method to reinstall, then I would think that would be the time for a class action review.

I don't know what type of license security is in HS2 and would like to find out the rules and process. If it requires any access outside of the machine it is running on, such as "call home" to verify, that will be a complete show stopper for me to use it.

Windows 3.1 up to current all still run. Will 98 stop running when support ends. I don't think so.

Does your car quit running when the warantee and support runs out? New models, FINE but don't force me to buy them just to keep up with the latest and greatest technology.

I still consider HS to be the best product for my installation. Just not HS2. HS1 does everything I want it to do. Would I like a few new bells and whistles? Yes but I want them to come with Wedding Bells, not a Funeral March.

I am the one that has to use and maintain my HA system and decide when to upgrade/downgrade and right now,

IT AIN'T BROKE..... SO I DON'T FIX IT.

For those that enjoy spending all that time, energy, and $$ for the latest and greatest?, be my guest. I want and have a great HA system that I sometimes have to remember it is there. For me, that is what HA should be like. Not being reminded all the time when things don't work as they should.

I noticed the post by Guy Lavoie on his Ocelot. I have one as well but completely forgot about it. It just sits there doing what it is supposed to. Same with the OmniPro.

Everyone has their expectations on what they want from HA. Mine is for it to be invisible. Others like to have something to play with. To each their own. Whatever makes you happy.

 

[electron]

Anyways, I just want to be able to rebuild my machine whenever I want to.

Dan and others,
I do not believe the sky is falling quite yet. HST is giving everyone 5 months to back up there data. If you want the HS 1.7 installer just ask for it and write it to a CD. It's really not as bad as you guys are painting it. HS 1.7 isn't going away. Your license is still as good as it was the day you bought it. Then only thing that is changing is the support for the constant barrage of "Uh, I lost my license file can you send it to me for the 5th time" type questions. Backup your license file an the HS 1.7 installer and for 99% of you guys nothing changes.

How do I download the plugins before HST discontinues the download service for 1.7 (since it's more than just a license key issue), so I can burn them to CD? And how do I install them without the updater mechanism once I do a fresh install of 1.7?

I also dislike your 'basher' statement (the only people who use that term seem to work for HST anyways, so it doesn't upset me too much). If HST allowed these kind of posts on their forums, and discussed this with their users instead, there wouldn't be so much negativity. People have to be able to talk about this somewhere.

 

[Guy Lavoie]

This is simply not true. Comments like this is why this BB is known as the HomeSeer bashing board. There is absolutely nothing that is going to prevent you from continuing to use HS 1.7.

Well, I'm not bashing anything, but just participating in a discussion about something that would be a concern if I were a user of Homeseer 1.7 (and that several actual users are also wondering about).

So if someone's hard disk crashes in June next year and they bought 1.7 as a downloadable version with several optional add-ons, they will be able to re-install everything exactly the way it was before the crash? If so then fine, there is no problem. I was just under the impression that they would not be able to re-install it because all the files would somehow no longer be available.

 

[The Pod]

I do not believe the sky is falling quite yet. HST is giving everyone 5 months to back up there data. If you want the HS 1.7 installer just ask for it and write it to a CD. It's really not as bad as you guys are painting it. HS 1.7 isn't going away. Your license is still as good as it was the day you bought it. Then only thing that is changing is the support for the constant barrage of "Uh, I lost my license file can you send it to me for the 5th time" type questions. Backup your license file an the HS 1.7 installer and for 99% of you guys nothing changes.

Rupp, the key that is changing is the UPDATER being taken off line!!!! I have the 1.7 installer file, but guess what, that's not the latest and greatest! After rebuilding a machine and using the 1.7 installer file, I will still need to use the UPDATER to pull down all the latest release versions! Unless HST releases a 1.7.44 version along with any installation programs required for the plugins and makes that available for us to download and burn to a CD. Once that UPDATER goes off line, our current working UPDATER system will not work. This means that in the event of a crash, we can not just simply re-install HS with our 1.7 installer file and update it back to the last known stable version.

The Pod

 

[roussell]

So you do not have power outages that outlast your UPS?  That fact alone is amazing.

Yes, I agree. I'm on the same part of the grid as a local hospital and the police station so I guess we get priority. During our vacation last week, we had painters coming in to the house, they would call each morning when they arrived and I would open the garage door from my phone (Cingular 8125) and monitor them throughout the day with the cams (Zoneminder). On the last day of vacation, a large truck hit a power pole and took out the electricity for about 7 hours, only our neighborhood was affected. This was the first power anomaly we have had in the three years that I have lived at this location.

Sorry this is off-topic. I'll shut up now.

Terry

 

[Steve]

This is simply not true. Comments like this is why this BB is known as the HomeSeer bashing board. There is absolutely nothing that is going to prevent you from continuing to use HS 1.7. Your license will still be valid. I'm missing what the big deal is here. The only thing that is changing is the active support. There will still be users on the HS BB using HS 1.7.

Why is it that threads about Homeseer are always the longest and most controversial? Rupp, please do not come here and insult the users and admins of this board like that. The bottom line is these are all very valid posts in reaction to a simple statement posted by an executive at HST "All HomeSeer technical support for HomeSeer HS1 (v1.0-1.7) will end Dec 31, 2006. Help desk, updater and download support will no longer be available for that version series after that date." What does that mean to you? There is no explanation, nothing. Perhaps if HST actually explained things instead of making a short comment that may be misinterpreted, and then locking it because they don't want to be bothered, then maybe threads like this would never come to fruition.

So Rupp, PLEASE get your head out of the sand and if you want to be the super HS evangelist that you are, perhaps you should listen to some feedback and take it to your place of part time employment and come back with some FACTS that people can understand instead of simply coming here and insulting all of us calling us Homeseer bashers.

Somebody please disarm the HST management team so they stop shooting themselves in the foot!

And BTW Rupp, this is nothing personal - if I ever meet you I would love to join you for a beer, but please - just be helpful and not critical - people (especially newbies) look up to you for advice, so please give them true facts, not unhelpful evangelism. All this 'bashing' as you call it is simply loyal customers reactions to HST self inflicted wounds. Maybe its time for HST management to eat some humble pie and get back to the ways of supporting their existing customers and attracting new ones.

 

[Rupp]

Steve,
Your post was well articulated and yes (I have no idea why) I am a HS evangelist. I apologize for that. I believe you are correct. The statement is brief and short on details. Let's put it this way, if any of you guys need HS 1.7 support just come to the HS BB and you will still get the support you need. I promise that I will do what's in my power (which isn't alot) to help you out.

Now my final point. When was the last time any of you guys filed a help request on HS 1.7? I know there are a few about hardware problems like the Way2Call modem, etc. When was the last time any of you guys asked for HS 1.7 support. It's been a while. HS 1.7 is stable as many have noted, so this announcement shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Dan and BSR and others, I apologize if I insulted you guys.

 

[electron]

Rupp, it's not about the help requests, we know that the HST forum members and Cocooners will help HS 1.7 customers with that. The problem is getting a hold of the latest build of HS and all the plugins after the download service has been shut down. That's all, there are no hard feelings at all.

 

[Rupp]

Dan,
I can get anyone who needs it the last version of HS 1.7. The updater is a different issue. Let me talk to Rich and get the scoop on this.

 

[elcano]

Let me talk to Rich and get the scoop on this.

This is the best I have read in this thread.

After all this with 1.7, to make sure that potential customers actually consider the new version of HS I would suggest Rich to include a minimum period of warantied support in the license terms. I, per instance, would not invest in any version if I cannot get guarrantied support for at least 4 years. Ideally 5 years, because this software costs $199 (we are not talking about a $29 small program), but they are a small company - I understand. So lets keep it at 4. Lets say June, 30th 2010.

 

[WayneW]

I'm gathering from the last couple of posts that the HomeSeer 1.7 license literally expires after Dec this year? To continue using it will constitute illegal use? I'm sure glad I didn't go with that kind of product.

Guy,
That is not a true statement. HS 1.7 license will be good for as long as you use it. Please state facts.

Rupp, chill out... see those question marks in his comment? Your evangelism is making you see red, don't take things personally, nobody is attacking you.

Yes, my license may still be good next year, but without the updater (or instructions on how to manually download & rebuild my system without the updater), the license is pointless.