I, like the vast majority of consumers, am not a regular forum user. Anything Durin wrote would have been outside my scope of vision. I'm quite certain that the forum community is contributed to and read by only a VERY small portion of Audition users. I personally only came to these forums after I bought and returned CS5.5 in hopes that I could get across to the Adobe team the reason why I felt the need to get my money back. I've been using Audition (and CEP) for over a decade, and this is the first time there's been a release called an upgrade even though it has far less features than the previous version. Due diligence is great. That's why I read EVERYTHING on the product page, which calls this release an upgrade (despite it having less features than a downgrade to 1.5) and fails to mention the huge decrease in features. You'd think that'd be pertinent information to put up front and center on the product page.
I actually found that feature comparison chart after I had returned the purchase. I couldn't find it through on links on the actual product page though. It took a Google search. A feature comparison chart is standard on the product pages of most software. but Adobe had good reason to not make it readily available. In fact, there's not even a link to it in the ONE AND ONLY faq that mentions a feature reduction here: http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/faq.html. Faq stands for frequently asked questions. A quick look in the forum shows that there are certain other questions that are far more frequently asked than the ones that are currently posted in that faq.
Likewise, the FEATURES page mentions nothing of the missing features. http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/features.html
I value authentic and transparent companies. I should be able to expect an upgrade to be an upgrade and for any reputable company to inform me on the product page if otherwise. I practiced the amount of diligence appropriately due for such a purchase. Avoiding this would not have required due diligence, but excessive diligence, especially back in mid April, when I first pre-ordered the product.
My suggestions:
- Make it clear on the product page that this version is missing A LOT of the features that are in prior versions and that have been a staple of the product line. This version may be quite good as a product of it's own, but not when it's billed as an upgrade to a product that had far more features. Explain more clearly that it's a rebuild and that it lacks many features.
- Make the "feature comparison chart" a tab on the product page. It's more important than the current features tab, and more revealing than the reviews and faq tabs combined. Marketing teams should help people find what they want, not mislead them - through withheld information - into buying something they don't want. If the product is good, there's no reason to hide anything. A comprehensive reading of the product page will show anyone who's experienced this version that much of the relevant info about it is hidden.
- Update the faq to address the questions that are actually most frequently asked, and not just questions that you want people to ask so you can give the happiest sugar coated answer you have up your sleeve. These questions should include:
- What features are missing?
- When will the features be re-implemented? Update, or future version? CS6? When's that expected?
- How do I open Audition 3.0 sessions in CS5.5 (while preserving settings)?
- What members of the Audition clientele is this best suited for, and which users would be better off waiting for the next upgrade?
Durin has definitely been great in clearing things up for us. Of course, that took people asking! I think if Durin was in charge of marketing there'd be happier customers (and probably less money wasted on the poor customer service system). It's not that difficult to just tell about the product as it is, warts and all. If the product has value, then there's no reason to hide the facts about it deep in the site. Just tell your costumers, in bold writing on the front of the product page, who amongst them the product is actually best suited for - and don't try to mislead the rest!!
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Though you're right about the candor - a mere product of the marriage of frustration and dedicaton to the betterment of the product. I can say at this point that I don't think the misleading product info was intentional, though it was pretty neglectful. It'd take two minutes to make the current feature comparison chart a tab on the pruoduct page.
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