New X-Rite Software announced - and upgrade eligibility (or lack thereof)

YES (TierB) - Have i1 Pro / i1Match Solution

7 (22.6%)

YES (TierB) - Have ProfileMaker Pro 4 or earlier

0 (0%)

YES (TierA) - Have ProfileMaker Pro 5 Photostudio/Publish

10 (32.3%)

YES (TierA) - Have ProfileMaker 5 Platinum

2 (6.5%)

NO - Have none

12 (38.7%)

Total Members Voted: 31

[Doyle Yoder]

See http://www.xritephoto.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=188

Scanner Profiling
* Industry reports show that support is no longer needed

Interesting how they now have removed this.

Doyle

[Rhossydd]

Also, you will have to trade in your dongle, so your old software won't work any more, allowing for no real transition period,

If that's true it's a really pain, especially if the new package lacks some of the old functionality.
As the i1 packages aren't dongle protected people will still be able to use those after the i1 upgrade, it seems rather mean if the PM5 owners can't have the same back compatibility options.

I guess more will become clear once more details are published. Why they can't just release all the information in one hit amazes me, if the product is being stock piled to ship in the next few weeks they must have decided all this by now.

[digitaldog]

Also, you will have to trade in your dongle, so your old software won't work any more, allowing for no real transition period, any ability to relinearize existing Monaco profiles, and of course no input profiling from there on out.

Where did you get that info?

[nkpoulsen]

When one looks at the page below, it appears that their flagship product will not support scanners.

http://www.xritephoto.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=186

I wonder if they'll have an add-on module to support scanners?

[djoy]

I was talking to my dealer on Thursday / Friday who was trying (and failing) to get a definitive answer from X-Rite, who are :

• incredibly poor at communicating their policy, even internally (nevermind to customers)
• no better at answering questions

even my dealer couldn't get a straight answer from X-Rite, it's arguable that even X-Rite know the answers. X-Rite seemingly were in communication lockdown at the end of last week, unable or unwilling to respond to queries.

Interestingly, despite the "all purchases after Apr 2010 will automatically be eligable for upgrade", there are suggestions that all upgrades will require a fee. This has yet to be clarified.

IF the upgrade from a qualifying product requires the submission of the dongle, this renders "upgrade" impossible for some, since the new product does not cover the full functionality of the old, i.e. if you have and use the scanner module in PM5, you cannot submit your dongle to upgrade as the new software doesn't support scanner profiling....

Similarly, if you now want to you use the scanner functionality, you cannot upgrade any existing product to enable the scanner module since as of today the upgrades have all been discontinued.....

[djoy]

Ok, here's what I've learned from my dealer, my thanks to the ever helpful Mr Rick Hatmaker from Chromix who has been chasing this for days. After a great deal of digging on his part, the policies are now made clear.

Owners of any full version of ProfileMaker Pro 5 (Platinum, Photostudio, Publish etc) are eligible to upgrade to i1Profiler on the TierA upgrade plan, so $499. This does not appy to owners of individual modules, just full packages. This also applies to Monaco Profiler v6 and upwards who qualify for TierA.

Owners of ProfileMaker Pro 4 or Monaco Profiler below v4.6 are eligible for the TierB upgrade, at $899.

Furthermore, i1Profiler will use the same purple HASP dongle that was used by PM5, owners of Monaco or non-purple dongles will have to do a dongle exchange (ooerr missus).

I have also enquired as to whether upgrading to to i1Profiler with your existing purple dongle will disable the legacy PM5 software, and have been told it will not disable the existing tools, which is a relief for those of us who use the scanner module ( which doesn't exist in the new tools.....  )

So, it's not as bad as we feared, however it's pretty clear that X-Rite needs to work on their communication skills....

Hope this information is helpful to you.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Hope this information is helpful to you.

Yes it is. Thanks for sharing.

What kind of port does the dongle connect to, USB?

Cheers,
Bart

[digitaldog]

Same dongles we’ve had for years with the various GMB/X-Rite products, USB.

[Doyle Yoder]

Furthermore, i1Profiler will use the same purple HASP dongle that was used by PM5, owners of Monaco or non-purple dongles will have to do a dongle exchange (ooerr missus).

I have also enquired as to whether upgrading to to i1Profiler with your existing purple dongle will disable the legacy PM5 software, and have been told it will not disable the existing tools, which is a relief for those of us who use the scanner module ( which doesn't exist in the new tools.....  )

So, it's not as bad as we feared, however it's pretty clear that X-Rite needs to work on their communication skills....

Hope this information is helpful to you.

So if I get this right, If you own Monaco you lose input profiling since you won't be able to use it or will the new dongle work with Monaco also? If you own PM5 you will still have a option for input profiling.

What will the full non upgrade price be?

Doyle

[digitaldog]

So if I get this right, If you own Monaco you lose input profiling since you won't be able to use it or will the new dongle work with Monaco also? If you own PM5 you will still have a option for input profiling.

The dongles allow you to use your legacy software, both build input profiles.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Same dongles we’ve had for years with the various GMB/X-Rite products, USB.

Thanks for confirming. My Eye-One Pro is the dongle for my current setup, so I dont know what others have been using with the other hardware/software combinations ... Seems slightly redundant to use a dongle when the hardware ID can serve as a unique identifier.

Cheers,
Bart

[digitaldog]

Dongels built into instruments (the way we should be working) should be supported as well.

[djoy]

The dongles allow you to use your legacy software, both build input profiles.

I think Doyle was referring to the need to do a dongle exchange if you're on Monaco Profiler, or have a non-purple dongle.

Presumably the dongle you get back will just be a new purple dongle for use with i1Profiler, expecting X-Rite to have augmented it to enable your legacy software on a case by case basic is.... unlikely.

My reading was the same as Doyle's, if you have a non-purple dongle, and/or Monaco Profiler, having to give up your existing dongle will make your legacy software unusable. If you already have PM5 or a purple dongle, then your legacy software should remain working.

[shewhorn]

If you already have PM5 or a purple dongle, then your legacy software should remain working.

I think some of the answers we just may have to wait and see. I bought Monaco Profiler a few months ago which has a free upgrade to i1Profiler. The dongle is green. I doubt they'd have shipped a new software package with a dongle that would need to be exchanged. Doesn't mean it's impossible but I think it's probably unlikely.

Cheers, Joe

[digitaldog]

I think some of the answers we just may have to wait and see. I bought Monaco Profiler a few months ago which has a free upgrade to i1Profiler. The dongle is green. I doubt they'd have shipped a new software package with a dongle that would need to be exchanged. Doesn't mean it's impossible but I think it's probably unlikely.

Right, the PROFILER dongle is green (at least mine is), PMP is purple. You just keep your dongles.

[djoy]

Right, the PROFILER dongle is green (at least mine is).

Can we look forward to your full review sometime in the not too distant future Andrew? 

[digitaldog]

Can we look forward to your full review sometime in the not too distant future Andrew?  

Don’t know if I’ll tackle that or not. We’ll see. I might do something for Michael here on LL depending on how the reaction of something coming soon is received <g>.
There’s a lot of stuff here, I might be willing to cover a “module” functionality as a start.

[rickhatCHROMiX]

Hello.

This has been very confusing for users and resellers to make sense of. I believe we now have a good handle on things.
As of Friday Nov. 5, X-Rite has confirmed the below information is correct and reflects their new policies.

There are really only 3 options to consider for people upgrading:

i1 Publish New Full (Software Only) $999 This version will be necessary for PMv4.x, MPv3.x, and Stand Alone iSis users
i1Profiler UPGRADE 'B' for i1Basic Pro, i1Basic, i1Design LT, i1Photo LT, i1Pro OEM $899
i1Profiler UPGRADE 'A' for ANY full version of ProfileMaker v5, All Monaco Profiler 4.x versions, i1Photo Pro, i1Photo, i1Photo SG, i1Proof, i1XT, i1XTreme $499

X-Rite is not taking away or overwriting any existing i1Proi1Match, PM5 or MP dongles. Users get to continue using their legacy solutions if desired. However, X-Rite will probably verify that the original dongle is legitimate, and eligible for upgrade.


Dongle Upgrades, Notes:
X-Rite will upgrade an i1Pro or ProfileMaker dongle through the i1Profiler software interface. Users will purchase either Upgrade A or Upgrade B as applicable, and when they receive the upgrade, the box will include an activation code . X-Rite will not use the existing upgrade paths in i1Diagnostics or License Tool.

MonacoPROFILER users will have to call an X-Rite Service Center, where X-Rite will verify that their existing dongle is valid.  They will then receive their new i1Publish dongle by mail within 5 business days.

Hope that helps.

Rick Hatmaker
CHROMiX

Link to the product page at CHROMiX FWIW:
<http://www2.chromix.com/colorgear/shop/productdetail.cxsa?toolid=50136&pid=10449>

We will post any new or relevant information here as soon as it is confirmed or is official from X-Rite.
Again, As of Friday Nov. 5, X-Rite has confirmed the above information is correct and reflects their new policies.

[eronald]

The software itself was shown at Photokina. It has a very nice innovative interface.

Some of the examples shown had a very different look to them from the historical products, with much better black mapping, bit there were no really good examples available at that point.

Those who protest about the delay to product release can profitably employ their time to try and get a decent print from Snow Leopard/Photoshop/Epson. I'd say that there too we can expect some updates.


Edmund

[probep]

4th Q 2010?

Previous message was:
"X-Rite previously announced a ship date of mid-November for the new i1 Professional Solutions. However, based on feedback from independent industry experts who serve as beta testers and X-Rite’s own testing, several useful enhancements are currently being incorporated into the product. The new i1 Professional Color Management Solutions are now expected to ship in February 2011."

Last message is:
"X-Rite previously announced a ship date of mid-November for the new i1 Professional Solutions. However, based on feedback from independent industry experts who serve as beta testers and X-Rite’s own testing, several useful enhancements are currently being incorporated into the product. The new i1 Professional Color Management Solutions are expected to be available soon."

God damn.