You will be getting a new license, so your 7 license is still valid for another computer.

Once I do go to version 8, will I lose my perpetual license that I own for version 7 Pro? Or as long as I have the serial number will I be able to run version 7 on any machine (of course with an operating system that's compatible with said version 7). Will I lose my perpetual 7 license once I jump onto the version 8/lease model as a new customer, or will I be able to use both since theoretically now going to 8 is no longer an upgrade, but a new-customer transaction?

The only "announcement" was your license expiring notices. I am not sure where we spelled out the 90 day rule, I would have to dig around.

We are just trying to get this more clear with users,  as we went through a period where it was not clear to users. each macOS upgrade caused a new upgrade cycle and it was kind of messy.

Thanks for your questions.

Obviously I'm not upset with you personally. To the contrary I'm just giving full disclosure with total blunt honesty under present circumstances now, as I'm trying to figure out a plan now moving forward.

I'm thinking with that information, then it really won't matter if I spend the $149 now or in another 6 months or 9 months. But if no notice was given of the 90-days for reinstatement, this does lead me to envision another price increase ahead with no advance notice of that either, so now I really don't know what I'm going to do. If I didn't miss an email about the 90-day window then that would be the only thing that sort of annoys me, but again, not with you personally and I thank you for the clarification regardless. 

Since I'm always on the last macOS I can possibly be on that receives security updates, at this point it feels more likely to try to squeeze another year or two out of my 7 Pro license. 

SoftRAID Premium support and maintenance is $79 a year and gives full access to all support methods, including telephone, chat, email and of course the forums.

Standard and expired premium are not entitled to any direct OWC support, but we answer support questions on the forum, regardless of status.

Both Standard and Premium get all SoftRAID upgrade versions automatically. Standard is very limited in features, however.

When a Premium subscription expires, yes,  we ask the full retail ($149) for first renewal after 90 days.

Additional seats (computers) are $40 a year.

When purchasing a new OWC enclosure bundled with SoftRAID, you get 3 new years of support and Premium.

If you were to get a new enclosure, it would include SoftRAID Premium and include support coverage even for out of warranty enclosures. So a single computer never needs multiple licenses/seats, even if you have several enclosures.

We had a long road to get to this plan, and think it works. There are a lot of support costs (especially engineering) in maintaining SoftRAID, and a support plan to maintain full support on your product after units are out of warranty makes sense to most users.

Hope this helps clairfy.

I'm a guitar player. I'm used to being devalued and asked for everything for free by people who don't understand the nerve it must take to be that clueless. I also budget carefully because, again, I'm a guitar player (and most guitar players never make very much money).

Directly because of that, I buy everything outright and am fairly line in the sand about software licenses. Same reason I bought Pro Tools perpetual, notation software programs perpetual, etc. 

My 5+ year life's writings and video project that brought the ThunderBay Flex 8 and RAID management into my life 3 years ago saw me through SoftRaid 7 Pro. I have no complaints about companies increasing fees and charging market rates (regardless of musicians rarely seeing the same adjustment to wages overall but that's not your problem).

I always stick with the oldest macOS under current security updates, which leaves me right now on Monterey 12.7.2 until the Fall when I'll have to move forward.

My License and Support plan expired last April 20th and I did not renew in order to save money. At the time I vaguely recall it being between $75-$100 per year to reinstate. 

Late last night I went into the upgrade page to find that there is no more tiered version, just basic that allows no active volume creation or RAID creation if I understood correctly, and Premium at a new rate of $150 first year plus $80/year thereafter. 

I want to make sure that I'm understanding this correctly. If I spring forward into this and then don't pay the renewal the year after, am I understanding correctly that the software then reverts to Basic? In which case, I couldn't continue to use the software the same way that I am currently continuing to live just fine with 7.6 Pro.

I'm not trying to be coy or play a game here. With Finale notation having announced two weeks ago the end of their product and a 3-hour webinar hosted by another Nashville union member about how we're all going to migrate to new platforms, discussion was given to purchasing new computers to freeze in time for the next 5-10 years. Combined with what's happening to that software it's almost enough to make me consider doing this with my RAID management machine if I am understanding the future of SoftRaid correctly. It's an inconvenience for me to see a price increase but precisely because of my life, that doesn't really bother me and I think anyone else who is bothered by such things is being unreasonable. It's that I'm not into being held hostage to renew every year, or else.....

Instead of flying off the handles I sincerely wanted to ask if I'm (A) understanding all of this correctly, and (B) what the "Support" in "License & Support" plan entails. Can I no longer ask support questions about SR 7 on this forum?

Thanks for any answers you can provide either way.