Thanks!
This means I am now basically ready for a new release.
However, there are a few things I need to discuss first:
1. Winstep Upgrade PolicyAs you know Winstep offers free version upgrades for up to a year after purchase.
Users who purchased the last official release (v20.10) in October 28, 2020 never got a single update, however. Even though Winstep is NOT obliged to issue updates during the year in which users are entitled to free upgrades, this is not right, so I will make sure that anyone who purchased 20.10 (or renewed after that date) can have this update for free.
2. Price Changes.There is a "20 years" logo on the top right corner of the Winstep web site. This is because Winstep in 2019 was celebrating its 20 year anniversary with heavily discounted prices.
If you go to
THIS PAGE announcing the fact, you can read the announcement itself as well as the prices of the software BEFORE and AFTER the promotion.
The promotion was supposed to last one year at the most, but then covid came along and I decided to keep the reduced prices going for as long as the crisis lasted (also because of the lack of updates).
Unfortunately I can no longer keep this promotion going. Software prices have roughly remained the same in the last 20 years but the cost of living has not (especially not now) so it's more than time to end the 20th year promotion that was only supposed to run for 1 year but ended up running for nearly 3 - but I won't be increasing the prices back to the previous levels. Another change is that prices shown for customers in EU countries will include VAT.
Up until some years ago, sales on the Internet were pretty much tax free. That all changed with the EU - with other countries (e.g.; Australia) and US states quickly following suite.
US citizens are used to sales tax being added after the fact, but European citizens are used to sales tax/VAT already being included in the announced prices. Unfortunately for European customers VAT is currently added ON TOP of the listed price for Winstep software at checkout. I never liked this because it looks like "hidden" last minute fees.
I am therefore going to change this too so that the new prices shown on the website already include VAT. The price in Euros should be unified for all EU countries, regardless of local VAT rate, so the included VAT will be calculated at an average of 20%.
Here are the prices as they were just before the 20th anniversary promotion but AFTER the 2019 price increase (averaging VAT for the EU at 20%):
Winstep Xtreme:
$49.90 USD
€39.90 EUR + VAT = +- €48.00 Final Price
£34.90 GBP + VAT = +- £42.00 Final Price
Nexus Ultimate:
$29.95 USD
€24.95 EUR + VAT = +- €30.00 Final Price
£24.95 GBP + VAT = +- £30.00 Final Price
And here is what the new prices will become:
Winstep Xtreme:
$39.90 USD
€39.90 EUR (VAT Included)
£39.90 GBP (VAT Included)
Nexus Ultimate:
$24.95 USD
€24.95 EUR (VAT Included)
£24.95 GBP (VAT Included)
Renewals will be half the price of these values.
So, in relation to what the prices were just before the promotion (but after the raise in 2019) everyone will actually be paying LESS, although US residents will be the ones benefiting the most. At the same time all prices will include VAT so EU and UK users are not surprised at the last moment with what appear to be 'hidden costs' - and they will also be unified across all currencies.
I will be eating the difference and also most of the VAT, but the prices will be kept at what I feel are reasonable levels for everyone BUT still ABOVE the current promotion prices.
Please everyone feel free to comment.