I am super excited about our new LogTen Pro X platform and subscription model! Giving you access to LogTen Pro X on all your devices, a small subscription has large advantages in this new world of constant updates.
Subscriptions mean you will always have the latest version with regular feature updates as soon as they are honed to perfection. Upgrade your device and OS with confidence and security, knowing we will keep you in the loop with upcoming features and compatibility.
Computers have been an ever growing part of our lives for decades, and over that time much has changed. From floppy disks and shrink wrapped boxes to App Stores and over the air updates. From big beige desktops with no networking to slim metal super computers you can fit in your pocket that are always connected to the cloud. As our expectations of how we interact with software evolve, the way we buy and sell software will similarly continue to evolve.
Remember This?
Historically, the most common business model that software developers have followed is the same model we have used for LogTen Pro since 2003: You purchased the product at full price initially, and you received some number of free updates to that major version. However, big new features were developed in secret and purposefully shrouded in mystery by developers to create “the next big thing”. Then a year or two down the road when it was ready, a paid upgrade was required, generally at a reduced upgrade price, to get those big new features.
The advantage of this old model was that you could choose when to upgrade, but invariably at some point the old software would no longer run on the latest systems. The newest systems would require you to purchase the latest software version, regardless of if you wanted the new features or not. How much future upgrades would cost, or how long you would have to wait for them was never certain.
As we all know, with Apps today, you can tap a button on your phone and browse a vast library of software with screen shots (and now video previews) and many can be downloaded for free or a nominal fee, instantly. Once you select an App you like, you expect it to be updated regularly to support the latest operating systems and new devices, to add new features and functionality, and for it all to happen seamlessly, and automatically.
The iPhone and the App Store revolutionized the software industry and radically changed our perspective of how software should be found, purchased, delivered and updated. The relentless pace at which new devices and new operating systems are released requires software to be constantly updated to take advantage of these new features and capabilities. Everyone wants the latest version, and we all want our apps to be updated the day a new system is released. And of course, we want someone to answer us right away when we have a question too.
This takes constant work by the developers of your favorite apps, which requires teams of engineers, support staff, and more. Many developers are moving to a model where you either make in-app purchases to unlock levels, purchase add-ons, etc. or pay a subscription fee.
A subscription gives us much more flexibility, and using this flexibility, we have decided to make sure that all pilots with LogTen Pro always have access to their historic data. So even if you have to take some time away from flying and let your subscription lapse, you will still get all the updates to LogTen Pro X and can continue to use your logbook and all of LogTen Pro X’s great features to view, search, edit, generate reports etc.! A subscription is only required to continue adding new flights beyond the first 40 hours.
Now when a new operating system comes out, or a new device from Apple, you can rest assured LogTen Pro X will fully support it, and the updates will always be free!
Finally, over the years we’ve had feedback asking for simplified pricing and with subscription, we’ve got it. The whole LogTen Pro X suite for Mac, iPhone and iPad can be purchased for one simple, low fee (less than a couple of lattés a month!). No surprises about when or what you might have to pay to get the latest.
It’s new, it’s different, but I believe it’s the logical next step in helping pilots fly smarter – with the best aviation software, coupled with fantastic customer service.
LogTen Pro X – It’s your logbook.
Noah Lieberman
Founder & CEO
