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Start Is Back - 2.1 release


Tihiy

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great job Tihiy.

I've tried just about every windows 8 start menu replacer out there and yours is at the top of the pack as far as I'm concerned.

BTW, not criticizing anyone by any means but geez, complaining about the cost....5 bucks for 5 licenses...., that's a burger with fries. :D

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I got to agree, $5 is peanuts..Many W8 apps cost that..

I was prepared to pay $20 just to turn that stupid metro off and get the old start back..

In fact , i was near ready to get w7 back again.

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I uninstalled B4 and installed RC1 for all users, and discovered it won't add custom start orbs through the StartIsBackCfg.exe

I found out it's because when it installs for all users and is placed in program files (x86), it requires elevated privelages to add start orb bitmaps to the "Orbs" directory. This is with UAC enabled on the first setting.

But if I use "run as administrator" in the compatibility settings for StartIsBackCfg.exe, it won't open by right clicking the start orb and going to "Start Menu Properties". Only manually opening it from explorer works.

Also, if you rename/delete items in the start menu, the start menu doesn't stay open (In Windows 7, it does stay open).

I can see that being a problem. In the past 1.5 years I've gone through 5 drives. 3 SSD's and 2 PCIe drives. I have a newer PCIe drive in the mail that I plan to upgrade to so that makes 6.
Yeah, using HDD as sole PC UID is not wise it seems. I'll sort out this issue for 1.0 final.

I think some programs use the MAC address of the motherboard's inbuilt wired NIC Edited by Aaaaa
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It will be cracked regardless of price.

When will programmers learn this. People don't crack or hack things because of the price, they do it because its a challenge and because thats what they love to do. If you ask me, nothing is un-crackable just asked Sony, Microsoft, Apple and any other company who think their products are bulletproof. I'm sorry to say it, but it will be done. All it takes is one paid copy and its closed curtains from there. You better off with a donate button. Also Tihiy has been known to leave his projects in the wind. So to pay for something and not get support is absurd. People need to get realistic on here. His program is no different or no better than any other program thats out on the market. If mods wanna ban me for telling the truth, then do so. Good luck with your program Tihiy. I hope you get a million dollars.

You know what bothers people the most? When you spend you hard earned money for something and you are told what you can and can not do with it. In other words, don't charge for something and give people restrictions and stipulations. All it does is motivate the rebellious.

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@ Tihiy

Tihiy stated "StartIsBack intended final pricing: $5 for a license key for 5 PCs. $3 for a license key for 2 PCs."

Thank you for your extremely generous pricing of a very useful program. It no doubt will be used many times every day by those who choose Start Is Back as their preferred Start Menu and Button replacement for the Windows 8 Desktop experience.

regards,

Laurence

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No, it won't become the current otherwise that loophole will allow to activate unlimited number of computers. Resolving this would require constant activation internet checking or involving some difficult methods. You want too much for $1.

That would only be true if you did not DEactivate the old hardware. If you deactivate the old piece of hardware (update the activation to the current specs thus pushing out the old) then you could not activate an unlimited number of machines. Instead a user could guarantee that THEY are always activated. It's call a round robin activation scheme.

User first installs software

License Key 1 - Activated to MB A and HDD A

User changes MB

License Key 1 - Activated to MB B and HDD A (MB A is no longer in the picture and HDD A was valid)

User Changes HDD

License Key 1 - Activated to MB B and HDD B (MB B was valid thus HDD was updated)

User Changes entire computer

License Key 1 - Activation Invalid (requires new key)

which reminds me.

alcohol 120% have a good activation system.

You can register on a new pc. But it will refuse to activate until you login to their website and enter hardware key, then it will activate on the new machine, but the old activation is deactivated. This I feel is a good compromise.

The alternative I feel is simply have to trust your customers and dont have activation. I am not a fan of over restrictive hardware ties on software and not keen on the prospect of paying 1usd everytime I reinstall the OS or install a VM. So the price is fine, the activation hardware tie is not.

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@ Chrysalis and others that have mentioned the "Price it right or people will just use warez" and "If you ad this feature or that feature I will gladly pay for this":

I am the developer of WPI and over the last 9-sh years of its existence it has received an approximation of $20 a month in support. (There has been easily over a million downloads in that time)

Yes some people like doing things for others out of the goodness of their hearts but be realistic. Us developers dedicate more time to these apps on occasion that we do full time jobs. When very little people donate it makes us feel used and doesn't cover the cost we put out for things like the following to provide you these services:

  1. Programs
  2. Operating systems
  3. Bandwidth
  4. Server Costs
  5. Computer maintenance
  6. Computer Upgrades.

That mentions nothing of basic human needs either.

When you say things like you have you become "E-Thugs" and basically join a "E-Mafia" by trying to bully people into the way you want things. Really if everyone who used Tihy's past en-devours even donated $1 then there wouldn't be a need to charge for this. We have needs and are not trying to get rich. Also the "If you ad this feature, then I surely will donate or buy" is the same thing (Kinda like holding a ransom)... I have had hundreds of people say that and only 2 ever followed through. What is wrong with a good donation of support with a note saying you would truly appreciate this or that feature being implemented.

As a side note: Tihy I want to truly thank you for this app! I had fully given up on Win8 EVER being used or allowed in my house. Your Start Is Back will render it use-able to me though when I am ready. THANK YOU.

didnt mean to offend sorry. I am sorry you feel that to feel satisfied you have to be making decent profits, and I am sorry I havent donated to you, I do utilise some of your addons made for windows XP and windows 7 so if you pm me your paypal addy I have no issue donating to you as well, in terms of the topic at hand I have said now I feel his pricing is very reasonable its just the activation for me is the sticky point, hopefully he will have a new solution in hand. I would probably pay 20usd for this app for unlimited activations. Which makes him more money because I will only ever have it active on 3-4 machines at the absolute most (3 physical and 1 vm). The issue I will probably be reinstalling the OS frequently hence my concerns. So yes my initial post did come on a bit strong I apologise for that.

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When will programmers learn this. People don't crack or hack things because of the price, they do it because its a challenge and because thats what they love to do. If you ask me, nothing is un-crackable just asked Sony, Microsoft, Apple and any other company who think their products are bulletproof. I'm sorry to say it, but it will be done. All it takes is one paid copy and its closed curtains from there. You better off with a donate button. Also Tihiy has been known to leave his projects in the wind. So to pay for something and not get support is absurd. People need to get realistic on here. His program is no different or no better than any other program thats out on the market. If mods wanna ban me for telling the truth, then do so. Good luck with your program Tihiy. I hope you get a million dollars.

You know what bothers people the most? When you spend you hard earned money for something and you are told what you can and can not do with it. In other words, don't charge for something and give people restrictions and stipulations. All it does is motivate the rebellious.

You are VERY offensive. And Tihiy's program IS different than EVERY other Start Menu replacement program out there. Do a little research next time.

Speak for yourself (what bothers people). $5 (or $3 for the two licenses) is not hard-earned money, and I don't even have a job right now. I'm sorry, that's just too low an amount to count. And even if it were, how about just being grateful for having SiB as one of the choices available to you, for however long it is available. If SP1 comes along and completely obliterates the code that's left in Windows 8 which allows Tihiy to take advantage of it and create SiB, and if SP1 removes the ways currently used to disable or otherwise alter Metro and it's hot corners, it would NOT be reasonable for me to assume that Tihiy is going to re-write SiB from scratch to counter it, or to do it for free if he did do it. SiB would be a totally different program than what it is today.

It would be up to Tihiy what he wanted to do then. If this program is successful enough and rewarding enough for him, perhaps he would decide to make an all-new version that would work again.

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Nope, those get hacked as well. Especially after the authentication servers go offline.

no they don't

I'm not talking about activation servers

I talk about permanent inet conection need for constant verification and online accounts

as said, only server emulator can be used for that method

and now I apologise to tihiy for going off topic

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Nope, those get hacked as well. Especially after the authentication servers go offline.

no they don't

I'm not talking about activation servers

I talk about permanent inet conection need for constant verification and online accounts

as said, only server emulator can be used for that method

and now I apologise to tihiy for going off topic

That's enough. The whole activation/cracking argument needs to stop.

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