Received Remote Desktop 3 Today
This release is a lot better than 2 (or 2.2, whatever the last one was). The way you add clients is a lot easier.
The curtain feature is great, you could do it because with 2.2., but with several more steps. It lets you log into a users computer and clear their screen while you work. If you are logging into shares to get tools you don't want people knows about, it helps. Also, we all have missed the tab key before and our username and password show up on the same line in plain text.
The way you monitor currently processing commands is easier to, you no longer have fifteen windows open at once.
The best part is, it runs out of the box on my MBP. I posted a simple command on here to get it to work (note that I didn't discover it, I just simplified it), but that disabled the client side.
The curtain feature is great, you could do it because with 2.2., but with several more steps. It lets you log into a users computer and clear their screen while you work. If you are logging into shares to get tools you don't want people knows about, it helps. Also, we all have missed the tab key before and our username and password show up on the same line in plain text.
The way you monitor currently processing commands is easier to, you no longer have fifteen windows open at once.
The best part is, it runs out of the box on my MBP. I posted a simple command on here to get it to work (note that I didn't discover it, I just simplified it), but that disabled the client side.
Comments
I urge all other users of version 2.x to do the same.
(Glad to hear that there are some worthwhile new features; can't wait to upgrade, err, buy a complete new license
Originally posted by incolor
I told them that they are disting
Disting? Do you mean dissing perhaps? Oh and I had no idea ARA was so popular with my homies from da hood.
Sorry but I had ta do it...
Dave
Originally posted by incolor
I'm still upset at the fact that there's no upgrade path from the prior version. I called Apple and registered a formal complaint. I told them that they are dissing the people who use/control/administer lots of Macs, and that this was very unconventional.
No, they could be dissing a lot of people who use/control/administer the same Macs.
$499 is peanuts compared to, let's say, 100 TB2 clients - even multiple unlimited ARD3 licenses is peanuts compared to that.
Sometimes I feel that people would complain less if Apple charged more for full versions than they do today, and then charge today's prices for upgrades.
I do admit the pricing levels could be overhauled just a bit...
$199 for 20 or less
$399 for 200 or less
$599 for unlimited
With a price structure such as this... they might get some additional $199 sales that previously wouldn't have gone for the 10 seat version - give a break $100 break to those with 200 or fewer seats and yes raise the price of unlimited to $599 (making up for some of the losses with the $399 offering.
It all depends on the number of seats each current ARD buyer is managing and I'm sure Apple has a pretty good idea about that. If 'most' of their 'unlimited' buyers have 200 (or less) seats they'd be nuts to do this kind of change (since Apple would be loosing $100 on each sale). Then again if 'most' of their ARD buyers have more than 200 machines Apple still has to worry about upsetting a large base of their customers (with a $100 price increase) and risking the potential loss of customers.
Still, the more I'm think about it.. the 10 client version needs some kind of overhaul... Either increase (double?) the number of clients you can manage or maybe reduce the cost.
Dave
Originally posted by incolor
I'm still upset at the fact that there's no upgrade path from the prior version. I called Apple and registered a formal complaint. I told them that they are dissing the people who use/control/administer lots of Macs, and that this was very unconventional.
I urge all other users of version 2.x to do the same.
(Glad to hear that there are some worthwhile new features; can't wait to upgrade, err, buy a complete new license
Yea...take a look at the "upgrade path" om Active Directoruy or Novell Openenterprise...and if you can justify "lots of" macs for your business, why the hell cant you justify a massive improvment to the admin terminal at a comparitivly reasonable price?
Originally posted by DaveGee
Actually, isn't ARD one of the only remote admin type applications that doesn't charge for each and every seat. I mean sure if you have 8 machines you're not likely going to shell out for the unlimited seat version and yea having to pony up $300 for the 10 managed clients version is kinda steep (but still not out of the question)... but... for larger institutions/companies with anything over 20 or so machines $499 is a freakin bargain.
I do admit the pricing levels could be overhauled just a bit...
$199 for 20 or less
$399 for 200 or less
$599 for unlimited
With a price structure such as this... they might get some additional $199 sales that previously wouldn't have gone for the 10 seat version - give a break $100 break to those with 200 or fewer seats and yes raise the price of unlimited to $599 (making up for some of the losses with the $399 offering.
It all depends on the number of seats each current ARD buyer is managing and I'm sure Apple has a pretty good idea about that. If 'most' of their 'unlimited' buyers have 200 (or less) seats they'd be nuts to do this kind of change (since Apple would be loosing $100 on each sale). Then again if 'most' of their ARD buyers have more than 200 machines Apple still has to worry about upsetting a large base of their customers (with a $100 price increase) and risking the potential loss of customers.
Still, the more I'm think about it.. the 10 client version needs some kind of overhaul... Either increase (double?) the number of clients you can manage or maybe reduce the cost.
Dave
I say limit the 10 client version to 5 and give it away for free, then sell a 50 cal version for ~$100 less than the unlimited one
I'd love if this version was 20-clients, and I probably wouldn't be complaining so much.
Originally posted by DaveGee
Actually, isn't ARD one of the only remote admin type applications that doesn't charge for each and every seat. I mean sure if you have 8 machines you're not likely going to shell out for the unlimited seat version and yea having to pony up $300 for the 10 managed clients version is kinda steep
Steep compared to what? TB2 is $630 for 10 seats.
Originally posted by incolor
Before that I was using VNC (for free).
And you got what you paid for. Try installing an OS update to 10 computers using VNC. People who complain about ARD don't use it for its intended purpose. If they would they would realize that it was worth twice what Apple charges us for it. I used to use VNC (OSXvnc and Chicken of the VNC) but now I administer my 7 Macs with ARD, the 10 client version, and it is well worth a few hundred dollars. VNC can't even begin to compare.
But if people know there is no upgrade path, then they will wait until the software is mature enough that it provides the bells and whistles they require before diving in, and they won't tollerate major bugs. ARD v2.2 was pretty buggy, constantly giving me warnings like "the current task will fail" and forcing me to reboot clients when they would no longer respond remotely. But I didn't get all whinny because I knew an upgrade was in the works that would likely fix these problems. I could have sent the software back and waited a few months, but they had already set my expectations with suitable upgrade options for previous products: historically, consistent with the industry norm, Apple has provided upgrades to their professional software (and much of the consumer stuff, too).
Per your justification, since Final Cut Pro is better priced than most of the competition, Apple could deny users an upgrade path to the next version, and that would be justifiable. I don't buy it, and neither would thousands of FCP users.
Don't get me wrong, I think not offering an upgrade path is often acceptable and/or appropriate, but in those cases, expectations need to be correctly set. This is the norm for hardware, which is usually preceded by a rebate or price-cut or sometimes just tough luck before an update occurs. Professional-use software is a completely different beast.
1) Does Apple offer FREE incremental upgrades? I am worried that when Leopard comes out some new features will be added to better control my Intel Macs.
2) Is there a chance a new version (ARD 4??) will come out within 6-8 months? I know ARD 3 is relatively new, but I am new to the remote administration community and am not sure about upgrade cycles.
3) I would like your opinion, if I currently have 3 PB G4's, 2 Intel Minis, and plan on getting 2/3 MBP's by September, do you think it would be worth it to get the unlimited seat or 10-seat? The life span of a mac in my household is 1.5-2 yr's [we are VERY good at brakeing things] but the older computers will still be used. I know this is not really a question you can answer, but I do not want to have to upgrade for about 3/4 yr's [is this a decent lifespan with remote administration on the Mac side??] so I want the most bang for my buck. By the way, we are a family of 6.
Thanks in advance for the help,
--Noah
Originally posted by noah93
1) Does Apple offer FREE incremental upgrades? I am worried that when Leopard comes out some new features will be added to better control my Intel Macs.
3.X will be free upgrades. 4.0 will cost "full price" again.
Originally posted by noah93
2) Is there a chance a new version (ARD 4??) will come out within 6-8 months? I know ARD 3 is relatively new, but I am new to the remote administration community and am not sure about upgrade cycles.
ARD was released on March 14, 2002, ARD 2.0 was released on June 21, 2004 and ARD 3.0 was just released on April 11, 2006. A 27 and 22 month time between releases, respectively. I'd guess we won't see ARD 4 for a year and a half or more.
Originally posted by noah93
3) I would like your opinion, if I currently have 3 PB G4's, 2 Intel Minis, and plan on getting 2/3 MBP's by September, do you think it would be worth it to get the unlimited seat or 10-seat? The life span of a mac in my household is 1.5-2 yr's [we are VERY good at brakeing things] but the older computers will still be used. I know this is not really a question you can answer, but I do not want to have to upgrade for about 3/4 yr's [is this a decent lifespan with remote administration on the Mac side??] so I want the most bang for my buck. By the way, we are a family of 6.
Do you ever expect to have more than 10 Macs in service at one time? If so you could spring for the unlimited license. If I remember correctly the 10 user license will allow you to have more than 10 computers in your Master List, but won't allow you to administer more than 10 at a time. I have 7 computers at work and own the 10 user license of ARD. I rarely interact with more that 2 or 3 computers at a time. A majority of the time I'm interacting with one computer at a time. For instance a single user is having a problem on her computer. Installing updates is also a common task. Because 2 of my computers run the client version of Tiger, 1 runs the Server version of Tiger and the other four all run Jaguar and most update are OS specific I only ever install updates on 4 computers, the ones running Jaguar, at one time. You may have a similar situation at home.