I first got Visual Studio (or whatever it was called then) in 1995. Since then I have upgraded every time a new version has been released, up to VS2010. (I didn't get VS2012 as it couldn't initially write MFC programs to run on XP, and was therefore useless to me. Otherwise I would have.) I now want to upgrade to VS2013 Professional, from 2010 Professional, so yesterday I phoned my supplier - QBS Software in London, a Microsoft partner. They have records of my last couple of decades worth of purchases, but told me that this time, I'd have to pay for a full new licence. The reason, apparently, if it is one, is that I have always bought the boxed product! And indeed my recent boxes do say 'Upgrade Edition' on them.
I have a very small company with one developer (me) writing and selling very specialised software to a very small (but competitive) vertical market, comprising home users of Windows desktop and laptop machines. A full VS professional licence is a very major investment.
Is it really Microsoft's policy to leave good customers of 20 years standing high and dry like this?
David Webber
David Webber Author of Mozart music notation software http://www.mozart.co.uk