VB Resource Kit

[Jeff Johnson]

I've been wanting your controls for a good while... and just about the time I'm ready to spring for them, this Resource Kit comes out.

It's got an Infragistics TreeView control (wed and win) and a *huge* ComponentOne Studio.

My question is simple. Why should I get the Syncfusion controls when something that's good enough has just been dumped out for free?

Is there some sort of hidden cost to these 'free controls?'

(I'd still rather have your controls because they really are great.... But if these controls really are free... it's real hard to justify the purchase.)

[Administrator]

Hi Jeff,

We pride ourselves on being different from the other component vendors in the following areas.

1) Quality.
2) Extensibility.
3) Support.

The up-front price of a component is only a small part of the ultimate cost. A single bug in a class library could cost several times the up-front cost of the library. If prompt technical support is not available and you spend a few hours more with one vendor that you would have with another vendor, you would end up spending much more than you would have if you had bought from the more responsive vendor.

Another issue to consider is subscription packages and product support. Several of the low priced suites have tricky subscription plans. Without a subscription you cannot get support or updates. In the case of the suite that is available for free, you have to buy a subscription that currently retails for $649 (MSRP: $1,649.95. Maybe it will be back to MSRP once the free version is pulled:>). The actual cost of ownership of different suites will be vastly different from their initial purchase price.

We are definitely not the cheapest vendor or the market. We provide good support and good products for a reasonable and sustainable price. We offer a very straightforward subscription option. Our subscription for the source code suite costs $445. I don't think any of the other vendors offer their subscription for even their binary versions at that price.

I like to portray it as a decision between a ink jet printer and a laser printer (of course I am biased). With one you pay less upfront but more and more as you use it. With the other you pay a bit more upfront and then spend less on consumables year after year. Of course it also prints much faster!

Best regards,
Daniel

[Stefano Rancati]

Sorry for my intrusion in the discussion, but I want to confirm the following three points:

1) Quality.
2) Extensibility.
3) Support.

about the Essential Suite product !

[Jeff Johnson]

I've been checking out the grids... and I have to admit.... Syncfusion's grid does exactly what I need to solve a particular problem I have. The free ones in the Resource kit don't. (They don't even look sharp.)

Also... one thing that held me back from Syncfusion for a while was the lack of any ASP.Net controls. I don't specialize in web stuff, but I wanted some for the projects that turn up for it.

Also... the lack of a reporting control turned me off a bit.

But with the resource kit's free controls to do that other stuff... Syncfusion actually looses a 'black mark'!

I don't think the free controls will put y'all out of business.... :) They actually make your package more attractive because they complement your suite.

[Administrator]

Stefano,

Thanks! This makes us really happy :>

Best regards,
Daniel

[Administrator]

Hi Jeff,

We look forward to having you as a customer. With version 2.0, we will more than double the existing suite. We hope version 2.0 will have more of the features you need.

Best regards,
Daniel