15 oct 2010: Announcing Simon 3.0!

Simon 3.0

We are really excited about this. As you know, Dejal Software has been working since May on version 2.6 of Simon, their flagship Mac app to monitor websites and servers for changes or failures. We discussed that this update is more than significant enough to instead be called 3.0, but Dejal resisted for quite a while.

Version 2.0 was back in 2005. They've been planning version 3.0 since 2006, and have lots of great improvements planned, of which 2.6's filters and activity log features are two... but realistically, too many to squeeze into a single update.

So they've decided that 2.6 will be released as 3.0, with those changes and a couple more much-requested ones I've been saving for 3.0. Then they'll follow it with more frequent, smaller incremental updates, to add the other enhancements on my v3 plan. Version 3.0 lays a great foundation, and 3.1, 3.2, etc. will provide the fulfilment.

Simon: Monitor Window

You can read about the changes already in the forthcoming 3.0 release in the recent Simon-releated Dejal blog posts. Dejal Software is currently finishing up a move of the User Guide to a help book, then will work on the aforementioned much-requested enhancement: a redesign of the Edit Test window (and other editors) to use multiple pages, instead of disclosures. That window has grown over the years, and is now way too busy, and too high to fit on smaller screens without hiding portions. Even more so with multiple filters in the new version. If they have time, they'll also rewrite the scheduling system (to replace the sometimes confusing Auto-Pause feature), though that might wait for 3.1.

Our common goal is to have Simon 3.0 released around the start of November. Dejal Software will have a beta release next week.

Another change planned for 3.0 is to replace the license levels with four levels, each with more tests than previously, as follows:

  • Bronze license enabling up to 15 tests: $49.
  • Silver license enabling up to 40 tests: $99 (25% per-test discount over Bronze).
  • Gold license enabling up to 100 tests: $199 (40% per-test discount over Bronze).
  • Platinum license enabling unlimited tests: $499.

And as now, you'll be able to upgrade from one level to the next, simply by paying the price difference:

  • Upgrade Bronze to Silver: $50.
  • Upgrade Silver to Gold: $100.
  • Upgrade Gold to Platinum: $300.

As you might expect, Simon 3.0 will be a paid upgrade for version 2 customers. It's been over five years since 2.0, so it's well and truly due. The planned upgrade pricing seems quite reasonable:

  • Upgrade v2 Basic to v3 Bronze: $19 (simply price difference between Basic and Bronze).
  • Upgrade v2 Standard to v3 Silver: $39 (simply price difference between Standard and Silver).
  • Upgrade v2 Enterprise to v3 Gold: $99 (a new license level).
  • Upgrade v2 Enterprise to v3 Platinum: $149 (half the price difference between Enterprise and Platinum).

Did you buy Simon recently, or thinking about buying? Not to worry: everyone who purchased Simon from September 1, 2010 is eligible for a free upgrade! We'll provide information on how to upgrade later.

So if you're thinking about buying Simon, or upgrading your license level, you've now got a great opportunity — we're leaving the prices at their old levels until 3.0 is released, so if you buy now, you can get 3.0 at a significant discount — e.g. save $39 on a Silver license by buying a Standard license now for just $59.95, or save a whopping $304 on a Platinum license by buying an Enterprise license for $195!

Buy now to save!

Don't delay; only a couple of weeks until the new prices take effect.

WE hope everyone is as excited about Simon 3.0 as we are. It's a great upgrade, a long time coming.


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