Finale: stuck in a time warp
As the new year began, I set out to work on some projects that I have been thinking about for a while. A few of the projects involve new arrangements and new parts generated via music notation software. I had Finale 2004 already on the computer so I decided to upgrade to the "new" 2014 edition. As I installed the new version I was anticipating opening up the software and encountering an updated, visually compelling, and user friendly version of the program I actually took a course on while completing my doctorate at Catholic University. Imagine my surprise to see that 10 years have passed and Finale looks pretty much exactly the same as it did in 2004!
Now, I will say that the software so far still has the level of functionality it had previously. You can still input music in various ways, generate scores and parts, and create music. I just thought that after 10 years they would have improved the interface greatly, or at least lowered the price significantly. Amazingly, a new version is still $600! Yikes!
I haven't used Sibelius much, but I think it may be time to take a look. I question when a company makes very little improvement to a product and still charges the same amount, what their level of dedication is in the long run...?
Thoughts???
