Orphalese Tarot Zone Community Forum

Hi Marvin,

Just let me know when your site is up, I will link back to you as well.

Cheers
Richard

Hi Richard,

As you know I love the program. I also think that introducing a single machine licence is a good idea. However, I think the 2.0 .net framework is likely to be the probable cause. I'd looked at Orphalese before but did not download and register until I acquired broadband as downloading a second program would have taken me a couple of hours so a CD is a good alternative. But some people may also be afraid to dl the network as they may not of heard of it and are afraid of damaging their machines.

Also it may be a good idea to emphasise how useful the program is re tarot journals for those not comfortable with electronic tarot readings.

Sorry I could not be of more assistance. Please keep up the good work.

Stacey

Hi Richard,

yup, I can put together a quick little movie and email it to you.

I forgot that small issue of website translation..... I can see it would slow things down.

regards
purple_scorp

I know this was posted a bit ago... I'm just recovering from the BNU Tarot for Beginners class and getting back to my normal swing of things. Catching up at OTZ is now on .-)

Let me say 1st off quite a bit of what has been shared is all valid. For me I used the program for about 2 years before registering. I'm on a limited budget, and once or twice a year I buy a program I've been using. So for me it was just a matter of time before I forked out the dough for any shareware program I use. Using the program on both my laptop and desktop for one money is a necessary part of me purchasing any program. So personally I think having two price points isn't a great idea. Here is my thought pattern when I see it.... I work on both my laptop and desktop, and when someone wants to charge more for that privilege I get a bit irritated. I'm only using the program singly why does it matter what computer it's on? As you can only have one user name, it's not a case of multiple users. If you feel the price is an issue, it should just be lowered. Maybe you want to offer a 2nd price if two people share a computer and both want access to the exchange separately, or they want to load it on more then 2 computers. Personally when I'm looking for shareware, my price point is about $30.00 but again I'm on a budget, and if I can find what I need in that price point even minus a few bells and whistles that's what I go with. You have the BEST all around program out there, and the person your software fits, fits, on almost all points. You can find tarot software from $19.95 - $139.95. $40.00 is fair. I'd like it better at $35.00 .-)

I think you need to rethink how you talk about the .net. My suggestions, remove the *Important* and list program requirements including it. Let them find out after it doesn't work they need it, if they don't check the requirements 1st. Can you include the .net upgrade with your zip file? If so offer two downloads one with it one without. Let them do the full download at your site. Making them go somewhere else I feel is what may be the stopper. They just want what the want. Make two buttons... running the latest Microsoft software? and running an older version?

Once someone has downloaded and tried to install if they find out they need something else they are much more likely to go get it, because they want the software because they are in the process. I'm sure a large portion of the population has the right software, so they won't be effected. But your *Important* is stopping them from even finding out. As you've said the download w/.net isn't anything for someone on high speed, so including it here takes away the last bit of huh! factor. I had dial-up until a year ago, when I wanted a piece of software I didn't care if it would take 2 hours, however if I had to hop about here and there... well it would make me I'll do it later.

Instead of telling them what's different about your program tell them what they can do. It's the what's in it for me?

Below is what I came up with off the top of my head, people what to know what they get, they don't care so much what it's better then.

I don't know what it costs to ship to the US, but if you don't having anyone shipping here from here I'd be glad to help with the free CD shipping.

Shari

*Realistic shuffling. Watch as the cards shuffle themselves, move cards around the screen, fan them out, shuffle, sort and deal them, all with a few simple mouse clicks.

*Deal the cards from the top of the deck or select from a fanned out deck.

*Hundreds of spread possibilities. Download pre-created spreads, or create your own.

*Thousands of deck possibilities. Download from our deck exchange, or scan your own.

*Save any reading you do, export to email, readings for friends or clients, include a picture of the actual spread layout.

*Journal to your hearts content. Daily draws, card studies, poems, stories, you get to add text to each card in each deck.

*Use the compare cards to view the differences between decks easily.

*Use your rare decks without having to touch them.

*Use multiple decks for your readings.

*Access the Tarot Zone and talk to other Tarot enthusiasts, ask and learn about all the additional way to use this versatile program.

*Use your physical deck to drawn the cards, using free selection create the reading in Orphalese to save, email, or print it, include pictures of the cards and the spread layout.

*Use decks of any size, shape, or number of cards. round decks, 16 card Oracle, 120 card Tarot, all of them are usable and viewable.

*Customize your background to match your deck.

*Have real input into the future of the program.

The free download gets you some of this. Registrations get you ALL of it.

Hi Webweaver,

Thanks for those suggestions.

As far as the two-tier price goes, I thought it was probably the best way to go when trying to market the program internationally. I agree that forty dollars is a fair price for shareware, it certainly seems to me to be a typical price within the shareware industry. At least, that goes for Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia etc. The trouble is that for people in other parts of the world, or obviously for people who are just plain hard up, it is relatively expensive. So my thinking was that those people are not likely to own more than one computer, and by offering just one product (the multi-machine licence) I am trying to sell them something that they don't really need. So the single machine licence is meant to be an entry point for people who wouldn't be able to register the program otherwise. That was the idea anyway.

I like the emphasis on telling people about what the program can do for them. Most of the time I am very resistant to changing the wording on the website because I then have to co-ordinate with nine different translators and the whole process is very time consuming. But following a suggestion by Scorp I am going to be revamping the Guided Tour, to include short movie animations illustrating some of the programs features. I will certainly use of your suggestions when it comes to scripting these movies.

Cheers :)

Richard

Hi Shari,

you mentioned a range of tarot software from $19.95 - $139.95.

When I discovered Orphalese, it was because I was researching tarot software - I downloaded quite a few different products. Believe me when I say there is a lot of crap out there.

There was only one other software product that I would even bother with and it is currently on sale for $149.95 + s&h. It normally sells for $199.95. They also have what they call a personal version which you can buy on sale for $49.95 + s&h but they've basically just taken options out of the Professional version to package it for a ** market. Options that you really need - like the ability to print for example and they limit the number of decks you can work with. Even the Professional version does not contain as much flexibility as Orphalese. This software runs on a Microsoft Access backend and as far as I can tell, is not being developed any further. How do I know, well, I wrote to the programmer to bug him about some errors I found. .-)

Like Orphalese, with this software you also get access to download some additional decks (but in the vicinity of around 20 or so). The only advantages that I could see with this sofwtare is that it came with LWB notes for the Rider Waite deck based on 32 different categories (basically just used the text from one of Nancy Garen's Tarot books - which a lot of people don't like anyhow). And, it had a method of selecting cards from a drop-down list which made it a little easier when you were trying to recreate a spread that you'd dealt with a physical deck.

I think we all need to change the way we feel and talk about Orphalese. Yes, it is true that it was originally created as shareware and therefore sold at a low price. But now, Orphalese has evolved. It stands on its own as a high quality commercial piece of software. And despite this fact, it still sells for an extremely reasonable price. What's more, it is continually being developed.

As you would know, Commercial software can be very expensive. $40 may seem a lot when you compare it to the shareware price of Orphalese version 4. But, when you compare it to $199.95 and you're getting loads more functionality with Orphalese, plus access to over 700 decks and 100 spreads.....well, there really is no comparison.

regards
purple_scorp

I totally agree! I haven't used the one that cost 199.00 because I don't see where you can try before you buy. However from screen shots it doesn't hold a candle to this program, and what you can do with it. I buy very little commercial software anymore. Only what I can not get either open source or shareware. I believe the program is well worth $40.00. I was just sharing my personal thought process when spending my money :o)

Shari

The 199.00 software you are talking about is available as a free demo download. I, too, found errors (spelling, missing data) and called inquiring about fixes - no such animal seems in the works with them. While the software does have some interesting features, it will not support, nor will in the future, any non-standard decks such as cartomancy, runes, oracles, etc. My advice - save your money. If you have Orphalese, you have it all - continual updates and phenomenal support from our resident guru and this forum. The biggest plus is the sharing among users. That in itself is worth ten times the purchase price - THANK YOU RICHARD!!!

Many Blessings,
Christine

Limited trial period too (30 days) after which time you can no longer access the software. (Though, if you know MS Access quite well, you can access it backdoor, or make your own front end. You can also tweak the ** personal version to gain most of the functionality of the professional version.)

You know, that company primarily sells astrological software - they don't have a commitment or dedication to Tarot. That's probably why there's no further development.

And, I seem to recall that I was able to enter an Oracle deck with less than 78 cards but I probably tweaked it backdoor to make it work. .-)

regards
purple_scorp