Once again, and at the price of prolonging an unnecessary ‘dialog’, I would like to make several points very clear.
1. I have paid $99.- for Houdini Apprentice HD. The software is certainly impressive, but $99.- is all it's worth to me, i.e. if sidefx was selling it for $199.- I probably wouldn't buy it. And I could not care less if other people paid $20,000.- or more for it.
2. Sidefx web site
(
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=589&Itemid=221) [
sidefx.com]
clearly states that the Apprentice HD software has no watermarks. When I installed and ran the software I saw that, lo and behold, watermarks are present in just about every view, pane and dialog, i.e. literally in hundreds of places inside the program.
3. I consider that the screen pixels belong to me. As a matter of fact my whole computer belongs to me. If something is written somewhere on the screen, it must be with my agreement. Anything that happens in my computer (web access, disk access, printing, pop-ups, advertisements or what have you), must be done with my consent. If a program does something without my consent, either the vendor must change the program to suit me, or I will not use that program. It's as simple as that.
4. I agree that Houdini displays a ‘Apprentice HD Non-Commercial’ in the application window's title bar. But this is the extent of what I agree to.
5. I consider that the presence of watermarks in hundreds of places in the program is a clear vioaltion of my right of ownership of the pixels on my screen. It is also a clear violation by sidefx of the terms of the license agreement and the statements made on their web site product page.
6. Therefore, since a sidefx representative clearly stated that the watermarks will most likely not be removed, I will, IF YOU PERMIT ME, not use Apprentice HD anymore. I will trash it, along with the license keys and I will use Truespace 7.6.
7. If some of you are not annoyed by these watermarks and tend to even like them, well good for you.
Thank you for reading. END OF DISCUSSION.