Why we will release two versions of Quirkos next week
Next week we will release Quirkos 2.0 on the 31st of October! It’s our first major update in 4 years, and will not only provide a number of major new features, but also sets the platform for a lot more new things to be added in the next few years.
Actually, next week we will be releasing two versions of Quirkos: 2.0, but also a final release for the 1.x series, version 1.6. This adds rich text support, all the bug fixes and forward compatibility with version 2.0. This is because we don’t want to have a situation where anyone who wants to stay with the older version of Quirkos can’t share files back and forward with others using the new version. We hate the ‘planned obsolescence’ and forced upgrades that certain other CAQDAS software forces on their users. With Quirkos, we’ve promised to always make sure that there are no compatibility issues with new and old versions. Users can upgrade to the new version if they want the new features, but not because they feel they have no choice. For those that want to stay with the current version of Quirkos, 1.6 will be the last update, but will keep forward and backward compatibility.
But Quirkos 2 brings a lot of exciting new things. For a start, the rich text support means that you can work with a much wider variety of sources, and keep much more detail and expression from your research transcripts.
Next, the memo feature is a whole new system for annotating and commenting on your text data, which can be used with the coding system. This opens up new ways for you to interpret and analyse your data, improving support in Quirkos for approaches like in-vivo coding and IPA. There's also the new 'Groups' feature, better exports and editable reports, and ways to see your source data by Quirk.
Most obivous is the refreshed interface, developed after feedback from dozens of users. We’ve improved the look and feel of Quirkos, keeping all the major functions in the same place, while regrouping some buttons to make them more logical and easier to find. I’ll go into this a lot more in the release post next week.
If you’ve brought Quirkos in the last 3 months (from August 2018), the upgrade will be free. Just drop us an e-mail with your licence code, and we will replace it with a 2.0 licence. For existing users, we want to make upgrading as simple as possible. From next week you’ll be able to buy an upgrade from a simple order page, you just need the e-mail address or licence code associated with your previous purchase.
An upgrade will cost £260/€295/US$330 for commercial or public sector users, £140/€160/$180 for academic and charity, and £40/€46/$55 for students. We think this strikes a fair balance between supporting loyal users to get new features and continued support, with the (frighteningly) high cost of software development. Also, the features in the first release of Quirkos 2 next week are a small part of what is to come in the next few years. Come join us and help support Quirkos into the future!