It's a known problem to preannounce next generation products. Once you announce that the next generation is coming out soon, the value of the current version is discounted in people's minds. Hm, should I buy the 2011 model now, or wait a couple months for the 2012 model. The problem is when, unlike car models, the 2012 model doesn't come out when one expected and is indefinitely delayed. This can put a company in a position where sales dramatically slow down because people are waiting for the imminent next release, but the release is not forthcoming. More than one company has gone under in this conundrum. The solution to extricate oneself from the mess is to announce that the next version is free for all purchasers of the current one. Then people waiting for the next version will say hey why not I will get the current one while I am waiting rather than wait. These people only purchased because they were assured they were really buying the next version, and the current one was to tide them over. It is similar to when you buy a car and it is delayed so the dealer gives you a loaner car until it arrives. Customers would be quite disappointed, having bought a car and lent a loaner, to find that the dealer felt the loaner was good enough for them and if they want the car they bought they should pay a second time.

I bought TM1 in 2010 knowing full well that people have been waiting for TM2 for half a decade, because the presumption for late adopters like me (and possibly the parent) is that we bought TM1 to help fund the development of TM2--if revenue is really the problem for the delay of TM2.

I bought Sublime Text 2 while it was still a semi-working beta because I saw the potential and wanted to support the developer.

Perhaps because he wanted to support the developer now, and it made little difference to him as it was as good as buying TM2 later... not to mention the price was locked in at the price you're paying now.

Don't get me wrong...I'm using it, and I like it. I just don't feel I should have to buy the same product twice.

It's not the same product. It just has the same name.

I'm not saying your deal with Odgaard shouldn't bind.

I'm just saying, if Odgaard from the beginning had said "Textmate 2 will cost $60 and there will be no paid upgrades", that too would be a perfectly fair pricing strategy.

What Marco is hung up on is how underpriced Textmate is relative to the value it provides (unfortunately, it's a text editor for programmers; the price points it competes with create dynamics similar to those of trying to sell ice to Inuits).

I preemptively agree with you that Marco's observation about Textmate's pricing shouldn't bind on you.