Why did I have to pay for 1Password 5 (I updated from 1Password 4)?

royofsf
royofsf
Community Member

I just finished downloading Yosemite. Your website indicated that "1Password 5 for Mac is a free update for all users of 1Password 4" but "To use iCloud sync you should purchase 1Password from the Mac App Store". I now will be using iCloud Drive and thought that that qualified as using iCloud sync. So I paid the $34.95. Am I confused?

I don't know the version of 1Password that I was using but it did have the mini. The last record that I made of versions was on 1/8/14 when I noted version 4.1.3 but the mini may mean that I had a later version.

Comments

  • littlebobbytables
    littlebobbytables
    1Password Alumni

    Hi @royofsf‌

    There are two very separate ways to purchase 1Password for Mac, either via us directly or Apple's Mac App Store. The licences aren't interchangeable, a licence purchased from us won't allow you to run the MAS version - Apple operates what it typically called a walled garden and we have next to no control even to the point of knowing how has purchased 1Password.

    With the release of 1Password 5 we went from being able to offer iCloud Sync in both versions to it being restricted to only the MAS version, there's more on this in Dave's announcement, iCloud Changes in the Website Version of 1Password 5

    So if you had purchased 1Password 4 in the past you were indeed entitled to a free upgrade to 1Password 5 if you wanted to and were running Yosemite but the upgrade had to be via the same location you purchased 1Password 4 from. MAS users were updated via Apple's MAS and Web Store users were updated via our site.

    Does that help explain your situation?

    For iCloud sync in 1Password 5 we use CloudKit which is part of the new iCloud and what iCloud Drive itself relies on. So on your Mac you would need to be logged in with your Apple ID and iCloud Drive enabled to use iCloud Sync via 1Password 5 (MAS).

    Now if I've misunderstood any part of your post please do post back here and I'll do my best to answer what you were actually asking :smile:

  • royofsf
    royofsf
    Community Member

    littlebobbytables - Thanks for such a complete and quick response. I did understand the first part of your email about the two separate licenses. I don't mind spending extra, as I did, if the experience is better. The advantages of buying in the Mac App Store (MAS) as stated on your website are: easy installation, iCloud support, automatic background updates, no need to keep track of a license key. The middle two sound like they are worth $35 to me.

    I'm having a little trouble understanding the ramifications of this paragraph: "For iCloud sync in 1Password 5, we use CloudKit which is part of the new iCloud and what iCloud Drive itself relies on. So on your Mac you would need to be logged in with your Apple ID and iCloud Drive enabled to use iCloud Sync via 1Password 5 (MAS)." Is there an advantage to me in using the MAS version? If not, I can reverse the charge and update via your website. I do have iCloud Drive enabled. But I don't understand what "logged in with your Apple ID" means. Where would I do that and under what circumstances? That doesn't sound attractive if I have to sign-in all the time with my Apple ID to be able to use 1Password or to have it use iCloud Drive. That part confuses me.

  • littlebobbytables
    littlebobbytables
    1Password Alumni

    Sorry @royofsf‌ sometimes finding the correct terminology eludes me.

    On any Apple device you're signed in all the time once you set it up. On Macs it's under System Preferences > iCloud and on iOS devices it's Settings > iCloud. Having done that and with iCloud Drive enabled iCloud Sync is available to you in 1Password. So you would never need to supply your Apple ID or password directly to 1Password (although 1Password stores mine anyway).

    What it comes down to is regardless of the cloud service you pick for syncing, it only works properly if you're always logged in so you can pick up any changes made. If you were using Dropbox you'd always want the Dropbox service working in the background and it's the same with iCloud. Both services only request that you sign in once and then keep you signed in until you explicitly instruct them to sign you out.

    Does that help?

  • royofsf
    royofsf
    Community Member

    That helps a lot. I don't use Dropbox but do use SugarSync.

    So is there any disadvantage to always being logged into iCloud? And, in your view, did I make a mistake? I think that using iCloud is worth $35 and that was stated as one of the advantages of buying from the MAS.

    I guess I'd like to hear an authoritative voice (like you) indicate that, based on what I've stated , that the MAS verion is the right way to go or not. Let's ignore the $35 issue.

  • littlebobbytables
    littlebobbytables
    1Password Alumni

    Hi @royofsf‌

    I'm not big on iCloud services and I don't use Dropbox or iCloud Drive for anything other than testing purposes. I back my iPhone up to my copy of iTunes on my Mac Mini which in turn is backed up to my Netgear ReadyNAS via Time Machine. The only iCloud service I have enabled is Find My iPhone/Mac. For that service alone I keep all my devices logged in but Apple has no files of mine whatsoever.

    All MAS and iTunes purchases are authenticated against your Apple ID so there are advantages to keeping your account logged in. Your iOS device or iTunes/MAS will notify you or even update automatically if they find updates for your purchases but that can only work if you're logged in. There are all sorts of other aspects too as Apple try to get things to work seamlessly between your devices. In Yosemite, their Messages application can have all SMS mirrored to the Mac and I find that very handy as well as loving the ability to respond while typing on a proper keyboard - something that wouldn't work without being logged in under iCloud.

    Now as to which version to run. The only real time I'd say somebody could make a mistake is if they're only willing to consider iCloud Sync but have the Web Store version. In that instance that wasn't the right way to go. Pretty much every other scenario though there isn't really a right or wrong way.

    There can be advantages to the Web Store version. We can offer Mac & Window bundles, if somebody in an enterprise setting wants a large number of seats they could try negotiating a discount and of course we can offer discounts if you're upgrading from an old licence to a newer one. None of those options are available to MAS users. I was curious though and so I purchased 1Password myself through Apple's MAS long before I became a member of this amazing team. I don't know if I'll ever sync my vaults with either iCloud or Dropbox but I figure I have the option.

    As you can see I've not said simply black or white as I don't think that really is the case.

  • royofsf
    royofsf
    Community Member

    They made a good hire when they got you! Thanks for the reponse, probably the most comprehensive, helpful and thoughtful response that I've ever gotten on this type of forum.

  • littlebobbytables
    littlebobbytables
    1Password Alumni

    :grinning: Thank you for your very kind words @royofsf‌ you can be assured I'll be pointing them out to others :smile:

This discussion has been closed.