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Users may find a description of the differences between E-Prime 2.0 non-Professional and E-Prime 2.0 Professional at support.pstnet.com/products/E-Prime/default.htm. Unfortunately, this description is rather cursory, and does not mention any of the incompatibilities between the two editions. These incompatibilities could hinder collaboration between labs, so it would be best if all labs bought the same, correct version at the outset. So we might want to all purchase Pro whether or not we ever need the extra features that it provides. But what if some of our collaborators still slip and purchase non-Pro?
To explore this, I tried moving files between two computers with non-Pro and Pro installed, and found the following:
- An .ebs2 (E-Run) file generated by non-Pro will run in E-Run Pro.
- An .ebs2 file file generated by Pro will run in E-Run non-Pro, at least if it does not use any Pro features (I did not test any Pro features).
- An .es2 (E-Studio) file made in non-Pro will open in E-Studio Pro.
- An .es2 file made in Pro will *not* (repeat, *not*) open in E-Studio Pro.
- Finally (pay attention here), an .es2 file made in non-Pro will open in E-Studio Pro, and if you change that file in Pro and save it, the resulting .es2 file will *still* open back in non-Pro, at least if it does not use any Pro features (I did not test any Pro features).
In short, experiments that do not use Pro features can be freely moved and edited between non-Pro and Pro, *except* for experiments that originate in Pro. Experiments that originate in Pro will still run in E-Run non-Pro, but non-Pro users will not be able to change anything in the experiment.
None of this is a problem as long as you make sure that you and your collaborators all use the same edition of E-Prime 2.0, or as long as all experiment development is limited to one lab. A problem does arise if two labs with different editions wish to share development: If you use non-Pro, then collaborators who use Pro will still be able to run and change your experiments, but if they send you an experiment written in their lab then you will only be able to run, not change, it; and if you use Pro, then you can run and change all your collaborators' experiments, but they may not be able to edit experiments that come from you. Put another way, you have to decide whether you would rather be a universal donor (as in type O blood) or a universal recipient (as in type AB blood).
As discussed in a companion post about pricing, although the "free" upgrade to non-Pro does make it seem that non-Pro is the expected upgrade path from 1.x, PST really intends the non-Pro edition only for those who really are down to their last dollar, everyone else is just supposed to put up the extra money for Pro. In addition, as far as I can tell PST does not as a rule offer any way to upgrade from the non-Pro edition to the Pro edition, so if you purchase non-Pro and later realize that you really need Pro then you will be stuck paying full price for a Pro license.
Bear in mind that this is all subject to change. In particular, PST staff have been asked about adding an option to Pro that would export .es2 files in non-Pro format, and this request has been entered into their tracking system as "a good option for those in need to do so."
-- David
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Anthony McGuffie at Coventry University discovered that I mis-typed one of my five results listed above. In the fourth case down, I left off the "non-" from in front the second "Pro", which does not make sense. It should read,
- An .es2 file made in Pro will *not* (repeat, *not*) open in E-Studio non-Pro.
My apologies,
-- David McFarlane
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