Having been programming and debugging for a very long time, all I can say is that I'd love to have clients who would tolerate not getting an answer as to when they could reasonable expect a bug to be addressed. Those of us in small shops that deal directly with paying customers are quite familiar with the difficulties in providing estimates, but we invariable must do so 
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I know I should just tolerate it cuz that's the way it is, but this attitude just bugs me
WoodyZ wrote:
As to purchasing any product because one has used a previous version, have you heard the saying... past performance is no guarantee of future return? To not take advantage of the fully functional free trial periods before purchasing any product is IMO behavior that shows a momentary lack of good sense or judgment at it finest!
Yikes, really? I guess I'm a sucker for being "brand loyal" for all of these years. I pay a premium for quality software because I know from experience that you tend to get what you pay for. I do this because I like these products, and I don't always have time to test drive every new release. Oh well, caveat emptor
Maybe my posts have come off as snarky, and if so, I apologize for that - it was not my intention. But, when all of the posts in defense of the practices in question use language like "get used to it" or "you'll get it when you get it", that is neither constructive nor thoughtful.