Buying a Used EQ5
 

Somewhere I read that you should be careful buying a used EQ set because they can only be installed once or twice. Is this correct?

I have my eye on a used EQ5 for $40.00 but don't want to be disappointed.

Watson

EQ6 can only be installed 4 times. I don't think they had yet applied the installation restrictions to EQ5. However, I wondered about that myself and went ahead with EQ7.

I saw some supposedly factory shrink-wrapped EQ5's (assumably never installed) on Ebay a few days ago. They went for about $25. You might want to keep your eye out for another of those.

EQ6 had this limitation, but I don't think EQ5 did. However I would not get EQ5. There was a huge leap in the user interface between 5 and 6. You'll find 5 less easy to use, and it won't have the capabilities of 6 or 7. Yes, it is cheaper, but you may find that you use it less. There are a lot of people who do use 5 and are quite happy with it, but I suspect they have not had the chance to compare it with later versions. That's just my 2 cents, not meant to be discouraging.

It wouldn't hurt to contact EQ and ask them. They may be able to help you out.

Thanks, everyone.

Watson

Some of the upgrades in EQ5 are great over my EQ4. The one that I wanted most was the ability to edit in print preview and the box says you can do that. EQ4 has the annoying habit of putting templates on two pages that could easily go on one. Just looking at the features, I think I would have been happy with EQ5 for my needs, if I could have been assured about installation. Of course, I'm (hopefully) going to be HAPPIER with EQ7 when it comes ;-). Friday!

But when you can get EQ5 for 1/5 of the very best possible price of EQ7, it's not a bad deal at all. Just go in with your eyes open. It doesn't put you on much of an upgrade path to EQ7 (very small discount on upgrade. EQ5 price+EQ7 upgrade price would make EQ7 a non-discounted full price product). EQ5 has fewer features. It may not be Windows 10 compatible. But it could provide you some nice features at a low price, especially if you're like me and keep legacy hardware to run legacy software ;-).

One great reason that EQ5 might be a good decision is I don't trust Electric Quilt when they say they aren't planning an upgrade. Maybe the truth is they're planning a new product instead. It's been 6 years. I highly doubt they're going to wait much longer. It might be good to get EQ5 while you can and then get the next permutation of EQ when it comes out.

I contacted EQ and asked if I could use Blockbase 1 files with EQ7. They said absolutely not, they are incompatible. I found out on my own that you can. It's just not a one-step process. (Load them into EQ4, then save them out for loading into EQ7.)

Don't necessarily trust their answer about EQ5. Their knee-jerk is no. They don't want to support legacy products, so that will be their leaning. I don't really blame them, they want to sell new products. Ask a friend to read the license agreement to you.

Not with EQ5. Just contact them when you buy it and register as the owner. $40 is a little high for EQ5. I paid $20 for mine and it was never used.

Footnote. I have know Penny who works in technical support since 1995 and she has always answered all my question when I have a technical problem. I trust them totally. I use an older version of Blockbase and it works fine with EQ7.

just make sure it works with your operating system because EQ5 is an outdated product