I wonder if the publishers recognize "hobbyist-students." This is most of us....we are not in actual school, like Evan my son, but on the other hand we are not commercial and boy are we in 'learner mode."

I know for certain this is a gray area (hobbyist, non-comercial.) I guess their position is -- students (real, enrolled students) can and should get the student version. Others can work on the PLE version. This leaves the hobbyist out. So, without a specifically created category for hobbyist...we non-commercial people have three choices:

1. purchase the full edition
2. get ple, but your renders have watermark
3. find a legit student who will purchase a second student copy for you.

On point three, I was told by both Studica and Academic Superstore that Evan could purchase two copies, as long as one was perpetual and one was permanent.

I am about to confront this soon, because I am on a one-month trial of Max. I am facing $3500! I have a vendor here in Los Angeles who has told me I won't have to pay that much, but he has not quoted price to me yet, because I have not pressed it.

If I fall in love with Max, I would never use it for money-making without purchaseing full commercial license. I have no illegal software in my studio. But short of that, I confess I am tempted to have Evan purchase a second student copy, and I would work with that right up to the point of actually going commercial. I am still working out the morality of that, and in fact may attempt to contact Autodesk directly on this issue.

[update on my Max trial: I have not yet installed it; consumed with commercial website project for next week]

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