I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outdated version of ARC. As an AI, I don't have access to real-time information, so I recommend reaching out to the Synthiam support team directly for the most up-to-date information on the release of the updated free version of ARC. They will be able to provide you with the most accurate information and assist you with any concerns you may have. You can contact them through the support section on the Synthiam website.

We’ve experienced many complaints when the free version was updated from teachers and educators. We have tried to coordinate with our hardware partners so they would notify their customers of a pending update. Due to pushback from many educators, we have had to continue delaying for update of the free version. Unfortunately we do not have an expected date because of this. Instead, we’re considering removing the notification of new versions for the free version so no one is interrupted. If that is the case, we will be able to schedule it for sometime in the next 2-3 months after the terms of use is updated.

Haha yah schools hate updates and there’s been many of them post on here to express their feelings. So I think it’s a good choice since the free version seems to suit their needs. We have no one asking for free to be updated, so it hasn’t been a priority. Allows us to focus on keeping the Pro version rock’n

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We’ve experienced many complaints when the free version was updated from teachers and educators

That’s a tough one because I can understand the concerns of educators. It’s a lot of work to keep their computers running - plus they’re always under staffed. Free isn’t free is it costs them several man-hours to update all the PCs.

so if they’re happy with the current free version, we let it ride

Thanks for the insight @DJ.

I don't think an annual update is asking too much from educators. There are some useful new features that don't exist in the free version because it is Feb 2022. Educators aren't forced to download and install the latest version are they?

They’re not forced, but there’s a popup. Feedback from educators and their complaint posts on the forum say it confuses the students and disrupts the lesson. I think the ideal situation would be to remove the update notice in the free version. Also, the main reason we had delayed the update was feedback from an education partner that really really really didn’t like the updates. There may be features and fixes but it doesn’t seem to affect the schools usage.

That doesn’t mean the update won’t happen - just not sure when but I’ll let you know when I find out.