Cubecart vs. Hosted Solution

[Buddha]

Hi All.....in my search for the best Open source solution Cubecart seemed like the best fit for me, as I read from many posters on forums that it is very EASY to use, and EASY to customize, which is what I'm looking for. I'd also like to have a lot of flexibility with plug-ins etc., and I believe they have a pretty good community with a lot of plug-ins, no?

At this point, I'm leaning heavily toward a hosted solution because I can point & click & drag and customize pretty easily. Truly I'm looking for the best solution to make my site look the way I want it to without too much frustration, and to have a lot of options. If I understand correctly hosted solutions are really easy to setup and customize, but they fall short as far as total design capabilities, no?

I have virtually no programming knowledge, although I'm confident I can pick up enough along the way to be useful - that's why CubeCart sounded good from what I read as they said it's the easiest open source if you have limited knowledge. Although I don't want to be completely lost during the set-up and initial design process.

I read somewhere that it is "modular", does this mean that you can plug in modules through their software without programming knowledge?

Their demo shows you NOTHING, and I don't really want to go through the hassle of installing it unless it sounds like it'll be worth my while to do so.......so I'm hoping someone can give me a little insight.....thanks a bunch.

- Buddha

[roban]

I was a super moderator on the Cube Cart forum for many years and I finally left in frustration when version 4 came out. There was so much that didn't work (maybe things have gotten better) that I switched to CS-Cart and never looked back. Cube Cart is a template system. Customizing consists of editing images and .tpl files. If you are not familiar with some basic html and php, customizing any cart system leaves you at the mercy of the kindness of strangers.

The CC forums have always been helpful and custom modules used to be free for the most part but that was slowly changing by the time I left. I still have a whole slew of mods for the version 3's and a conversion script from Cube Cart to CS-Cart.

Any cart system has a learning curve so don't let that hinder your decision. If the forums look helpful to you, then that is a major factor in whether you use a shopping cart or not. By the way, up to version 4, Cube Cart was free to use if you left the link in the footer.

[Buddha]

thanks so much for the advice......even CC 4 charges you to remove the powered by logo at the bottom.......i think i've made up my mind to go w/a hosted solution, i just don't wanna worry about learning html, php, and css at this point, i'll pick it up as i go along and eventually switch to open source when i'm ready, but i just want to get my site up, do atleast some of the things i want to do w/the design and get it launched........also the hosted solutions offer so many features that come out of the box

with that being said i want one that gives me lots of flexibility so i can do most of what i want........i'm going to play w/the demos or do trials for corecommerce, 3dcart, network solutions & prostores (only b/c i'm already on Ebay).......anybody have insight or comparisons on these 4 to maybe save me some time? i've reviewed all of their features and they seem pretty comparable with corecommerce appearing to have the most features

thanks!

[roban]

Good luck to you and I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with.

[belablasko]

hello.

THE LICENSE
Devellion Limited grants you a non-exclusive license to use the software if you follow all restrictions in all sections of this agreement.
CUBECART IS NOT AN OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE PRODUCT. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE LIMITATIONS IN THIS SOFTWARE AGREEMENT. WE OFFER SPECIFIC PERMISSION TO CUSTOMISE THE CODE FOR YOUR OWN NEEDS LATER IN THIS AGREEMENT.
Technical support and related services are available to those following this agreement with no charge at the community forums at http://forums.cubecart.com. Devellion Limited reserves the right to limit or refuse free technical support and related services in any form for any reason.

RESTRICTIONS OF USE

You are permitted to:

* use the software on unlimited computer systems/platforms
* copy the software for archival purposes, provided any copy must contain all of the original software's proprietary notices
* customize the software's design and operation to suit the internal needs of your web site. You may not distribute these modifications/changes with out prior consent from Devellion Limited
* create applications which interface with the operation of the software provided said application is an original work.
* use CubeCart for the sale of adult material including pornography, etc. as long as the products on offer conform to local laws/regulations.


You are NOT permitted to:

* permit other individuals to use the software except under the terms listed herein
* reverse engineer, disassemble, or create derivative works based on the software for distribution or usage outside your web site excluding those applications described above.
* rebrand and/or sell CubeCart as your own ecommerce solution.
* The CubeCart download packages must not be distributed or hosted anywhere except cubecart.com without written consent from Devellion Limited.
* use the software in such a way as to condone or encourage terrorism, promote or provide pirated software, or any other form of illegal or damaging activity.
* modify and/or remove any copyright notices or labels on the software on each page and in the header/footer and output html of each source file. This includes "(Powered by CubeCart)" in the browser title and "Powered by CubeCart ©Devellion Limited" page footer. This may only be done if a copyright removal key has been purchased.
* host or distribute the download software archive(s) without written permission from Devellion Limited
* distribute or modify proprietary graphics, HTML, or CSS packaged with the software for use in other software applications or web sites without written permission from Devellion Limited

LIMITED LIABILITY
The software is provided on an "AS IS" basis, without warranty of any kind, including without limitation the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. The entire risk as to the quality and performance of the software is borne by you.

Should the software prove defective, you and not Devellion Limited assume the entire cost of any service and repair. In addition, the security mechanisms implemented by Devellion Limited software have inherent limitations, and you must determine that the software sufficiently meets your requirements. This disclaimer of warranty constitutes an essential part of the agreement.

OWNERSHIP
Title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights in the software shall remain with Devellion Limited. Copyright laws and treaties of England and Wales protect this software and any issues that may arise over this will be dealt with in the courts of England and Wales. Title and related rights in the content accessed through the software is the property of the applicable content owner and may be protected by applicable law. This license gives you no rights to such content.

TERMINATION
This agreement will terminate automatically if you fail to comply with the limitations described herein. On termination, you must destroy all copies of the software within 48 hours.

MISCELLANEOUS
Devellion Limited reserves the right to change the terms of this agreement at any time however those changes are not retroactive to past releases. Changes to the agreement will be announced via the discussion board at Devellion Limited. Failure to receive notification of a change does not make those changes invalid. A current copy of this agreement will be available at http://www.cubecart.com/site/faq/license.php. All prices are subject to change without prior notice.

Technical support will NOT be provided for third-party modifications to the software including modifications to code to any license holder. If the software is modified using a third-party modification instruction or otherwise, technical support may be refused to any license holder.

PROPRIETARY LABELS
Authorization to remove copyright notices can be obtained from Devellion Limited for a one time fee. This fee authorizes you to remove the output of copyright notices and you will be issued with a copyright removal key. These copyright notices include "(Powered by CubeCart)" in the browser title and "Powered by CubeCart ©Devellion Limited 200X" page footer