Can I upgrade from 1.9.6.1 to 4.0?
If you are trying to upgrade from version 1.9.6.1 to version 4.0, note that there are no direct path to upgrade to this latest version. The simplest answer is No, it is not possible.
SA 1.9.6.1 (legacy version) was the last of its kind. The 4.0 release is a completely new theme, built from the ground up, it has nothing to do with its legacy version. Only thing that was carried over was the name, everything else about the this new update is different and unique to its predecessor.
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I had access to full versions for all the flavors in the legacy release, why are they no longer accessible in 4.0?
What you paid for is given to you in the legacy version. This new update is considered to be a completely new product.
On a side note, all my updates for the last 5 years has been free of charge. This particular update, I could have released it as a separate product, but I choose to publish freely for all my loyal customers.
What we did is something similar to you having an iPhone 8, then we came to your door step, gave you the latest version of iPhone without any accessories, free of charge. Now you can continue to use your old iPhone 8, or adapt to the latest iPhone and purchase the accessories separately that did not come with it. (eg. the other flavors)
This new version will contain SCSS/JS sources, Seed, Slim and Full Projects of the HTML Flavor. Future releases will continue to be free. I will be partnering with several developers, and they will release full versions of their own products under the SmartAdmin brand (NOTE: The SCSS/JS sources will NOT be included with these flavors, one must own a license for SmartAdmin WebApp to gain access to these resources).
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Why this drastic change?
Updating these themes are never easy and requires a lot of man hours which many users take for granted. For most of us, this is our full time job and a way to earn a living. We are not a big company with unlimited resources - we are just like you trying to make a living by putting in a lot of hours and hoping our customers will continue to support us.