Beta testing

I wonder how many of the people who post here frequently would be willing to beta test a new version or build of True Image for free just to contribute to the development of the product.

It seems as though having a larger beta test group than is currently used by Acronis would avoid some problems with new releases. If the members here would do it for free, it would offer Acronis a way to improve the quality of new releases for their customers at essentially no cost.

I would imagine that anyone agreeing to beta test would have to sign an agreement not to reveal what they discovered to the outside world and would post in a password protected forum to keep the beta test results private.

Anyone interested and willing if Acronis wanted our help in this way?

 

You have a good thought but based on what I've seen from Acronis (as their way of doing business) I don't have much hope they'd follow your suggestion.

They really annoy me because they stonewall users without a conscience.

When I first bought TI8 in 2/05 I was warm and fuzzy toward them and I was dumb enough to believe the promises they made here in this forum. Now I feel like a gullible fool for having swallowed their empty promises.

In my case, with my hardware, TI8 got less functional as the builds progressed. I got the best results and speed in my original download. It's been down hill from there ever since. Shameful.

Your idea for beta testers is good. What Acronis needs is a wide base of beta testers with diverse usage patterns who run an extensive assortment of different hardware and operating system configurations.

Come to think of it, they already have that group as beta testers - US!!!

 

Hello jmk94903 and bobdat,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

I'm really sorry for all the inconveniences caused by Acronis software.

We do appreciate your collaboration on this matter. I have already forwarded your suggestion to the appropriate person and he will take care of it as soon as possible.

By the way, you can read more on how to become a beta tester here.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

 

Thanks Alexy for doing that. Acronis really needs a serious wide beta effort before public release of new software.

I read the formal beta tester contract, and I can't think of any reason why I'd want to pursue that. It's completely one sided for the benefit of Acronis as I read it. Acronis expects 3-5 hours per week work with a reponse time of 7 days to any new release, but nothing is offered in return except a six month license to the buggy version. I think this may be a big part of why new Acronis products or builds are not properly beta tested.

A wide beta test program using a private forum could avoid the embarassment that the release of Acronis True Image 9 has been.

I don't care whether Acronis is embarassed or not. I have recommended True Image to my clients, and I am embarassed that I cannot recommend that they upgrade to version 9 at this time when they ask me about it. The inadequate beta testing by Acronis makes me and my recommendations look bad.