When do we get a new beta build of AD ?

I know I'm impatient, but on 5th Jan 2006 you said that we could expect a new beta build in 1-2 weeks.

Any news on when this new release might show it's face ?

PS. And don't anyone reply with "It'll be ready when it's ready" (or something along those lines). I need my fix!!!

 

It'll be ready when it's ready



Sorry... couldn't help it .

Anyway,whenever it's released,i'm sure it'll be worth the wait

 

I have extended what was going to be planned for the beta to include more functionality, which is why it is taking longer than expected.

I am sure everyone will be happy with the new features added.

 

I certainly am looking forward to this new beta!

Roughly, when might it be released ?

 

I guess that since AppDefend will have more functionality than originally intended, and that Jason didn't indicate a time frame for the next release, means that there is still a fair bit of work to do and the next version is still some way off.

 

I can't really give a reliable estimate at this stage as James pointed out, mostly because some of the newest features are getting the kinks ironed out of them. Once the kinks are gone I can give a better estimate. The previous features added though are proving to be stable and are working well at this point in time.

Some of the newer features AppDefend will be have will be a first for an appliction of its kind (possibly any application).

 

Hi Jason,
Like everyone else, i'm getting very curious of all those major core change
I'm pretty sure you have made a tought decision between release a half done beta now or a more feature complete yet, however as you may have realised the "vitality" of this forum is a good mesure of the vitality of the software. When new release arrive, it get usefull and active and between two release, it sometime almost die. Such *down* in a life a a software is never really good.

I dont know if the term beta testing can apply as already the *stable* version is in *beta*. However something such a as community thecnical preview or even screenshot can be usefull. Who knows ? Somme people even managed to make a successful buisness model by realeasing CTP to subscriber (5$/year ? ) or donnator. It can be a fair trade off between one time fee satisfaction and constant revenue source.

I know how important is the surprise / coolness factor when you receive a new build of a product. And with a compagny like yours that have their income only on "catching the attention of new potential buyer", a long changelog is surely impressive. However there is also an important counter hype related to too much defering ( vista, anyone ? )

On a less humoristic note is alwais the question of vaporware wich is the worst thing for reputation of small compagny. Not that i do not trust you, but it is alwais a risk to consider if there is to much delay. <snip>

I do not know how i sounded, and i'm too tired to read myself back, but it should be read on an encouraging tone (keep the good work) with some stress on how it may be important to realease something once in a while.

On another note, i understand your difficulty of realeasing something as you are mainly doing important Ressearch & Devloppement in some very obscure (undocumented) part of the os. And i really appreciate any effort of R&D from any compagny

edited to remove snipe - let's avoid that - Detox

 

I'll second that fx3,but i tend to lean a FRACTION the other way,as in,i'd prefer 'Companies' to take that little bit longer releasing updates,making doubley sure everything works as intended,especially when adding new features,rather than just do regular little updates to keep their customers happy.

 

Jason
Just keep doing what you've been doing - producing a quality product. You, better than anyone else, know when it's ready for prime time.

As I'm sure you know, never let customers dictate the release schedule

 

But the bills are paid by customers. And Jason told us Dec 26, that the next beta is right around the corner. Hopefully, the changes justify this long wait.

 

I am sure everyone will be quite pleased ...

 

Hi f3x,

I don't think I personally have earnt any reputation where I do not deliver a product I have said I would (as in vaporware). Part of what is taking so long about the next beta is the amount of R&D having to be done, which is what I talk about when I say "kinks", in making things work as everyone would expect.

Screenshots would be good if much of the GUI had changed at this point, which it hasn't. Though possibly some screenshots of other things might be released soon. I don't like posting screenshots too early just because other developers do browse my forums and like to grab ideas. When it's a few days out that is when I will be posting more about the release.

[following not just relevant to you f3x]
I thought everyone knew that when a developer gives an ETA that it is just that, an estimated time. People can either cope with the fact that sometimes (or maybe everytime) the ETA is wrong, or if that makes them unhappy they could just stop reading the "when is it coming" posts or ignore them. I could just release continual beta after continual beta with nothing more than a new checkbox or some other irrelevant feature but I don't think that serves the point as well as more major items. It has a lot to do with optimization of time. Unlike most other developers I do not charge for new major versions so I don't see the problem with me spending a little time working on something major to get it out the door. Other companies might do this to make more money but I do it to make a better product.

 

I've seen that too often.

 

Yes, customers do pay the bills. But if you let them determine the product schedule, or deliverables, you won't have customers for very long, because the quality will suffer.

No one is more qualified to set the schedule than the developer but early optimistic "predictions" invariably come back to haunt us

cheers

"us" refers to developers collectively - I'm not one of Jason's

 

My bold

So true. Atleast we see you on the forum telling us that the product is still evolving. Which is not the case with other software I ´ve bought.
I dont think that 2-3 month of waiting for an upgrade makes it vaporware. I rather have the upgrades coming in a slower pace rather than, as you pointed out, a new beta every day or week with small changes.

 

Here here, well put Jason. Even though there will always be users that crave the next latest/greatest release, but as you have so aptly put that is not what it is about. I fall into that group at times, but had rather wait for a product that will deliver rather than one that only delivers some of the time.

Keep up the good coding.

 

Thank for taking it well, Jason.
I totally agree with what you are saying and like many other i do not like forced or butched release. However, i hoped to have this beta as soon as possible. Why ? The reason is simple, because of a new game i had to update my nvidia video driver and i have the memory acess lag described by many other. Rigth now i have memory set to allow alwais.

This is why i like the products that alternate
Major release with new features
Fast minor release with bug fixes


Maybe when is next beta is the wrong question
The rigth question migth be if we can have an interim release based on the what is currently stable with minor changes to fix anoying things

Well it is not THAT important rigth now but who knows if the next beta take too much time.


PS

About vaporware. I read an interesting article in the newspaper and it classified windows vista and ie7 as vaporware (top3). We all know it's gonna be released at some time but it's alwais deferring. Top2 is google software(s) for alwais staying in beta even if it's fully functional and Top1 is off course Duke nukem forever

PPS

I don't like that i had to register in order to post. Did anyone know what happened to guest posting ?

 

f3x,
It is a relatively recent change to board policy, you can read about it here

 

Jason,

How do you put up with all the whining about when the new version will be out?

Sounds like nursery school children wondering when nap-time will be over.

Just a little advice to people who keep asking, don't burn Jason out!