I am curious if we will be getting a updated beta / patch to objectdock soon. I was expecting a spring update per what was posted in another thread and that slipped. I just wanna see if the summer patch is still on schedule.
https://forums.stardock.com/381975
Quoting Frogboy, The next public beta drop won't be until Summer (though a minor update to fix some of the most outstanding issues is expected late Spring).
https://forums.stardock.com/379048/page/13/#replies
Quoting Frogboy, It should be pointed out that it is not the norm to have some sort of weekly beta drop. Elemental, Stardock's biggest project right now, has been in Beta 1 since last October. This is the norm in software development. We have been tracking and looking at the bug reports as people have made them. We don't have a dedicated person to respond on the forums (unfortunately) for ObjectDock but we will try to be better on this going forward.We anticipate the ObjectDock 2 beta going well through Summer and into Fall with beta 2 in the Summer and Beta 3 during the fall.
You might try asking HERE.
Although your link is probably the most accurate inforamtion I have seen to date. I was hoping for something a tad more concrete from Stardock.
Thanks for not thinking me a smart-ass. We OD2 beta users would all like some news, but unfortunately, OD2 as well as almost all ODNT app updates seem to have been put on the back burner while SD focuses on it's game development.
ODNT 2010, with the exception of WB's, SKS and DS is looking like a total wash so far. With the ODNT sub I am paying for a years worth of updates to apps that apparently aren't going to be updated this year. I'm at a loss right now on how to justify spending money on a renewal for next year,as I no longer know what to expect for my money.
I, like many others could have my confidence restored simply by SD giving us some information regarding the status of future ODNT and OD2 updates.
Wizard1956 I have started a topic for just the same purpose as your post, if we can get enough imput then perhaps we will get some answers to our questions and find out what if we are getting what we paid for
https://forums.wincustomize.com/387967/page/1/#2684094
As with so many issues, Wiz.... you and I see eye to eye. That's why WinstepExtreme is so attractive.... The dev is support, and he's a hell of a nice guy. The support folks at SD are as well...I just think they are swamped due to the issues you brought up and I just see them getting more and more burdened as issues develop due to not solving the 'old' problems. I hope I'm wrong.
I am also eyeballing WinstepExtreme and Nexus heavily. I am a long time on and off supporter of OD and just recently got heavily back into windows customizing. I paid for ODNT Renewal, OD/OD10 since I wanted x64 support, and renewed my wincustomize subscription. I am understanding of the hardship they are going through. It just boggles my mind how one person (to my knowledge) is doing everything for winstep and is highly supportive of the product and I cannot get an answer to my simple question from SD. Hell I would even take "When it's ready". That is better then stating things will be coming out and then nothing but crickets chirping.
I am going to sound cold here but I have to say it. I paid for upgrades and help fund development of OD10 and other programs through ODNT not game development. I am understanding and responded thusly in another post. I am an IT Director who faces many issues and problems with software and hardware development as well. I am going to state what one of our largest paying customers told me one time. I understand you have problems and I am sorry. They are your problems however not mine. Either fix the issues or lose the business. I think a lot of people are looking at ODNT / OD10 and wondering if it is money well spent or if they should put it elsewhere guys. Food for thought.
I cannot officially speak for the ObjectDock development team as I am not involved with that product, but I understand there is an updated beta build with fixes for some of the reported issues in development. I know for a fact some of the 64 bit issues are now fixed.
Unfortunately Stardock have a game thats due for release at the end of August and right now QA resources are allocated towards that. There are a number of things sitting in the queue waiting to go through QA and I would expect to see the first of them later this month. I know thats not really an excuse, but with a small company it makes sense to allocate all the resources to that task especially given games only come out rarely. After that the QA resources should be freed up for the apps division and products can be developed while waiting for QA time to become available.
Will the ObjectDock beta update be in that batch, honestly I cannot say. If not then I would certainly hope a build will show up in September, but I am not in a position to make promises (see first line)
I understand your frustration and I share it too and you can be sure that I will make sure those who are responsible for the project are made aware of this thread.
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ObjectDesktop is not directly related to this thread and so I will reply to that here : https://forums.wincustomize.com/387967
Ok, in Stardock's defense, keep in mind Winstep is also a company smaller than Stardock, whose sole focus is Desktop Customization, and with a much smaller product portfollio. Even then, sometimes I also have trouble keeping up with support when I'm really busy finishing a new release, for instance. At times like those, all your attention and energy go into finishing that release and everything else becomes a 'distraction', and a sap of your valuable energy. You don't sleep much, and you don't eat much.
But Brad already posted OD's schedule here a couple of months ago, and he even was very straightforward explaining why. A new release sometime in August, then another by the end of the year. He couldn't be any clear than he was, and there isn't much more that he can say either. Even that schedule is probably dependent on other things.
The only thing he can say now is more of the same. And perhaps he should (but read my first paragraph) just so you guys know you *are* being heard. Essentially, and I think that is what you meant in your post, users just want some assurance that they are not being ignored. Trust me, I'm pretty sure you aren't (and Neil's presence here is a proof that you aren't).
As a fellow developer, I can only imagine how much it must frustrate Jeff that he isn't able to dedicate his full attention to his ObjectDock 'baby' now that Nexus is getting so much attention. But Jeff works for Stardock and he must follow Stardock's larger vision.Remember also that, the more a company grows, the longer release schedules become. Not because the developers and the CEO are sitting idle on their bums on a tropical island somewhere reaping off the benefits of their success, but because the larger a company gets, the more stuff it has to deal with. It's no longer just a question of churning out code - things get complicated fast, with meetings, large customers, promotion, sub-projects, web site design, etc, etc, etc.... There is a lot more to Stardock than meets the eye.
Nobody here, for instance, expects Adobe to release a new version of Photoshop every 3 months. Adobe's product cycles have been every 18 to 24 months. See how lucky you actually are?
You make some good points and your input as a developer is most appreciated. I could be wrong here but I doubt that Adobe would release anything as unfinished as OD2, beta or not. Even if they did, I doubt they would wait 5 or 6 months to address known reported bugs.
Of course there is a "small" difference in price between Photoshop and OD.
[wrong thread]
I don't have a timeline, but I do know it is moving along as I have a new build, which does seem to address lots of user reported issues. I will see if I can get any more info about timelines.
(Deleted) on reading island's dogs post. looking forward to more info on your timeline
Thanks a million in advance for your efforts.
Would you release a paid preview of your next generation software that was missing many features of your current version, had tons of known bugs and then make everyone wait 5-6+ months for an update?
Spring bug fix never came to see light of day publicly yet as he announced in a referenced thread in my opening post. I also do not recollect August being stated in any of his posts just summer. In Neil's thread above he alludes that may not even be the case with Elemental being released late August and QA all involved with that. That is why I am rattling cages here to see if we cam get an updated time table.
In a word, No.
But, as I said elsewhere, businesswise it was a very smart move as it commited users to ObjectDock - with a high potential for serious negative repercussions, in my opinion, if not followed quickly by multiple updates, however minor they might be.
Hey Wiz, could you advance me a million?
Hence the thread. If I would have directed my department to do this with our products I would be looking for a new job by now. This was poor planning from a business standpoint which will drive people away from them and could turn newcomers off to the desktop customizing community. They have done the harm to themselves from a business standpoint. I am one of many paying consumers who are disgruntled with the direction and lack of any support and tired of broken promises and dates. They are forgetting there customer base here.
I was patient and took Brad at his words in another thread and understood his stated dilemna at the time. I no longer have empathy for these issues anymore. It is poor business planning and project management imho.
anarkys, I.D. has promised to try to get some sort of time line. Yes, the spingtime thing was promised and you're right... it didn't appear as promised. I'm disappointed too. But realistically SD will put effort where money is: Remember why Willy Sutton robbed banks/
Why don't we give him a chance? I invested, just as you did and bought one as a gift for a friend... I suggest we give it a rest for a few days...let the man try to help.
As far as I'm concerned, they took our money and ran.
Okies. Standing down.
Where did they run? They and we are right here and you'll see the updates...maybe not as quickly as you (and I) might have wished...but that's life. No one is being ignored and the product hasn't been abandoned.
anarkys...thanks, bud. Good onya!
Yeah one week later and .... Nothing. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it is ID's fault... I just don't believe we will get any valuable infos here. And he neither.
I believe the problem is that if they commit to a specific time and (for whatever reason) it doesn't happen, there'll be a firestorm of wailing.
Basically it's a no win.
The last week has been very hectic at Stardock.
I would expect this / next week to be less hectic so ID may be able to get a response.
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