[stevepvr]

Have not heard from any beta-testers lately. Do UTV beta-testers still exist? Has Microsoft shut down beta testing? Anything new beyond 3.5? Just curious. Have not heard from UTV-Insider in quite a while either.

 

[stevepvr]

Looks like the beta testing program has been terminated, so I do not expect any major new features for UTV.

 

[walters]

Either that or they decided to respect their NDAs this time

 

[Kelendral]

Well, let's see. Considering the articles and M$ own admissions have fired alomost every single person from the UTV team, and the TV team has been "refocused" away from PVRs. You make a conclusion about the status of beta testing and the need for beta testers.

 

[Kevin L]

Quote:

Originally posted by walters Either that or they decided to respect their NDAs this time

Good point. I've been involved in a lot of alpha and beta testing, with MS and others, and I've always respected the NDA I've signed. Until the company let me, I never even told anyone I was beta testing.

 

[UTV]

Give them a few months to start the next beta. 3.5 was just released.

 

[TexasJames]

Quote:

Originally posted by UTV Give them a few months to start the next beta. 3.5 was just released.

UTV ... I think you are being even more optimistic than usual . Normally, Beta tests are an ongoing process with various people having a mix of bug fixes, upcoming changes, and long term features. There is no reason a Beta shouldn't be going on right now (or continuing) with the 3 features dropped from v3.5 (Sports Scores, Remote Record, and whatever-the-other-one-was).

 

[jplescia]

if there are not beta'ing anymore why is the remote record website still up and running?



Joe

 

[stevepvr]

"Up and running"?


Does that mean up and working for remote record, or just up. Someone posted the address to the remote record site before, but you could only use it if you were a beta tester and had a special code. So, unless you are a beta tester, you really do not know if it still works or not. Or, do you?

 

[Ed Dixon]

It may well be the case that the folks that created that portion of the site are no longer with MS, and no one else have even noticed it is still there.


UTV, as it stands today, is a pretty good product. I'm not sure it is realistic to expect much in the way of future enhancements given the rash of MS announcements about various UTV related re-organizations.


Ed

 

[CSR]

3.5 already has me watching more tv than I should. I won't be upset if there are no additional updates other than bug fixes.


Sean

 

[Cmnore]

I think the correct question would be,"Are there currently any Alpha testers out there?" At this point I believe there would be an 'Alpha' in testing, not a 'Beta".

 

[Kevin L]

Quote:

Originally posted by Cmnore I think the correct question would be,"Are there currently any Alpha testers out there?" At this point I believe there would be an 'Alpha' in testing, not a 'Beta".

And many time Alpha testing is internal. On some of the companies that I did repeated beta testing for, I always had a lag between the "Gold" version and the next beta.

 

[NJ Jackals]

Kevin,


We call that "GA" (Generally Available) in the software industry. Multiple release are always worked on in parallel, however, you are correct. There is always a lag between Beta releases. And as we all know too well that Betas can be lengthy. Even if we get another release, don't expect anything anytime soon.


-NJJ

 

[Kevin L]

NJJ,


Hmmm, I never heard it referred as GA. I've always had Alpha, Beta, "RC" (Release Candidate), and "RTM" (Release to Manufacturing) or "Gold".


Learn something new everyday!


Kevin

 

[walters]

There were an awful lot of absolutes in that post ("the software industry", "always a lag", etc.)


I've heard GA, Gold, and others used interchangeably. Multiple releases may or may not be done in parallel. There is not always a lag between betas (sometimes you release a stable snapshot and keep your beta testers active).

 

[NJ Jackals]

We all know there are no absolutes (excepte the vodka in my tonic).


All of my experience has been with enterprise software vendors (we make software for companies, not for your home pc sold retail at your local BB or CC). Please precede all my comments with "my experience has been..."

Would that satisfy you , Walters?


And yes, companies have different procedures and standards but most conform to the Alpha, Beta, GA lifecycle. I have been with companies that have Alpha, Beta1(internal),Beta2(external), FCS(first customer ship), GA, and other variations.


"RTM" or "RTFM" was always "Read The F****** Manual" in my book. Apperently in this world you can never have enough acronyms.


Bottom line: I'm not expecting anything from MSFT anytime soon. "My feeling" (see I'm getting better, Walters) is that everyone should write off future releases until they hear otherwise directly from MSFT.


Still love my UTV. Wish I had my sports features back though.



-NJJ