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Old 12-09-2009, 04:32 PM   #14
Dale
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Join Date: Jun 2005

Location: Western Missouri
Posts: 960
Originally posted by feldon33:
All software is Beta software. Discuss.  
Agreed (and off-topic, so thanks for doing that).

Discussion:

What percentage of software being sold today has BETA as part of its official name? (quoting: Marine Aquarium 3 BETA - Windows )

If you purchased something 10 months ago, with the FAQ reading as follows, what would have been your expectation of the meaning of "soon"?

Originally posted by serenescreen web site:

What's coming soon:

* Automatic lights. There will soon be a greatly expanded interface for customizing the background colors.
* New realistic fish behavior, including schooling, chasing, and pecking at corals.

Once these features are in place, the stage will be set for many exciting additions. Optional Creature Packs will utilize the large environment as a playground for a wide array of different fish and invertabrates.  
Please believe that I'm not criticizing the February decision to start selling MA3 Beta - or the decision to honestly call it Beta.

I'm just asserting that, in my opinion, calling something BETA (whether or not it is being sold) -- and then stating what is coming soon -- sets certain expectations as to when incremental improvements will be made. Those expectations are fuzzy, of course - but (in my opinion) a general consensus would be something shorter than 6 months.
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