Re: Garmin Mapsource version 6.xx beta has a time bomb - it shut down and refused to operate

You sure are windy! Don't care what you say I will continue to update
MapSource whenever updates come out and if something does not work
right i will revert back to previous versions which I save the download
files till bugs are worked out.
David Lee wrote:
> Jerry M wrote...
> > Read this. Mapsource did notify us that beta's would expire. And if you
> > have betas installed you should have saved the previous full version
> > download exe file then you could have reinstalled it right away when
> > beta expired.
> > Changes made from version 5.4 to 6.1:
> > Added code so that MapSource beta builds now expire 60 days after their
> > build date. After expiration, the application will instruct the user on
> > how to update their application to the latest version.
>
> I sincerely hope that this is supposed to be an attempt at irony, otherwise
> it is the most idiotic comment I have read in a very long time!
>
> The list runs to a total of nearly 650 changes over 25 software upgrades
> back to version 2.03 and the line you mention is inserted at random, 33
> entries down a list of 112 changes, in an update of 4 revisions ago. It's
> reminiscent of a plot-line in a novel by Douglas Adams, involving plans on
> public display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet in a disused
> lavatory with a sign on the door saying "Beware of the Leopard"!
>
> Any sane person would reasonably assume that only the changes made since the
> revision he or she is currently using will be of any relevance whatsoever -
> the rest being merely irrelevant ancient history. However this change does
> NOT apply to the update from version 5.4 to 6.1 at all, since these were
> both release versions, obviously neither of which contained this feature.
> Rather Garmin made a change to the way they that they would issue all BETA
> versions of software starting from v6.1 BETA. Any company who had not given
> the job of documenting software upgrades to a mindless semi-moron would have
> ensured that this information was inserted where it should be - in the notes
> at the top of the list - and displayed EVERY TIME that a beta version of
> software were being offered. Note also that the release notes say "expire
> 60 days after their BUILD date" - so not only do you have to read all the
> notes to every update Garmin has ever issued but you also have to take
> careful note of the release date of any beta you may consider installing,
> otherwise you may find that it ceases to work 10 minutes after you have
> installed it or indeed may already have expired if you happen to have
> downloaded it when convenient for later appraisal!
>
> The principal of beta testing is to save money by getting your customers to
> do the most time consuming and expensive part of your quality control for
> you - long term exhaustive testing - and such volunteers should be treated
> with rather more respect.
>
> Oh - and your advice about saving the previous full version's installation
> file should apply to each and every RELEASE "upgrade" as well - so that you
> can return to a version that you are happy with if and when you discover
> unacceptable unpleasantness in the latest update. I know that I'm not the
> only user who is of the opinion that from here on MapSource updates are
> primarily DOWNGRADES, with few or no significantly useful added features
> relevant to our needs but with useful functionality systematically being
> removed (eg real-time tracking in this update and PCX file support in the
> next). Consequently it is highly unlikely that I will update my version of
> MapSource ever again.
>
> David

.

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