GW HAS DONE IT AGAIN, Are we to congratulate, laugh or cry? I made a note on this, last year, upon the final release of WE7.0. I was told, that the staff would look into the matter, for future releases. Hence, I really expected, that things would have changed, when WE7.1 was turned out the door, this spring/summer. But, this morning, my computer, told all my dreams to fly, as far away, as ever possible. GW, still seem to think that NON-US users are not as important, in the BETA cycles, as the US udsers. Strange!Especially, since several features/bugs, have been discoverd and fixed, namely because of feedbacks coming from outside the US. Allright, let's take a look at the history - which seem to repeat itself - and get into details, what all of this is about.
I am living outside the USA. The authorities locally, have decided that I am only allowed to run a local version (european) of WE. I am not very pleased with the way they force this upon me, but that is another story, which has nothing really to do on this list. Yet, I was given the version of WE6.1, about two years ago. Last spring, when GW introduced the first BETA of WE7.0, I gladly threw myself onto the merry-go-around, of installing, testing, and feedbacking the Beta version. I enjoyed the whole three-step Beta cycle, all through last summer, and got to love several of the new features in WE7, including scripts. In many ways, I realized, that my daily computer operations, became relying on many of the new features. Then, at the end of last summer, GW made the FINAL release of WE7.0. That is, the final version of the US WE7. For those of us, who was running a NON-US version - at the bottom of our installation - we were still left with the Beta3 of WE7, for about a month or so. Then, one morning, we woke up, turned on our computer, and was told, that the BETA3 had expired, and our WE installation, was now running in demo mode. This left me, and all other users in the same setting, who had decided to join the Beta testers club, with two options: 1) Leave WE7 on our computer, restarting it every thirty minutes, due to the demo mode; or, 2) Reinstall WE6.1, rolling ourselves a 'century' of operation back (at least, it felt like that). The release of WE7 locally, appeared on the scene, six months later, which meant, that not until LATE February this year, I was actually given the chance, to install my final version of WE7, and really start to enjoy it. As you all know, only a couple of months later, the Beta of WE7.1, was realeased, Once again, I joined the Beta cycle, and let the list, and staff, have whatever I could give, for feedback, and bug-discovery. As I said, in the introduction of this message, this very morning, I woke up to the realization, that GW has let the history, repeat itself. Now, the Beta version of WE7.1, has turned into a demonstration mode, and I am once again, left with no other real choice, but to throw myself back to the WE7.01 version, loosing all the benefits of WE7.1. When will the local version of WE7.1 be out? HM! Well! One month, three months, half a year? Nobody knows, and the local dealer tells - in the best GW spirit - it will be out, when it is out. Based on the feedback I got last fall, when I made my complaint to GW staff, I really thought they would have had a work around this situation, this time. Seems strange to me, that we are living in 2009, and there still is no way for users outside US, to join a Beta cycle, and smoothly, without any break, get their final version, whenever it is available. Just like the users of a US version, who join the Beta, and within a few weeks of the final release, can install and enjoy it fully. "Come on, mr. There really ain't that much difference between 7.01, and 7.1! Simply rolling back your installation, won't make any change!" It won't, ayeh? Wel,, let's have but one look at that matter: Several scripts, have been upgraded to run under WE7.1. Trying to run them under WE7.01, now only results in an error message, letting me know, that I no longer can make use of the features, these scripts offered. That, in reality, means that not only am I forced to go back to WE7.01, but the scripts, and features from the scripts, that I have been used to, is no longer available, putting me even further back. Wonder, how many of the US users, would have accepted this kind of rhow-back with their screen reader. Yes, the world actually has other continents, but the North-American one. And, yes, Gw proudly anounces that they are a worldwide known manufacturer of the screenreader Window-Eyes. What they don't tell, anywhere on their webpage, is that the only ones who really are welcome to use the ability of joining Beta cycles, are those who are located right outside GW's front-door. The loose of the 'new' versions/features of WE, does NOT IN ANY WAY encourage users outside North-America to join the Beta cycles. That, in turn, does mean, that several bugs, would never, or at least, hardly have been discovered, and fixed. It puzzles me even more, this time, since WE7.1 only can be installed upon a WE7/WE7.01 installation, and furthermore, the 7.1 version is a free-of-charge upgrade for those of us who already have the we7 series installed. Why, then, all of this paronoid beta expiration, when it is a free of charge upgrade? And no matter what all about payments etc, GW really owe to reward those of us, who take our time and efforts to join the Beta testers club, contributing to making the WE screenreader as good as it is, that much that we all would have a beta running, till we are offered a full version in our local area. This is fully technical possible. Other manufacturers are able to do things like that, and GW should have a work around it. At least, they could offer the NON-US users, who are joining the Beta cycle, a temporary license key, that would expire about one month, after the final realese locally. What's the matter, why has nothing like this been around long time ago, GW STAFF? See what your product would be without Beta testers all over the world? And try the same behavior toward your US customers, and see how long it will take, before noone wants to Beta test any longer, or even deal with your business. Sure, you would never be making big business, if you did this in the States, so why then, do it outside? Ain't we all humans?If an upgrade is beneficial, or necessary, in the US, what makes you think, it is not in the rest of the world? I really hope, that GW will come up with a reliable work around for this issue. If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. All GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo, and can be searched through and sorted using the search form at the bottom of the page. If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, send a message to [email protected] and include leave gw-info in the body of the message.
