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Looks like Kenny is firing up the furnace at the SolidWorks EV and Beta News Feed. Gettin’ out the cobwebs so to speak. I’m sure they’ve been getting ready for a while, but you just can’t forget about the Beta Feed now.
“Testing, Testing. Hello, is this thing on? More me in the monitor please.”
So, are you getting all pumped to try out some of the new features in SolidWorks 2009?
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Hi Josh-
Every year my level of enthusiasm diminishes when new versions are announced. To me, the glass is half empty. What I see coming is a new release that will be riddled with bugs and problems. I cringe at the task of applying 5 Service Packs again (I’d rather go to the Dentist than apply another frickin’ Service Pack). Every year fewer and fewer of my customer upgrade, they’re just burned out and want to spend time designing parts not managing SolidWorks.
I guess I rained on the parade, but that’s my opinion.
Beta Testing? I don’t have time for that, I’ve a family to support. So, I have to purchase the software, pay for support and ‘Fix’ it for free? I think not! SolidWorks should pay experts and power users to do that.
Devon
I get angry when I even think about Beta Testing. How dare SolidWorks encourage and expect people to work for free, it is an insult! Yes, people volunteer to Beta Test, but I won’t work for free.
Devon
I have mixed emotions about beta testing. It IS voluntary and if people want or have the time (not I) to commmit to debugging…Then have at it. Also, in some small way, SolidWorks does “pay”…with prizes. I guess it all depends on how you feel…Donate 100+ hours of beta testing in hopes that you MIGHT win a computer or an iPod shuffle…
I have not had the opportunity to avail myself of beta testing Solidworks before and I am rather short on time but if it gives me an opportunity to give back some input I will have a better tool to use at work. That’s one way of looking at it.
How do you get into beta testing?
I hear ya guys. I think having actual users test it is the best way though. I don’t really do it for the prizes. I like to see the new stuff and I test it when I’m checking through models so I can use the new functionality, test it against how I work in the previous version and see if there’s benefits for moving forward.
Not everyone needs to test, although it would probably help, but I think a CAD Manager should at least be involved.
If you go to beta.solidworks.com there will be a link to sign up.
I am getting sick and tired of upgrading every year only to find more bugs and crashes than last year. Especially upgrading PDM vault files every time you upgrade, it has to open every single file from the vault save it and check it back in!! Come on, you would think a software company as big as SolidWorks could create a sub routine or macro that would update all the files in the vault on the server in the background and do it fast.
I spend days upgrading parts in the vault and then find that we now have problems with mates that did not have problems before the upgrade.
I really hope that SolidWorks is working on this issues..