Karel details plans for Power Mangement

[axel77]

Originally Posted by bob_ninja

Certainly the definitions if they ever existed of alpha, beta and GA are now fuzzy. In particular Google's so called "beta" of Google mail doesn't even come close to your definition. Other companies also stray away. Not to mention prototype software that never goes into alpha or beta, but simply starts being used and becomes a finished product over night.

Well gmail was actually really beta, remember when you only got into it by invitation? that was beta. A closed user group. However for free services, putting on the beta tag is IMHO just a lame "imunisation technique" that became very popular. If anybody complains that something doesn't work, they just reply "look this beta, see it? so shut up".. I can count up several public (advertisment driven) things that never even plan to get out of beta, because that beta tag has proofen to be so hany to shut up complains.

The bigger issue is shipping GA product that is missing a significant feature - power management. That is why most/many users simply don't purchase V1, which is what I am doing - wait and see.

Exactly regardless how we define beta or non beta. Redoing the iLiad error is IMHO just stupid. I mean one can forgive about the iLiad, the company was new, was over enthusiastic, they made promises they never even came close to fullfill, they shipped a """"beta"""" (under all quotes) device, because they wanted userfeedback for a device they planned to actually sell over partners not themselves. But not in the next generation they just make the same stupid errors again. So tell about having an organisation that is unable to learn.

To be fair, remember Windows 1.0? How many people used it or complained about its deficiencies? It took Microsoft several versions and years to get to V3.1 and actually make it widely used. And this is from one of the major software companies!!!

No, I don't remember Windows 1.0. I'm not so young, but windows 1.0 was before my time, if it was even used by anyone outside of the more narrow microsoft circle. As far I recall, windows 2.0 was the first one really getting any noteworthy attention at all. When I got my first PC (386) Windows 3.0 was on the market, and just going to be replaced by 3.1 and 3.11. Also note that microsoft was not a major software company back then (IBM was) and also I don't consider the microsoft model of making software and business copyworthy. (Software just make it look cool, altough buggy. Business: make partnerships, slurp out all technology, betray partnership) Unfortunally it was pretty sucessfull in our economic world, I really don't thing anyone ethical should make this his role model.

I would cut some slack here and simply give them time. As for people who bought DR v1.0 .... not sure what to say. I would be angry as well.

Indeed, I so want iRex to be a cool company. But this is just yet another major oops. I hope they survive, I hope they can change their organisation in a way they start to be able to learn.But currently I wouldn't be surprised after all, that you cannot hold a business in this way this too long

[Ranpha]

there doing it for three years ....so somewhere there doing it right

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Morffius

I thought there was meant to be a browser on the Reader as well, which would probably mean continuous WiFi.

True. I'm guessing the Wifi will be enabled as long as you have the browser open. Exactly how they'll handle it though, is still a question. We won't know for sure until the DR1000SW comes out.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I thought the said it before orders started shipping. Maybe not on the product page which was a mistake. However, you generally don't list the bad things about your product on product literature.

BOb

The first I remember seeing it was in their DR1000 FAQ, which was posted a day or two after the initial product announcement.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

The first I remember seeing it was in their DR1000 FAQ, which was posted a day or two after the initial product announcement.

I'm pretty sure that was before they started shipping.

BOb

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Who said the product was beta?

Complaining users. I've never seen iRex call it a beta.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Wait. I want to change my previous statement.

I had implied that the device was still in beta because it lacked the power management software. I was wrong.

If the PM didn't work well, the device would be in beta. Since the PM is entirely absent, the DR1000 is still in alpha.

Who is defining "beta" and "alpha" and what features are required for each stage? Is there some formal standard that says mobile devices that lack PM are considered "alpha", or is that just your definition?

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by bob_ninja

This is a pure speculation:
I assume that the mass produced battery they use is not designed for frequent change so has a delicate connector. That means that even if they allowed easy removal we would risk damaging the delicate cables and connectors these batteries are built with.

If it's similar to the iLiad, then the batteries are soldered to a circuit board.

That being said, why not use a battery like mobile phones with fixed connectors? Then when needed I could carry 1 or 2 spares and use them when away from a PC for a longer period of time. It is sad that the same mistake is being made by mobile phones, like iPhone (one of the main complaints).

I definitely agree here. I don't know why they didn't make it a replaceable battery. That's one of my biggest complaints.

[nekokami]

Calling it "alpha" or "beta" would imply that they plan to improve the product by fixing bugs. Basic functionality is incomplete, and their track record for being able to keep commitments once the product starts shipping is poor.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Who is defining "beta" and "alpha" and what features are required for each stage? Is there some formal standard that says mobile devices that lack PM are considered "alpha", or is that just your definition?

I was basing my remark on a Wikipedia article.

The software release life cycle is composed of different stages that describe the stability of a piece of software and the amount of development it requires before final release. Each major version of a product usually goes through a stage when new features are added, or the alpha stage; a stage when it is being actively debugged, or the beta stage; and finally a stage when all important bugs have been removed, or the stable stage.

[Nate the great]

BTW, do you remember the discussion of Eink vs LCD screens about a month back? One of the points I was trying to make was about the supposed benefit of lower energy use of Eink. I tried to say that if you attach the Eink screen to a power hungry CPU, you won't see a difference in battery life between one screen type and the other. I'm rather pleased that Irex proved my point for me.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I was basing my remark on a Wikipedia article.

You seem to be reading more into the Wikipedia article than is intended. Releasing the product before power management is done has nothing to do with whether the software is "alpha', "beta" or "stable".

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

BTW, do you remember the discussion of Eink vs LCD screens about a month back? One of the points I was trying to make was about the supposed benefit of lower energy use of Eink. I tried to say that if you attach the Eink screen to a power hungry CPU, you won't see a difference in battery life between one screen type and the other. I'm rather pleased that Irex proved my point for me.

I agree with you there. Eink uses a lot less power than LCD does, but you're right, it's not the only thing you need to take into consideration when it comes to power consumption. Some people have made the mistake of thinking that just because it's Eink it should not use any power at all in between refreshes. They're completely missing that there's a lot more hardware in a device than just the screen.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

BTW, do you remember the discussion of Eink vs LCD screens about a month back? One of the points I was trying to make was about the supposed benefit of lower energy use of Eink. I tried to say that if you attach the Eink screen to a power hungry CPU, you won't see a difference in battery life between one screen type and the other. I'm rather pleased that Irex proved my point for me.

A 1300mAh battery would probably have only powered a machine with an LCD screen for half an hour. The battery life may be short, but it would undoubtedly have been a lot shorter still with an LCD screen.

Nobody ever said that no device with an eInk screen is ever going to have a short battery life; merely that eInk screens use less power than LCD screens. That statement remains true.

[Morffius]

You may be technically right, but it makes sense to me that when touting something with low power profile it is plainly implied that battery life will be extended compared to other products. I think that is quite obvious with marketing of eink devices touting "days" worth of battery life.

Originally Posted by HarryT

Nobody ever said that no device with an eInk screen is ever going to have a short battery life; merely that eInk screens use less power than LCD screens. That statement remains true.