I just payed good money for beta software

-or- What kind of madness???

Published on July 17, 2004 By BlueDev In Misc

Disclaimer
Sure, this could possibly go in the Personal Computing category, or even OS customization, but since the crux of the article doesn't focus on either of those I am tossing in the dirty bin also known as Misc.
End Disclaimer

Yes, the title is correct. Last night I forked over $15 for a piece of software that is still in the beta stage. What type of madness has gripped BlueDev you may ask yourself. And it is a question worthy of an answer.

For those who may not know what beta means it simply means the software is not in the final stage. It is still in the "testing" stage if you will. Close to the final product, but not there yet. Games are always "beta tested" meaning that folks outside the company play the game and try their darndest to break the software, then let the devs know what happened and how it happened. And, no, people don't usually pay to beta test software.

So why did I pay?

Simple. It is Object Dock Plus from Stardock.

I have to confess, I have become somewhat of a Stardock fan. I think their desktop customization software is top notch. Nothing that I have found on the PC comes even close to all the things that Object Desktop can do. Galactic Civilizations is one of the best TBS games I have played in a long time. And their customer support is second to none.

So I bought the program knowing full well that it will end up being:
1) A useful program that I can use to make my desktop look and feel very much my own. I like to make my computer feel individual, and OD+ will help me do that in leaps and bounds.
2) A solid, well supported program. Even though it is in the beta stage I know the finished product will be rock solid. Heck, I haven't had any big problems with the beta.
3) Fun to use. I am a geek. I like tinkering with programs that do fun things, and OD+ does some very cool things. Just check out the fly out menus.

I also bought it because I like to spend my money with companies that support their customers and treat them well. After all, the only way to encourage that kind of business behavior is to support it with our dollars. And I also bought it because I am bored. I was given some money from family and such for my birthday and didn't know what to do with it. So $15 for a program I can toy around with and get hours of satisfaction playing with sounds good enough to me. Heck, I will play with OD+ for more hours than any PC game I would have bought anyway.

Am I trying to kiss up to Brad with this article? Not in my mind, but if that is what you want to think go for it. I was just thinking about the idea of paying for beta software, found it ludicrous, and chose to examine why I did it. And writing about it helps me think.

Comments

psychx

on Jul 17, 2004

Did you know that "The Political Machine" game from them is now being worked on with Ubisoft, creators of Far Cry and Splinter Cell? I found that out a few days ago...

GhoS

on Jul 17, 2004

Yes there were some that voiced concerns over having the pay for beta software. However there was such a huge demand to have this program available that it was made available to purchase in beta form. No one is forced to pay for it until it goes "gold", but it is here for those who want it, and they get all updates from now on through the 1.x stage of updates. So for those who don't want to take the chance with beta software (which btw works perfectly here) then wait for the final release version.
Nice article btw, that at first I thought was going to be against the software being in beta and costing money, but was in support of it and the features OD+ possesses.

BlueDev

on Jul 17, 2004

You know, after playing with it for a day or so I can see why there was the demand for it now. Fun, fun little program.

Dusk411

on Jul 17, 2004

I agree with you about the supporting the companies you like financially if they produce a good product. It's worth it then. If customer service sucks or tech support is ineffective, it's money that could've been spent elsewhere.

Lee Davis

on Jul 19, 2004

I bought it too; I've been using ObjectDock as long as it's been out, and even without using the tabbed docks OD+ rocks on toast.

BlueDev

on Jul 19, 2004

I actually didn't use OD very much. It was just not functional enough for me. I had it, had tons of icons, and toyed around with it a lot, but never used it on a regular basis. OD+, however, has more than enough functionality for it to be worth it for me. I am still not using it often because I am toying around with the configuration and what I can do with it. But it is fun.

KarmaGirl

on Jul 19, 2004

The crazy tab stuff with OD+ rocks.

Selling betas makes sense in the customization world. We found that most people into desktop customizing want the newest stuff even if it is in beta. Afterall, you can deal with a few beta issues if the result is a cool desktop, right?

I still find it weird when I read stuff about "them" at "Stardock" on here... not sure why it seems weird, but maybe because it's because I'm one of "them"

Glad you like the product!

BlueDev

on Jul 19, 2004

I still find it weird when I read stuff about "them" at "Stardock" on here

KarmaGirl-I am sure it is weird. And, to be honest, knowing this is a Stardock site (sort of, you know what I mean, right?) it is at times odd to write about Stardock stuff as if it were and entirely different entity.

There are some odd glitches still, but that is to be expected at this stage. And since the webpage selling the software clearly states that if you buy it now you are entitled to all 1.xx updates it makes sense to buy it now if you are ever planning on it. To be honest it is actually kind of fun to be involved in reporting bugs and helping with new ideas.

KarmaGirl

on Jul 19, 2004

To be honest it is actually kind of fun to be involved in reporting bugs and helping with new ideas.

Exactly! And, that is why we do it. It's also the base of the Object Desktop subscription- you get the latest betas and new versions so you can pick and choose what you run.

BlueDev

on Jul 19, 2004

Yeah, that is one of the things I have been most impressed with since I purchased my ODNT subscription. Not only are things being updated a lot, but they are also very community driven. That is to say the community has a lot of input into these programs. Great to see that.

Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:

Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums.
Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
It's simple, and FREE!