2.0 Preview Release Date Update

[mikelove]

We're now ready to predict that the first Preview Release of Pleco 2.0 will be available shortly before Christmas. Exactly what will be in that preview release remains to be seen - http://www.pleco.com/pdpreview.html lists our best prediction at the moment.

 

[sfrrr]

Be still my heart.

Can I pay for the new/upgraded features now? Whether or not, is PayPal going to be an option?

Why I'm so looking forward to descending into beta hell, I'm not sure. But hurry up (please :twisted.

Sandra (drooling)

 

[lmcjipo]

..., is PayPal going to be an option?

Sandra (drooling)

Unless Mike changes his policy/mind, Paypal will be an option as he stated in the following thread: viewtopic.php?t=767

 

[mikelove]

PayPal will indeed be supported, in fact we'll likely be supporting it in an automated way in our next big site update.

But none of the stuff-that-people-have-to-pay-for is expected to be included in PR1, and thanks to two more pending dictionary licenses we don't even know exactly what we'll charge for all of the new additions together yet (and won't know until we release something we actually call a Beta).

On your system there's a chance PR1 might actually be more stable than what you're using now, at least if we do indeed get some sort of rudimentary flashcard setup working in it. Font handling should be worlds better than in the current version, thanks to the fact that we'll no longer be replying on Microsoft's bug-laden GDI system to load and render fonts.

 

[lmcjipo]

Somewhat off-topic for this thread...

With all this talk about a beta/PR1 for v2.0, are there any plans for another minor update or bugfix version for v1.0.3?

Also, when you wrote:

On your system there's a chance PR1 might actually be more stable than what you're using now, at least if we do indeed get some sort of rudimentary flashcard setup working in it. Font handling should be worlds better than in the current version, thanks to the fact that we'll no longer be replying on Microsoft's bug-laden GDI system to load and render fonts.

What are your thoughts about PR1 for the PalmOS? Will it be more stable, etc.?

 

[mikelove]

There will probably be some sort of 1.0.4, yes - the bulk of the remaining issues people have with our software are the sort of things that we can't really fix without the sort of major rewrite we're doing in 2.0, but we can tweak a few things at least, along with adding the ability to export flashcards to a more robust format that can be imported into 2.0 (with statistics / flags / etc intact)

PR1 on Palm will probably be less stable, actually, thanks in large part to the new ARM-accelerated code - in the long run it'll be better but in PR1 it likely won't be. Preview and betas in general are much less stable than finished releases; the only reason that might not be the case on Pocket PC is because the new font system is likely to eliminate so many other bugs that it'll cancel out many of the new ones.

 

[sfrrr]

Mike--Do you think fonts getting corrupted is my problem with user dictionaries?

Sandra

 

[mikelove]

No, the user dictionary problem most likely involves the wackiness of Windows CE's storage drivers - our own database system does a fine job of keeping files robust on Palm OS, but on a Pocket PC (and particularly a Pocket PC with as many betas / weird programs as yours) that's a nearly impossible task. Hence the switch to SQLite and its server-tested reliability - if it can keep a file intact after millions and millions of transactions then it should have no trouble handling our humble little dictionaries.

But if PR1 does indeed include user dictionary functionality it'll be based on SQLite, so you should get a stability boost on that front too.

 

[sfrrr]

Man, I can't wait. I think I use PD far more than my calendar/to-do apps. I hope the stability is permanent, meaning that even as I install and uninstall my weird programs and betas, PD remains above the fray.

Thanks,

Sandra

 

[mikelove]

I certainly hope so - between the database and font system changes it should be almost impossible for any other program to affect PlecoDict's stability at all.

 

[sfrrr]

If you and the guys have made it imperturbable, you're all geniuses.

Sandra

 

[vrixon]

Bated breath ...

Looking forward to the update Mike - I promise I wont bug you as much as I did for the PPC release. I have been an extactic and enthusiastic user of PD on two different iPaqs (recently returned to the first one because the HX4700 died - what a dumb battery compartment design for a "portable device"). I am sorry that I have not had the time to participate more in the forums. Might change as my workload subsides in the last year here in China (wishful thinking!)

Thank you again for a wonderful piece of truly usefull software. If you need up front payments for the Version 2.0 release, let me know - all the professional users that I talk to claim to be willing to pay before Chinese New Year if the product is guaranteed to ship in Spring (what a nice Spring Festival present if you can make it happen).

Pleco remains the ONLY must load item in my travelling tool set. SBP's Today, Diary, Weather and Time are the only other tools that make my Emergency CD - everything else has to wait until I get home.

 

[estudiando]

About how much storage would be needed for all the possible features of 2.0? 2GB card?

 

[mikelove]

sfrrr - not imperturbable, just independent; the less our software depends on Windows CE functioning correctly, the more stable it will be.

vrixon - thanks! We've never asked for prepayments for a new release before and I don't think we'll need to for this one either - we have had to shell out a lot of money up front for the new audio / stroke order features and the new dictionaries (plural now, the new E-C license is all but signed), but in the last few months the Pocket PC version has (finally!) started to pull its weight sales-wise, so we should be in fine shape between now and when 2.0 comes out.

estudiando - our goal is to get everything to fit on a 1 GB card, in part so that we can sell the eventual SD card version without tacking on too ridiculous a markup. But 2 GB would give you some extra breathing room, and since 2 GB cards only seem to cost an extra $10 or so over 1 GB cards these days it would probably be worth getting one of those.

 

[sfrrr]

Nope, Mike. I'm holding you to the highest standards--imperturbable. Nothing less. :twisted:

 

[Dan_78cj5]

Mike I can't wait any longer... What's the chance of releasing / selling the new Chinese-chinese dictionary you already have licensed for uploading onto our 1.0.* to keep us busy until you get 2.0 out?

Also, on another forum you mentioned interest only in licensing dictionaries with new content areas, what about looking for a geographical or biographical dictionary. I am very excited when names of people or places show up on the C&T biz dictionary, but as I get deeper into studies they show up less and less.

Thanks for all your hard work and great products!

 

[mikelove]

It's unlikely, I'm afraid - a C-C dictionary is an incredibly tempting target for pirates, so we're ratcheting up our copy-protection a notch in 2.0 in order to reduce the odds of someone decrypting and distributing a plain-text version of the dictionary.

And we're hoping that we'll soon be able to announce a license for a new E-C dictionary that should dramatically improve our coverage of proper nouns - names, places, mathematical theorems, etc.