Timetables

I guess it's one risk with having continuous maintenance updates running - devs may take guard down a bit test less. Not by intention - more unintentional.
 
Still, there are so much software that is to work together that's in reality it's impossible to cover all options.
Me for one, never considered moving Custom Module in control bar, so never noticed problem in Cambridge. And the list of features are endless, and ways to use every option is almost endless too.
 
To complete a checklist with just about every option still won't find all problems.
 
One place I worked, they tried to introduce a selftesting software, some code put in all classes that were supposed to help in this kind of tests. But in reality it was never used by us in devs team - slowed development too much and overall too cumbersome.
 
In the 90's I tried something from Microsoft - just called Test - same thing. What you accomplish does not justify the amount of work.
 
The beta test program announced the other day is way to go - and only way to go. Very different configurations and many ways of using every feature.
 
Especially since updates are each months, there is no couple of days deadline.

I must say I was a little shocked that the Control Bar bug was released in Cambridge. My first thought was 'did they test this release at all ?'. I skipped Cambridge completely partly because of this and partly because I did not have the time.
A more robust beta test program with more testers is a must with accelerated releases so it is good Cake wants to expand this.
However, the technical aspects of accelerated releases is a separate issue. Cakewalk could have kept with the old payment model and released X4 'A' to 'L' on a monthly basis without all the hoopla.
The new model is about continuous cash-flow pure and simple and has little to do with bug fixes or anything technical.
So just admit it and move on already. It is OK, we understand.
Who would rather be paid once a year instead of monthly?

I think the new model wins on every front... Goodies that seem ready are included in monthly updates. Those that aren't go in a future update when they are

Known or reported bugs are dealt with similarly. New bugs which slip by in new content are surfaced quickly by users exploring these smaller chunks of newness and rectified real time within a month.

I don't think this adds pressure at all... I think it affords the means of being a more cohesive community. I'm livin and loving it.

microapp
Cakewalk could have kept with the old payment model and released X4 'A' to 'L' on a monthly basis without all the hoopla.

 
Cakewalk did keep the old payment model. They just added another payment option. I don't see any downside to giving customers more choices.
 

microapp
The new model is about continuous cash-flow pure and simple and has little to do with bug fixes or anything technical.
So just admit it and move on already. It is OK, we understand.

In all the discussions about the Membership Program, cash flow was not brought up except as beneficial potential result of the Membership Program. It was never the primary goal, like it was for Adobe. Think about it for a second - it couldn't  be. Unlike Adobe, Cakewalk still let people pay upfront if they wanted to. If everyone had decided to pay upfront (and there was no way to predict whether they would or not), Cakewalk would STILL have done the monthly releases and there would have been no changes in cash flow. Also remember there had been regular requests in the forum for a monthly payment option.
 
The other big difference is that the Adobe model is meant to guarantee cash flow because if you don't pay, the software dies. So they knew upfront the cash flow would be there. With Cakewalk, you have the option to turn off the cash flow spigot at any time and keep using the software, as well as pay upfront.
 
The next logical question is if cash flow wasn't the priority, what was? The main goals of the Membership Program were to pick up more new users, make existing customers happy because they'd be getting fixes more regularly and new features sooner (how soon people forget - there had been quite a few complaints about bug fixes stopping after a few months because work started on the next big update, which was true), make life easier for the dev team, draw attention to SONAR every month instead of just once a year, and shake up the industry to get some mindshare/notoriety by doing something different from Adobe and other subscription models. All those goals are being met.
 
Cash flow is short-term thinking. The thinking behind the Membership Program is much more strategic and longer-term. I realize you'll likely not believe that for whatever reason, but I was in on the discussions and it's the reality - what I know about Cakewalk's decision-making process was from experiencing it, not speculating about it.
 
Of course from a business standpoint, the object is to create something that will allow the company to grow and gain more market share; the gamble is that SONAR will be more successful long-term because more people will see SONAR as much hipper software created by a more responsive company. That's far more important, and a much higher priority, than immediate cash flow.

Oh, and one more thing...the "harvesting" nature of the updates is one reason why there isn't more "coming next release" info.

We've got people pushing for on the dot monthly updates and those who would prefer nothing be released until eveything is perfected.
 
Both of those extremes would be impractical and somewhat foolhardy for the Baker's to implement. Fortunately the impression I get (just from watching the forum reactions... I am now a couple releases behind) is they are going for a decent balance of timely yet reasonably stable content release with a good amount of "Wow" tossed in to keep people interested.
 
That ain't arse kissing (if they were screwing up I'd say it and have in the past). It's just how I'm reading the situation.
 
There are a lot of things I think could be improved but really I've been too busy just working with the product (mostly trouble free) to harp about it. Really the fact an angsty, easily annoyed dum dum like me is able to do that seems to be a good sign the program is working well.
 
Meh. Just logged in for a bit so thought I'd toss in my rusted two coppers.
 
Cheers.