PM Beta expiry date/time

[FVlcek]

Hi Kirk, could you please change the way beta versions expire? The issue is for international customers, I think, because a lot of time the beta expires before the new version is available. Of course I try to keep the previous version just in case, but for example today in the morning, while it still was 31th in the USA, here in Beijing it is already 1st of August, and of course I couldn't find the 3.5.1 on my disk by accident, and quickly downloading the 3.5.1 again on a slow chinese line (I know, my mistake)... :-(

As I think PM gets the expiry date from my local computer timezone (which is Beijing now), not UTC, could there be some leeway incorporated into the future beta versions, like announcing that the beta is expired but still allowing for it to work one day more from the expiry date.

this would help us forgetful photographers just realising one hour into deadline that my PM doesn't work anymore and shouting insults at myself for forgeting to keep the stable version alongside the beta...

Thanks for consideration, Frantisek

[Kirk Baker]

Frantisek,

Hi Kirk, could you please change the way beta versions expire? The issue is for international customers, I think, because a lot of time the beta expires before the new version is available. Of course I try to keep the previous version just in case, but for example today in the morning, while it still was 31th in the USA, here in Beijing it is already 1st of August, and of course I couldn't find the 3.5.1 on my disk by accident, and quickly downloading the 3.5.1 again on a slow chinese line (I know, my mistake)... :-(

As I think PM gets the expiry date from my local computer timezone (which is Beijing now), not UTC, could there be some leeway incorporated into the future beta versions, like announcing that the beta is expired but still allowing for it to work one day more from the expiry date.

this would help us forgetful photographers just realising one hour into deadline that my PM doesn't work anymore and shouting insults at myself for forgeting to keep the stable version alongside the beta...

What we're doing now is setting a beta expire date so far into the future that there should be no way possible that we won't get a final version done by then or will at least get a new extended beta out weeks before the expiry of the current beta.

The current beta expires on August 31st, 2008.  That is a month away from now.

-Kirk

[FVlcek]

Hi Kirk, thanks for the quick reply!

I am sorry, it was my mistake - instead of the beta 6 I just reinstalled beta 5 which of course expired already, and I misread the expiry date in the forums as 31th July instead of August... so I was perplexed ;-)

Thanks! Frantisek

[vAfotoriporter]

I'm in exactly this shoe now as Frantisek says. I'm working now in England but beta 7 expired and I don't have (on this machine I have to work with) any other version and if I would have even then I couldn't get all the settings imported in an instant.

It would be great to set beta expiry so that photogs working in other time zones could still switch versions comfortably....or maybe allow PM to run without problem at least during the day of expiry.

[jgrove]

I'm in exactly this shoe now as Frantisek says. I'm working now in England but beta 7 expired and I don't have (on this machine I have to work with) any other version and if I would have even then I couldn't get all the settings imported in an instant.

It would be great to set beta expiry so that photogs working in other time zones could still switch versions comfortably....or maybe allow PM to run without problem at least during the day of expiry.

Kirk will have a new one out today i am sure, it is a pain, my Beta 7 is still working in the UK but maybe it time stamps from install time? Anyway Camera Bits have never let anyone down.

[Kirk Baker]

I'm in exactly this shoe now as Frantisek says. I'm working now in England but beta 7 expired and I don't have (on this machine I have to work with) any other version and if I would have even then I couldn't get all the settings imported in an instant.

It would be great to set beta expiry so that photogs working in other time zones could still switch versions comfortably....or maybe allow PM to run without problem at least during the day of expiry.

Kirk will have a new one out today i am sure, it is a pain, my Beta 7 is still working in the UK but maybe it time stamps from install time? Anyway Camera Bits have never let anyone down.

There will be a new beta 8 today.

-Kirk

[vAfotoriporter]

I am sorry it may be I have been a bit preemptively afraid of expiry. I had no problem today during work, and hopefull the new beta comes out before I will get problems. But you know during travel jobs downloading an update is not allways as easy as at home. Rare internet connection, low bandwith, limited time for it, and the rest.

[Brendan]

I had the problem, too (germany)

it didnt make me happy when I need PM and it didn work.