Hi, On Tuesday 31 October 2006 03:49, Basil Chupin wrote:
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Here is what the wikipedia, in part, has to say about beta version:
QUOTE beta release (pronounced "beetah" or "bayta") usually represents the first version of a computer program that implements all features in the initial software requirements specification. It is likely to be unstable but useful for internal demonstrations and previews to select customers, but not yet ready for release. Some developers refer to this stage as a preview, as a technical preview (TP) or as an early access. UNQUOTE
It then goes on to say-
QUOTE When a beta becomes available to the general public it is often widely used by the technologically savvy and those familiar with previous versions as though it were the finished product. UNQUOTE
To which we should add that users of beta software must be willing to accept bugs and generally unpredictable behavior and should not put it into any kind of mission-critical use. I'm currently running 10.2 beta1 (I started with alpha5) because I'm bringing a new machine into service and its hardware is so new as to require the latest and greatest. Neither the beta of Ubuntu (of three weeks ago) nor the then-current FC 6 beta were capable of installing because they lacked sufficient hardware drivers. SuSE is still king! Randall Schulz