Thread: Helm 4 - Release Date

The .exe wouldn't even run on my test vmware server.

No way!!!!! have you defo got .net 2 installed, we will see in a couple of hours when i fire up the test boxes, i really need to get me hands on some old dell boxes for testing, low end p4 etc!!!!

Yep .net2 is on. In all faireness its only a vmware test bed so not ideal for beta software.

I've only ever used helm 3 for a couple of hours as compared to plesk it is garbage.

I'll probably try it out once its been released.

Originally Posted by Dhosting

One thing i have never liked about hc its the gui, its never been that friendly take a look http://www.dhosting.co.uk/admin user demouser pass demouser its no where near as nice as helm but from what i have seen the new version looks nice and should allow for easy editing of the look and feel of hc.

Noway... !! Strewth.. Hostingcontroller still looks as bad as version 1 imho. What on earth have they been doing all these years? Those early versions were so bad (bug ridden nonsense) that we simply wrote our own instead.

Oh dear - I remember HC - really not very nice software

I have just installed Helm 4 on a Virtuozzo VPS with no current problems - only installed and quickly looked around - will try and play some more later on.

Originally Posted by fusion

I got be honest... its proving to need some serious attention before public release... it seems like it needs a good tidy and clean up

It's a beta Pierce - that's what the whole point of the process. Remember, we're some months off release yet. I worry about the attitudes of so many people that have been slagging off this beta release (mostly on WHA forums), there seems to be no realisation of what a beta is.

That’s one of the problems with releasing a public beta Andrew.

But surely criticism is good to help them improve?

Yes, useful critism I totally agree with. Just turning round and saying it's rubbish (as I've seen) is totally useless and counter-productive. You really need to get a beta running and use it to provide useful feedback to the developers.

ANdy... there is no way in a hope in hell that this release is at a beta standard yet. I am afraid, as far as I am aware (and a number of the dev and star group members have said the same) thats it simply no way near a suitable standard to even think of a stable release in October. Beta versions, would of thought as simple bug exclusion, fixing and then testing - not 'oh, here is half of it finished with some really shoody areas' and that will be it...

10 weeks to make this into anything worth while... I think not, and I am afraid alot seem to be agreeing.

This, I would of thought is an ideal opportunity for WHA to generate a large level of potential sales through its beta release as it is meant to be the 'next generation'. So much so, it doesnt even support MS SQL 2005 express, let alone anything else.

It has been the biggest hype and then disappointment WHA have had to date.. and regardless of that fact that may be critism or slagging them off, I am afraid thats pretty clear to see.

Its been soo rushed it obvious. And this 'ajax' interface leaves an awful lot to be desired...

Although I am a strong supporter of WHA and Helm, I do have to agree with Pierce. A Beta is supposed to be a full feature-locked product, with bugs. The Helm 4 "Beta" provided is more like an Alpha release - especially as its still missing lots of functionality.

Whats the point in running a Beta for a half-finished product, adding more code/feature and then having to have to do another Beta to test the code you just added.

It just looks to me that WHA couldnt keep the smokescreen of "that will be in Helm 4, its possible in Helm 4, wait until Helm 4" and therefore rushed and potentially spoiled a good Helm 4 Alpha/Beta Launch. The fact that Helm 4 goes on sale in 10 weeks is worrying, I dont have a PHD in computer science but I know for a fact that a lot more than just 10 weeks work is required on Helm 4 before its even useable in a production environment. If it does indeed go on sale - Ill be gobsmacked, if it doesnt WHA will once again look like idiots (missed deadlines yadda...) but I think it would be better for the end product.

Anyway, Ill be keeping my eye on things but I have to say I am slightly dissapointed - having had access to the original Helm 4 beta several months ago I was hoping for a massive improvement, but instead I am left questioning where two years of development from 10~ developers is?

I tend to agree with Pierce on this one.

Public Beta's are generally much closer to completion than HELM 4. They are intended to get public feedback with regards to small feature or UI improvements, along with bug fixing (etc). The HELM 4 I’ve seen looks more like an internal Alpha build. This beta is not going to sell the product to SynergyWorks, and I can imagine it won’t sell it to the majority of clients.

Don't get me wrong, I am also a stronger support of HELM and its products - I mean without helm the windows market would be very different to what it is now, and they have been innovators in that sense. But I feel from the hype the new version was given, with the relevant new improved features.. for a beta release to not even have support for current database technology - I am so very shocked. Will there be a beta 2 before the 'proposed' release date which does include all the features it should? I don't think there will be to be honest!

I personally think HELM v4 is OK. I don't see it selling to clients however, and my thoughts are pretty much in line with Pierce..

'It's good, but wheres the rest?'
It certainly is an Alpha and theres alot of work to be done to patch up the PR, actually finish (or start?) HELM v4 for the target date...

I've got a question - why are the beta keys only valid for 30 days if the product is (at least!) 10 weeks away from release? Shouldn't they be giving the people who've decided to fire it up and poke it about and do their testing (or based on the feedback in here, spot entirely missing functionality) for them free of charge a licence that is valid until the full product is released?

I'm really not sure I understand the 30day limitation on a beta build. All they're going to do is scare off people who play with the first release(s) of the beta which are evidently less than attractive.

Originally Posted by philb

I've got a question - why are the beta keys only valid for 30 days if the product is (at least!) 10 weeks away from release? Shouldn't they be giving the people who've decided to fire it up and poke it about and do their testing (or based on the feedback in here, spot entirely missing functionality) for them free of charge a licence that is valid until the full product is released?

I'm really not sure I understand the 30day limitation on a beta build. All they're going to do is scare off people who play with the first release(s) of the beta which are evidently less than attractive.

Thats probabbly something they have overlooked - nothing that cant be fixed their end.