I hope you've posted your sentiments on the beta tester site for MS to see. Maybe, just maybe, someone there will see what you have to say and start listening.
Jung All software programs are machine tested. Beta builds are TRAILERS - COMMERCIALS, 12GB of jung on your HD
that is just a journalist that wants to feel special by saying they are in the techbeta of Windows 7. Techbeta is the same as public preview, its not real testers, it is people in Academia, Journalism, and a few corporate people, that get builds are previews. Who cares if they don't get new builds, 7 is well on its way to being rock solid and stable, and the best OS Redmond has put out in years. The real beta testers are reporting their feedback, and reporting bugs like they are supposed to. So this guy can cry to someone who cares.
...and all I wanted to say by posting this is that a 7048 is potentially the RC1, and could be right around the corner Someone find that damned torrent link!!! (Of course I am looking..!)
Active MS beta tester here! Let me tell you what is happening in the Windows 7 beta newsgroups/testers. MS has all but abandoned the beta testers. They are more focused on feedback from their partners and the public beta testers. Technical beta testers have been left out to dry. MS developers barely show up in the beta newsgroups except to announce surveys that are broken and chats where they, for the most part, explain to the BTs that the bugs that they filed wont be fixed or changed because it is to late, or they just don't want to spend they time to do it. The basic theme for the beta seems to be that they will fix the least number of bugs as possible while fixing the high profile Vista complaints. Which they have done for the most part!!! But, they have again engaged the "lets change it, just because" policy. And, in the process, have taken away some much loved features and functionality. Not to make it better, but to dumb it down. EX. the network activity icon is gone and replaced by a static colorless icon. QuickLaunch toolbar... gone. Windows Mail... gone (that's right, no email client in Windows 7 - OE and WinMail get removed!). XP to Win7 upgrade not supported. The "classic" GUI option... gone. There is more... Oh, and MS keeps talking about these "Feature Focus" groups they have consulted that drive these changes. Who are these people? There is a ton of BT complaints about bugs closed as "Wont fix", "External", "By Design". etc. Oh, and my favorite... "Not Reproducible", with a comment of "please test it again in the next build". "WHAT NEXT BUILD?" We have officially received 1... yes, ONE build. Sorry if I sound a little jaded. I have been an MS beta tester since Windows 95. Every OS... Yes EVERY OS. I get more communication from the stranger in the elevator than from this Windows 7 beta team. I am so disappointed. But, I will not quit! MS will have to throw me off the beta team. I am dedicated to making Windows all that it can be!! I just wish MS development teams felt the same way.
It's just as well.... I use the excellent Live Mail client. BTW Live Mail users - did you ever check the size of your contacts folder in /user/appdata/local/microsoft/windows live contacts/? Mine is nearly 700mb and only a handful of contacts. What's the deal on that?
Yeah they are not releasing new builds that is why the build number keeps changing. "Bugs are being ignored", they seem to be getting fixed to me. "There is a ton of BT complaints about bugs closed as "Wont fix", "External", "By Design". etc. Oh, and my favorite... "Not Reproducible", with a comment of "please test it again in the next build". "WHAT NEXT BUILD?" We have officially received 1... yes, ONE build." How about you repeat the same posting as on another forum. That way it looks original. "MS Has dumbed down windows" - No they haven't they just made it easier to work with, and have put most of the more powerful stuff behind the scene where it should be. WMI, Powershell, WinRM, yeah that is dumbed down functionality. Shouldn't most of your feedback come from consumers and OEMs since those are your biggest base. Who gives a flying crap about no activity on your network icon, or no mail client (yeah this one is kinda retarded but after the whole OE to Windows Mail thing, but OS X at least has a basic mail client). Seriously though it looks like a lot of feedback has been incorporated, not just "well this is a vista showstopper".
It's normal that Windows 7 BETA doesn't have an email client. It's suppose to be light and stable, those "add-ins" only come on later builds.
I agree 100% - Live Mail sucks. The WLM team ignored all the suggestions given to them in the newsgroup and created a sissy looking program that will get beat up by all the other programs. I installed Outlook from Office 2007 and have been using that, very happy with it.
HSChronic, Are you in the beta? If you are, do you read the beta newsgroups? If you are, do you check the ratings and feedback? MS compiles builds everyday, in house, Mr Clueless. Some crash and burn, but most will run. Where are they releasing them? They don't. But wait, are you speaking of the leaked build numbers? Leaks don't count, Mr Pirate. So, where? Tell us. Where do they release them? What is your point again? The point is, they are not releasing any of them for the broad testing the beta team offers. Got ear wax? Where was it said that ALL bugs are not getting fixed, Mr. "jump to conclusion"? Yes they are. Some very important defects are being addressed. But, there are many defects found in the beta program that are rated extremely important and validated, and they are being ignored by MS. So, Mr Clueless, please justify your statement. Oh, so you keep seeing this everywhere? Hmm... But it is not a problem. Your right, everyone else is wrong. Close the book Mr. Bush. Are you one that needs to have the car hit you before you think to adjust your course? Nice attitude. A lot of people. Again, the feedback from beta testers. Can you read? Or are you basing your opinion of your own narrow view? What the hell is your point here. Which side of the debate are you on? You contradict yourself all in one sentence. Your opinion is importan... wait, what the heII is your opinion, Mr Wishy Washy? Who are we talking too? Mr Clueless, wishy washy, pirate with ear wax, who jumps to conclusions, and patterns himself after "can do no wrong" former Pres. W?
Given your little-girl tantrum-tirade, I'm not surprised that Microsoft doesn't take your feedback seriously.
Wow, simply wwwwwoooooowwwww... So, let me get this straight... As a beta tester someone is irritated because they are not getting as many builds as they want? I've got one piece of advice that will work wonders for you, deal with it... If youo had tested in previous M$ beta programs, you'd realize that the OVERWHELMING majority of daily builds are not stable enough to give out to us testers because of how many different teams/product groups/feature teams, etc, etc, etc have to input their changes and then test in order to make sure it's not broken before release. If M$ isn't giving us any new builds since the initial Beta began then there's a reason. Would you prefer a broken build that has a ton of problems in it that could have been fixed by simply waiting? Would you prefer that M$ use it's staff to work on hundreds if not thousands of bugs coming in that they know are already addressed all the while pissing off us testers and the media even more? The grass is always greener on the other side and all but really, the complaints of so many are simply ridiculous and almost pathetic. Get a life, testing is not all life is about and if M$ doesn't feel that they can or want to give us a different build, that's their perogative and you need to deal with it. I have gotten direct responses to a good percentage of reports I've submitted. More during the Vista beta than currently but there is only so much that can be done. Remember, M$ just started a layoff that will reach 5,000 people! All the teams are probably worried and having to work with less money and less people yet you complain about them doing Festure Focuses and at least TRYING to communicate and keep us testers busy and happy. That's far more than Apple, Cisco, Google or any other tech group I know of and have tested for have ever done! If you don't like what's happening, leave. It's that simple. If you're irritated, deal with it... It's that simple as well.