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Apple Allowing Non-Developers to Apply for OS X Beta Program
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I don't see any reason to be not continued since Apple itself openly welcomes all beta testers to get involved with feedbacks and freely both ways (Apple & Testers)
Then you have very little Windows experience. Windows Vista, for example, had a dozen and one issues. Then there was XP prior to SP2. Then there were several Linux distributions. I could go on.
Aren't we allBETA-testers already?
Sure me since OS X Lion DP roars
but was feedbackless that time!
I can't see Apple doing this for iOS since neither consumer made partitions nor external storage devices are supported, or likely to be in the future. Devs have testing phones and iPads to put iOS betas on. Consumers typically don't have a spare devices around. OTOH its easy to make a boot partition or boot drive for an OS X beta for kicks and giggles.
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Aren't we all
More like gamma testers.
This forum is potential for a lot of accounts being banned. I see so many already breaking NDA.
Nondisclosure Agreement
While Apple is surely more relaxed than it used to be when it comes to the NDA, it is still in place just so Apple has something in its back pocket if something truly crazy ever happened. Its a safety net, in some respects, like patenting any thing the companys employees can think of. The NDA is more defensive than offensive at this point. Apple allows a certain amount of information to be shared, but reserves the right to bring the hammer down when it deems necessary. Apple definitely still sends cease and desists to bloggers.
~ 512pixels
I haven't gotten past this post to see if anyone addressed this so, if this has been covered I apologize. I am a beta tester for several software products (sorry I can't tell you which ones.) This type of NDA is standard and with good reason.
First, if there are new features, then posting about it would let those get to competitors sooner so they could begin to add them as well.
Second, posting about how buggy software is could make a negative impression about the quality that would be available at launch, at which time the software may be very solid.
There are other reasons, but I respect the request and enjoy having the software early and want to keep being able to participate, so I am completely happy to comply.
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My opinion is that they won't do this for iOS. Mac users are minuscule in comparison to iPhone users. Could you imaging what would happen if millions of iPhone users had a bad experience with a beta release? Word would spread like wildfire. So, maybe they want the extra beta testers, but I would guess this never comes to iOS.
I'll be running beta versions on a separate partition. I wonder how many people feel the need to satisfy their ego and be able to show off that they are running the latest version.
Just like all the impatient people that HAD TO HAVE major iOS releases before they were finalized. For those people....
people use macs without having backups?
Jokes on you I use Time Machine so even if something does mess up i'll be right back to where I started pre-mess up
The comments from Apple so far make it sound like they're not planning on a forum for people using this new public beta program, at least not initially.
But this isn't appleseed, this is a separate beta program and includes different features.
Just because it's hosted on the same domain doesn't make it the same thing. With this new program do users have access to the Appleseed discussion boards? No, they don't. And Apple has said that people in this program may not even get all the builds that Appleseed participants do.
Apple Allowing Non-Developers to Apply for OS X Beta Program
Well if anyone gets stuck, it's their own fault. There's enough notes and an FAQ available before joining up to say what to do if all goes wrong, it's clear you may have to revert back to shipping version of the OS then restore from backup.
Yes it's risky, but if you read thru the notes and that before signing up, you should be aware of risks. It's made clear that you may have to restore to a shipping version and then restore from time machine if something goes really wrong. If anyone chooses to sign up, it's on them.
You make quite the assumption there. Some people, me included, just like to see what's coming and play around. We don't have egos about it, unlike some Devs on here on their high horses, that like to moan at any non-dev playing with a beta, when it should be Devs only, making it known they are Devs that paid to have access, to satisfy their egos
This beta program doesn't include all the dev tools, etc, so unless all you did was install new betas just to play, then you were wasting money anyway....
I disagree. I think Apple will go the same route for iOS. Like this, only people going seeking access will find the option to get in the beta and there's already a ton of people buying UDIDs or slots on other UDIDs to get iOS betas, as witnesses on this forum, along with other sites. This way, those people will get legitimate access to the beta that were doing it dodgily beforehand. Again, if they put FAQs and disclaimers up, then it's the users own fault if they screw their devices up.[/QUOTE]
Uh oh, the Microsoft protection force is here god forbid anyone has anything bad to say about them on here, or any bad experiences or opinions... There's a reason Microsoft are bringing forward Windows 9.....
Well if anyone gets stuck, it's their own fault. There's enough notes and an FAQ available before joining up to say what to do if all goes wrong, it's clear you may have to revert back to shipping version of the OS then restore from backup.
Yes it's risky, but if you read thru the notes and that before signing up, you should be aware of risks. It's made clear that you may have to restore to a shipping version and then restore from time machine if something goes really wrong. If anyone chooses to sign up, it's on them.
I'll be running beta versions on a separate partition. I wonder how many people feel the need to satisfy their ego and be able to show off that they are running the latest version.
Just like all the impatient people that HAD TO HAVE major iOS releases before they were finalized. For those people....
You make quite the assumption there. Some people, me included, just like to see what's coming and play around. We don't have egos about it, unlike some Devs on here on their high horses, that like to moan at any non-dev playing with a beta, when it should be Devs only, making it known they are Devs that paid to have access, to satisfy their egos
This beta program doesn't include all the dev tools, etc, so unless all you did was install new betas just to play, then you were wasting money anyway....
I disagree. I think Apple will go the same route for iOS. Like this, only people going seeking access will find the option to get in the beta and there's already a ton of people buying UDIDs or slots on other UDIDs to get iOS betas, as witnesses on this forum, along with other sites. This way, those people will get legitimate access to the beta that were doing it dodgily beforehand. Again, if they put FAQs and disclaimers up, then it's the users own fault if they screw their devices up.[/QUOTE]
Uh oh, the Microsoft protection force is here
god forbid anyone has anything bad to say about them on here, or any bad experiences or opinions... There's a reason Microsoft are bringing forward Windows 9.....
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Well of course I have used Vista, XP, Me, 2000, 1995 etc...
I thought we were talking systems since the public betas to be fair Microsoft seem to release a **** OS and then an acceptable one
ME Vista and Windows 8 are not great.
Vista is the worst performer, Windows 8 is the worst from a UX perspective.
I have always been a Windows user, I started to use Mac's in 2008 and have slowly been fading away from Windows but I still need it for some of the software I use - I always upgrade both Windows and OSX.
I'm not saying anything bad about either OSX or Windows, I am merely saying I don't think the public beta has made any difference, especially if you look at how the public has reacted to Windows 8 - I'm not the only one who doesn't like it.
I feel your pain. I have a Mid-2010 MBP 6,2 with the GT330M. I used to get kernel panics all the time. I finally got fed up and opened a ticket with Apple to see if there was anything they could do. After a couple of weeks of going back and forth and submitting syslogs, Apple replaced my main board for free. This happened in July 2013 and have not had any issues so far.
Ask for a (partial) refund?
This sounds similar to the employees pre-release program.
No, Microsoft Bob is the worst in terms of UX. Windows 1.0 had a horrible UX as well.
Well considering a competitor can pay the $99 per year, to get this priv information or now, for free, I don't see how it'll prevent 'copying'
No, dear, I am the one that is sorry:"inexpert" most certainly is a word, and in English it means "unskilled". By "inexpert/unskilled assessment" I mean reports of supposed bugs that are not bugs at all, but undesired results obtained by unskilled users. Those, I believe, will be added to regular bug reports, andif the responsible team at Apple is not carefulcan cause a lot of trouble to the bug reporting process, cluttering it with what will turn out to be false bug reports.
Well I'm using a separate partition if I'm using beta operating system. No jokes on me though, just those ego people who want the latest (and possibly not the greatest) who the jokes on. I backup to an old PowerMac that I have configured in time machine as a TC, and also have a duplicate of my data on another hard drive. So two backup locations. Sure if my home burns down with my computer, then all data is lost. No offsite backups here.
I feel a n00b flood a-comin'
NDA folks - might wanna read that, ya know?
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Try Apple out and see; if you find some uniformed strangers knocking at your door with an unmarked car, you'll know you were wrong.
If you've agreed to a Non-Disclosure Agreement, the thing to do - without question - is KEEP TO IT. If for nothing else, it's through honour... you know, that thing that makes people more trustworthy and likeable?
NDA folks - might wanna read that, ya know?
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Try Apple out and see; if you find some uniformed strangers knocking at your door with an unmarked car, you'll know you were wrong.
If you've agreed to a Non-Disclosure Agreement, the thing to do - without question - is KEEP TO IT. If for nothing else, it's through honour... you know, that thing that makes people more trustworthy and likeable?