V3.0 ... Any chance of motivating you?

Now that Karma is out and about, is there any chance we could get you to do a build of the 3.0 software for the Empeg? I'd love to finally go to ogg and forget about mp3's. In addition I'm curious what all you guys have put in there since last time. I can, naturally, tolerate Beta software, and even friendly Alpha releases. Won't you please allocate a little time to this?

Thanks for considering it.

Greg

Hahahahhahaha. Sorry, I could not resist. I am sure that they will need a little time (probably spent in heavy sedation in a rehab clinic somewhere) until they are ready to move back to the 3.0 alpha. I think it is still on their list, though not an immediate concern.

Guys different people have different wants. I'm tired of beta testing software. I just want something stable with a few new features.

I couldn't care less about ogg. I don't think it'll be an important format on the horizon for me. What I do want from 3.0 is the cross-fading.

Bruno

And I just want new software! In this day and age, I've come to expect nearly weekly patches and fixes for software! Doesn't matter what new features, I just need new software! I no longer feel fresh and hip and up-to-date! I crave a new release! Feeeeeed the hunger!

Although chances are:

a) They will need to spend significant parts of their time maintaining the Karma and other flash players code, perhaps in the form of firmware updates.

b) They are working on other projects that actually make them money.

So I wouldn't fault them in the least if getting a carplayer 3.0 out is their last priority. I mean shouldn't it be?

John


(This is not to say I wouldn't be excited by any new releases, I certainly would be! But I don't want the kind souls in Cambridge to feel guilty for not putting significant chunks of their valuable time in products that don't make them money.)

why can't they just release the source to us, so we can spend our time developing new updates for it. Is there a date when that can happen? Maybe in their agreement with whoever is holding the source, there is a point in time when they can release it. Then they wouln'dt have to worry about it.

I can see the pros of this, but what would be the cons? Lots of different versions, that no one can agree on? Broken code outthere that just gets patched by other people?

Because the source is valuable: it's being used in other projects.

LOL - their source is IP - very valuable to them and their company. Especially considering the code trunk is being used in all their core products.

I would see it as a very brave and unexpected move to release the empeg v3 source to the world. Maybe to a select group of users in the empeg community, but even then I'm sure that would have to be under an NDA/contract of some sort...

but what would be the cons?

As others have said, because the source code is being used in other projects. Specifically, the empeg v3 codebase is used in the Rio Karma. We're not giving it away.

Hmm. Oddly, my FAQ Entry on this topic didn't actually say why the player software is not open source. It says so elsewhere in the FAQ but it didn't say it right there. Editing now to include that information.

Now that Karma is out and about, is there any chance we could get you to do a build of the 3.0 software for the Empeg? I'd love to finally go to ogg and forget about mp3's. In addition I'm curious what all you guys have put in there since last time. I can, naturally, tolerate Beta software, and even friendly Alpha releases. Won't you please allocate a little time to this?

Not right now. Since I'm already asking most of the developers to work in their spare time there isn't any spare spare time for non work projects. I tried a car player build earlier in the week and unfortunately it won't boot any more, but it's probably a simple fix when we get to it.

Rob

Hahahahhahaha. Sorry, I could not resist. I am sure that they will need a little time (probably spent in heavy sedation in a rehab clinic somewhere) until they are ready to move back to the 3.0 alpha

As a Rio beta tester, Paul *really* knows what he's talking about here

We're at the tail end of what I think has probably been the hardest six months I've ever experienced in any job.

Rob

We're at the tail end of what I think has probably been the hardest six months I've ever experienced in any job.

If it's any consolation, I think the Karma is a solid product with a lot of potential, and I think your hard work is really going to pay off.

We're at the tail end of what I think has probably been the hardest six months I've ever experienced in any job.

Yeah, it's gotten so bad we don't see you around the BBS nearly as much these days... I'm actually closing in on your post count!

I for one would be willing to pay for updates. I too have lost the excitement I once had of knowing that my player would continue to progress from the software that runs it.

Assuming that there are a couple thousand Empeg owners and assuming that their would be 1000 others like me who would be willing to pay about $10 for an update, that would spell $10,000 to motivate the developers.

I may be off on the numbers, but you get my idea.

Just my two cents.

whether we pay or not, were not going to get it any sooner. he stated they are busy. i believe that when he says he is asking people that are probably already putting in long days to work on the little spare time they have left, thats what hes trying to say. im content to wait, as i know whatever the wait, itll be worth it. thats why this has been my first post on such a topic, ever.

Yup, even 10K can't add more hours to the day. If they're already putting in overtime for their day jobs, it doesn't matter how much we could give them; there simply isn't time.

Since I'm already asking most of the developers to work in their spare time there isn't any spare spare time for non work projects.

Rob the slave-driver.

Sounds like you should hire more people

There's tons of unemployed programmers, technologists and outright geeks in silicon valley right now. I should know, being one of them, heh.

You should be able to go to just about any street corner and trundle up a half a dozen or so coders into the back of a van pretty easily. Probably get 'em for a song (heh heh heh).

Lord knows I'd take a job there!

gimme gimme gimme

In reply to:

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Specifically, the empeg v3 codebase is used in the Rio Karma

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Could v2b13 be a contender for a giveaway ?

The code probably hasn't diverged that much.

Any hints on features for v3 ?

Soup Views?

Beware, I'm passing in striking distance of your local on the 18th/19th Oct. and might just come and demonstrate my 3.0 Alpha features for the price of a pint! - oh, and one for Mrs.Boxer.