Going about beta-testing a program... advice?

[Wil McGilvery]

Why does it need to be GPL?

If is isn't GPL you probably won't get a community of people helping you, but tons of companies allow for beta testing. This is so bugs can be worked out and beta testers can offer opinions on the product before a final version is sold.

As an aside I use Microlite Backupedge. I find the interface easy enough for my staff to use, it works with a variety of devices and the price is right. 

It also has a very easy disaster recovery system.

Since some people have already offered up which program they like. I would be interested in a feature list so that I can compare what you are offering to what is already on the market. 

Regards,

Wil McGilvery
Manager
Lynch Digital Media Inc

         

416-744-7949
416-716-3964 (cell)
1-866-314-4678
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www.LynchDigital.com

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org [mailto:owner-tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org] On Behalf Of Anton Markov
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2004 10:46 PM
To: tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org
Subject: Re: [TLUG]: Going about beta-testing a program... advice?

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Madison Kelly wrote:
|   Well, though it isn't GPL there are numerous other split-level
| licensed programs that are popular in the Linux community (MySQL comes
| to mind). The community (and in turn you) will benefit by having a
| freely available, easy to use backup program for home users. Companies
| will be required to pay for the most recent version but they will now
| have one more backup option to chose from which may well help a Linux
| advocate to convince their company to migrate (as Suse OpenExchange
| currently does).

Actually, MySQL is licenced under a commercial license _and_ GPL, which
does allow free commercial use. Your license does not. That is
definetely a stopper if you are trying to get community involvement, but
at least your boss gets to make some money, so it's not necessairely a
bad thing.

As far as the market niche goes, I definetely see the need for a
new-generation user-friendly backup program. Something that is designed
for USB HDs and CD/DVD-R media, not tape. The only GPL alternative I
know is DAR (and KDar), but they still lack the user-friendly element.
(I know about Mondo, but it was too inflexible so it didn't worked as I
wanted).

- --
Anton Markov <("anton" + "@" + "truxtar" + "." + "com")>

GnuPG Key fingerprint =
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