Corel needs to implement a widespread beta program

[nitroman84]

"At present we are not recruiting Beta testers for any products"

This seems to be the case every time I check the website. Instead of Corel rarely if ever holding beta testing on software they offer, and then only with a small group hand picked by corel. They should open this testing to anybody who is interested. This would prevent many of the problems we currently see with the software by testing it on a broader spectrum of hardware and fixing incompatibilities before final release to the public. The current system basically uses the paying customer as the beta tester and reported problems and requested features are only applied to the next release (if not totally ignored) forcing us to buy an upgrade to get bug fixes and new features. Windows 7 is a prime example of this method's success, personally I used the beta for the better part of a year before it's final release. So did many others, it made the final release actually work like a final release. It also gave third parties plenty of time to get their products ready and working. Corel needs to adopt a strategy similar to this if they intend to continue selling software. I for one think I may have purchased my final version of Paint Shop with X3. As much as I like the program it is going the wrong direction and I don't see that changing any time soon.

[Tim Morrison]

I completely agree with you. Up until PSP 8, every version had a private beta test with a group of hand chosen users, followed by a public beta where the program was extensively tested by anyone who cared to try... with the product developers and managers actively involved. PSP 9, X and X2 had private beta programs.
XI had no beta, and I'm pretty sure X3 didn't either. I don't think it is mere coincidence that those two are the worst and buggiest versions released. It's nearly a year since X3 was released and it still has a raft of bugs (and odd workflow/interface "features") that render it unusable for many people, me included. The last patch took a long time to come, cured very little and while it improved plugin handling, it introduced a bug that prevents some plugins from working. Patches usually had some beta testing in the distant past too.

[Kathy_9]

I wholeheartedly agree with you. There is a lot I like about PSP but the bugs get on my last nerve. They are leaving themselves wide open to competition and overlooking (ignoring) their best marketing resource. . . their customers.

[nitroman84]

I completely agree with you. Up until PSP 8, every version had a private beta test with a group of hand chosen users, followed by a public beta where the program was extensively tested by anyone who cared to try... with the product developers and managers actively involved. PSP 9, X and X2 had private beta programs.
XI had no beta, and I'm pretty sure X3 didn't either. I don't think it is mere coincidence that those two are the worst and buggiest versions released. It's nearly a year since X3 was released and it still has a raft of bugs (and odd workflow/interface "features") that render it unusable for many people, me included. The last patch took a long time to come, cured very little and while it improved plugin handling, it introduced a bug that prevents some plugins from working. Patches usually had some beta testing in the distant past too.

If they are smart enough to go back to that model I may hang in there for a future release. Hopefully they do, it's one of my favorite programs. X4 is most likely just around the corner and I have yet to see any beta for it. Maybe by X5 or X6 they will release a public beta.