Agendus 11.x beta!

[wellsjs]

Get in on the action here (http://support.iambic.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=61)!

Please read all the beta forum "stickies" and make sure you understand that beta = bugs! If you aren't tolerant and willing to help debug, you should probably pass and wait for full release.

[wellsjs]

SOS said "expensive!" :p

If you register in the iambic forum and contribute significantly to the beta by identifying and helping resolve bugs, you MAY be rewarded a free upgrade. That has been iambic's policy for quite a while now and I have gotten several free upgrades personally, by doing same! ;)

[blues]

Anyone installed the beta yet? Any comments?
I don't think I'll have much time to play with it for myself till later tonight.

[wellsjs]

As an iFT forum member I have been using it for over a week. No time right now as I must be off to work, but I'll try to share my experience and field questions this evening. I can only say that the new features are truly worth the upgrade price, and quite amazing. Remember, it's still a little buggy but that's what betas are for! ;)

[mcapehart]

Hello Agendus fans (and foes):

Thanks John for posting this over here.

If anyone has any major issues (other than Trip and Attendee issues as mentioned here (http://support.iambic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21796)) when testing, I encourage you to post in the Beta forum (http://support.iambic.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=61), so we can quickly eliminate issues and get the full product out.

Thanks. Have fun with it. Lots of cool new features.

[dgthomas]

I've not had a chance to read thru the iambic forum yet, but I was wondering if they have addressed the speed problems that some users have experienced with version 10? I know V10 it is pretty slow to load on my Clie TH55.

[wellsjs]

Quoting from Adriano:

the reason why the early 10.x releases were slow like death on startup was because of a poorly implemented photo cache cleanup we were doing on startup (i.e. checking all the contact records for invalid / non existent photos associated to them).

In 11, we changed this altogether, and photo cache is not checked anymore automatically, its pref is under:

Options -> Performance -> Optimize Photo Database.

Therefore in 11 users shouldn't experience long startup delays. 1 or 2 secs at most.;)

Other factors (from rsgmoose):

1. Data tags from Datebook5 or early versions. CESD encodes his info with a data string something like this: @@#@@@@##@@@@@@@@p (19 characters) and it forces this tag to the front of the note and places the Agendus tags towards the back. Agendus and these tags don't mix well.

2. Corrupted records - this is most commonly the cause of a slow down immediately after an upgrade.

Run a database scanning utility if you fear you have corrupt databases.

Agendus Pro 11 b769 starts in between 2-3 seconds, closer to 2 for me. :)

Someone asked about application footprint (size): 1864k

[blues]

wow, the first beta weighs in at 1.8Meg! That's almost double the size of the current version 10. I hope that size is only temporary.

[mcapehart]

wow, the first beta weighs in at 1.8Meg! That's almost double the size of the current version 10. I hope that size is only temporary.
I beg to differ, AGP 10 Pro was 1.6MB or so.

[blues]

I beg to differ, AGP 10 Pro was 1.6MB or so.I don't know what version your using, but I have 10.07 Pro sitting on my harddrive right now at 1.058Meg. That's about an 800kb addition in size. That's a very big increase in size.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an Agendus supporter and have defended them many times in these forums, but a 1Meg palm app is quite large, never mind a 1.865Meg program.

[wellsjs]

Can someone else report in their 10.07 file size. I don't want to have to reload mine, but I recall it being in the neighborhood MCapehart states. :confused:

[blues]

Hey, wellsjs... You agreed with me before you edited your post. What changed your mind?

Here's my screen capture.

[mcapehart]

I don't know what version your using, but I have 10.07 Pro sitting on my harddrive right now at 1.058Meg. That's about an 800kb addition in size. That's a very big increase in size.Hmm. Well, not sure why it would be different. It's always been been 1.6 for me with 10.0x Pro.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an Agendus supporter and have defended them many times in these forums,...I know you're a supporter. I've noticed, and we appreciate your defense.


...but a 1Meg palm app is quite large, never mind a 1.865Meg program.Yes it is. I agree. But how many apps do you know that do what Agendus does & has the multitude of features it has?

Yeah, other PIM apps are close, and even has some great features Agendus doesn't, but still they don't have the advanced features, which eat up KBs.

We actually considered a Light version at one time, but the positive response from users was very trivial, so it was dropped. At least for the time being.

[blues]

ok, ok, looking back at my backup from last night, 10.07 sits in my palm's ROM at 1.614Meg. This beta is now on there at 1.864Meg. I forgot about the 10.07 prc is just a compressed version of the real thing.

I was just hoping that version 11 would be smaller, not bigger. I guess none of this will matter when I get my 700p.

[mcapehart]

ok, ok, looking back at my backup from last night, 10.07 sits in my palm's ROM at 1.614Meg. This beta is now on there at 1.864Meg. I forgot about the 10.07 prc is just a compressed version of the real thing.Cool, glad we're on the same page with the size.

I was just hoping that version 11 would be smaller, not bigger. I guess none of this will matter when I get my 700p.A little bragging, huh? I'm jealous.:cool:

[blues]

....I'm jealous.:cool:I'm jealous you have a LifeDrive :D

[mcapehart]

I'm jealous you have a LifeDrive :DIt IS pretty sweet, despite it's lag. I have 3 movies, over 100 songs, 50+ Office Docs (including 10+ pdfs), 10+ ebooks, 100+ photos, 3 entire bibles, to name a few, and that's only on the HD & doesn't include the 40+ apps and the DBs associated with them.

Not that I'm bragging...:)

[wellsjs]

I was just hoping that version 11 would be smaller, not bigger. I guess none of this will matter when I get my 700p.The post I edited (because you posted in between) joked at you about the size, asking if you were dreaming about v4.0 or something! :p

Glad you came into concurrence on the former size. As to hoping version 11 would be smaller than version 10, the only way I know of to go the other direction in size is to remove features, not add them . . . another :p

:D

[wellsjs]

For those "on the fence" as to whether to jump into v11 beta, I have used it in "production mode" for over a week, meaning that I am using it in my everyday work environment with no show stopping issues.

If you're not a power user, and you don't use a Treo, you probably will have no issues with the current build. From the iambic forums, it seems most issues are Treo-centric. That points to the issues being due to Palm's latest OS version, and not necessarily all iambic's fault/responsibility. For instance, PalmOne has availed a hotsync bug fix in recent weeks.

TXs are next in the problematic pecking order. There again, is the device maker to share in some of the stability issues, especially when other devices don't have them, and when TXs are reset prone with other apps too?

I'll end this by saying that v11 build 769 is quite stable on my Sony TH55. There are some hierarchy and trip feature bugs, but those aren't features I use everyday and can't live without in the short term. ;)

[braj]

I'm happy, I found a couple bugs last night that have been verified, and really like the beta process Iambic has in place. I'm still curious what the 'Premier' edition will be though. Anyone know what that's about?

[blues]

...As to hoping version 11 would be smaller than version 10, the only way I know of to go the other direction in size is to remove features, not add them . . . another :p....I'm not a programmer, but I do know enough that programmers sometimes can rewrite existing code more efficiently, which in turn would create a smaller executable when compiled.

But, it's probably harder to do that (if at all) with palm applications because there isn't much code to rewrite to begin with, compared to code for windows apps.

[wellsjs]

it's probably harder to do that (if at all) with palm applications because there isn't much code to rewrite to begin with, compared to code for windows apps.That is a true statement. :)

[StuGib]

Quoting from Adriano:
the reason why the early 10.x releases were slow like death on startup was because of a poorly implemented photo cache cleanup we were doing on startup...
In 11, we changed this altogether, and photo cache is not checked anymore automatically...
Therefore in 11 users shouldn't experience long startup delays.


Iambic upgrade policy strikes again then! "We screwed it up in v10, but we found a fix just in time for v11.....oh, but you'll have to pay for it".

[wellsjs]

Iambic upgrade policy strikes again then! "We screwed it up in v10, but we found a fix just in time for v11.....oh, but you'll have to pay for it".I see you're a person who backs up his statements with hard facts! :D

[StuGib]

I see you're a person who backs up his statements with hard facts! :D

I've taken Adriano to task over this in detail on their forums before. I would be amazed if this was added into v10.x on past experience but, hey, I'm happy for them to prove me wrong.

[blues]

The feature that I'm most happy with so far with this beta is displayed in the calendar. When the calendar is set to month/icon view, your trips have been added to the display. Very nice!

[wellsjs]

I've taken Adriano to task over this in detail on their forums before. I would be amazed if this was added into v10.x on past experience but, hey, I'm happy for them to prove me wrong.Obviously, your and my experiences vary greatly with Agendus Pro, i.e. I'm very happy with it and you're not. It's not a perfect product because it is a cutting edge, agressive product. I like that and apparently you do not. So if it's not for you, the option not to upgrade or use the product is all yours. ;)

[StuGib]

Obviously, your and my experiences vary greatly with Agendus Pro, i.e. I'm very happy with it and you're not. It's not a perfect product because it is a cutting edge, agressive product. I like that and apparently you do not. So if it's not for you, the option not to upgrade or use the product is all yours. ;)

'Obviously' you assume wrong. I am pretty happy with Agendus and its reliability and usability has greatly improved in v10. Personally I don't have the speed problem so I have no axe to grind, and have paid for the last upgrades of the Palm and desktop editions because I liked the new features.

What I do object to is their business practice of not fixing major bugs in existing versions and waiting until the next chargable release. For people who do have the speed issue they haven't really got the option - they'll have to pay to solve a problem which Iambic have admitted is down to them poorly implementing it. There is no reason why the new Preference to update the photo database can't be implemented in a 10.08 bugfix release before 11.x is released. These things will (should) be version controlled and shouldn't be a problem to build v11.x bug fixes into v10.x.

Agendus is a cutting edge product, but their 'aggression' is based around milking their customers for cash as often as they can. I don't object to paid upgrades or them making money - we're spoilt as Palm users by getting, and then expecting free major upgrades to many products. Nearly every new Agendus feature seems to be released to be implemented just enough so it works, but usually with a distinct lack of quality so it feels like it's half finished - the gaps are then filled in during the next paid release. Look at the abysmal hierarchical todo, non-syncing preferences,... No software is 'perfect' but for the price I do expect features to be fully thought through and work and be tested. Iambic make it frustrating, but ultimately it's still a decent product which has features I like, which is why I use it.

[dgthomas]

I was really hoping they fixed the speed problems... but version 11 takes just as long on my TH55 as ver 10 ... approximately 10-12 seconds to load. That's way too long.

[wellsjs]

I was really hoping they fixed the speed problems... but version 11 takes just as long on my TH55 as ver 10 ... approximately 10-12 seconds to load. That's way too long.Have you ever used DateBK? Reason I ask is Data tags from Datebook5 or early versions used CESD encodes. The data string goes something like this: @@#@@@@##@@@@@@@@p (19 characters) and it forces this tag to the front of the note and places the Agendus tags towards the back. Agendus and these tags don't mix well.

Since you have a TH55, your Palm Desktop version has very limited export capability. Another way to strip any superfulous data in your records would be using Outlook to export your records to CSV file. Then re-import them. If you don't currently sync your PDA records to Outlook, you could install AGWOE as a trial and accomplish this. Of course you would also need an Outlook conduit installed. Intellisync lite comes on your TH55 CD but I believe a newer, better version is available (search 1src for Intellisync).

Another thing you could do is purge your records older than a certain date. The archival feature lets you store the discarded records on your PC in case you should need them. In short, huge databases and corrupt databases are the common denominator to slow startup time with AGP. For me with your same device (TH55), it's 2+ seconds. ;)

[dgthomas]

Have you ever used DateBK?
Nope, never have.


Since you have a TH55, your Palm Desktop version has very limited export capability. Another way to strip any superfulous data in your records...
So, would having lots of notes attached to my appointments cause the delay? For many of my appointments I have notes. Agendus stores its codes in the notes, so is Agendus having to scan thru all my notes I've created for my appointments?

Yes, I do sync with Outlook; I'll try what you suggest.

Thanks!

[bobinnv]

I was really hoping they fixed the speed problems... but version 11 takes just as long on my TH55 as ver 10 ... approximately 10-12 seconds to load. That's way too long.

On my TH55, Agendus v11 takes 2-3 seconds to start up, about the same as the previous version. That seems slow to me compared to Datebk5/6, which takes less than a second. 10-12 seconds is way too long - there is something funny going on with your TH55..

[wellsjs]

Here's a pretty good summary of the status/nature of unusually long startup times (for a fairly small number of users). It's written by rgsmoose (the Mooseman):

Be advised that Agendus opens the 4 PIM databases plus it's own that are created. So it's inaccurate to say that it's the same database as the Contacts.

Speed is an issue that is tied to several factors:

Number of records in all databases. Number of icon sets and icons within each set. And several other various factors as is discussed in this other thread.

Remember that Agendus also has more features than the native applications and as such will not respond as quickly.

Here are some other tips to speed things up:

1. Delete or archived completed records. Even if a task is completed and you want to keep it for some reason - if it's archived the contact history will still show that the item was done and when - so it's just a duplicate.

2. If your running Datebk5 or 6 - it's encoding method will slow down Agendus and you can see evidence of the different methods of encoding data used by both programs by opening the note fields in the native Palm applications.

3. Background applications - other applications can also tie up the cache so if you are running Blazer in the background - it will slow down Agendus.

4. 4 to 5 seconds is not normal.

As an example - I'm running a T5 with close to 5K in contacts, 400 hundred todo's (many completed) and two years worth of meetings (in excess of 1,000) and startup is nearly instantaneous.

[dvp]

11 build 772

What has been fixed / improved since build 770:

- Failure occurring when using hard buttons to cycle with certain devices
- Corrected problem with History Back refreshing screen when grayed out
- View History is not properly recorded when using hard buttons
- Today View: solved problem with Advanced Tasks not showing correctly
- Today View: solved problem with Tomorrow's Tasks not showing when they should
- Corrected issue with Time Zones on alarms which are not calculating properly for the alarm setting
- History: Task memory not functioning properly with certain steps
- Added Tooltip for Contact Networking button (previusly incorrectly reporting 'Compact Mode')
- Corrected problem with Dpad appearing on an invisible control in Task View
- solved issue with Form header getting corrupted upon initial launch of AGP
- solved issue with Generic icons for Trip items having no icon in Calendar views
- Corrected problem with Dpad Center opening Attn Manager in Month Expanded View
- Corrected Cancel failure in Trips on Add Task/Call-->Cancel
- Solved Multiple issue with creating/editing Trip templates
- Corrected stability issue when creating a new template from a meeting when the meeting has no notes
- Corrected inconsistency with Precipitation percentage in Weather results in Today view vs.what is shown in Forecast screen
- Corrected Redraw issue in Contact View Options
- Corrected Hyperlink Display on Contact Card when certain series of numbers is used in Contact name field
- Corrected failure of all characters to show on Walkthrough with certain steps
- Corrected Toolbar disappearing with certain steps on 480 x 320 devices with collapsable DIA
- Corrected Bullet List View reverting To Day List View when accessing items in menu with shortcuts
- Corrected stability issue when editing attendees existing meeting with attendees already assigned
- Corrected display issue with Walkthrough items starting with numbers
- Corrected stability issue when tapping on Add to Journal button on the card of an existing Journal. This button was removed on Journal Cards.
- Corrected stability issue when dragging scrollbar in Auto build results
- Corrected device Freezing when using user-defined hard button to cycle views when in RMV
- Corrected Email prefs in AGP-->Prefs-->Programs not being retained upon exit of Agendus
- Removed Template button from Trip Items Edit dialogs as saving Trip items is not possible
- Corrected display issues on Attendees tab of new buttons not yet implemented displaying poorly
- Restored Voice capability to Devices without recording capability for playback or add-on mics
- Corrected failure of Contact to be pasted in Contact field of a new event whe creating from the menu of Contact Card or Contact Edit