Author Topic: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?  (Read 25540 times)

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Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #50 on: December 13, 2018, 12:29:58 pm »
Altium costs a mint, they can't say they are not able to finance development. CS falls off of the back of AD and is more expensive than other programs out there that are way more stable. They have made a rod for their own back by not just doing tiered licencing of AD. they frankly do not understand how to develop a good product or the industry they are supposedly serving.
 

Online voltsandjolts

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #51 on: December 13, 2018, 02:49:22 pm »
I've just finished my third board layout this week without a hitch. I find CS to be very stable, can't remember when I last had a crash.
Ian is right, there are bugs which need attention but are fairly easy to workaround for now.
Of course we all have new features we would like to see but it's a very usable system as is.
 

Offline Joel_l

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #52 on: December 15, 2018, 01:26:20 am »
A while back on the Newark support forum there was an email stating that Altium would make available a roadmap and development plans for CS. Said they would post such plans in 90 days or something like that. That date has come and gone a long tome ago. I went to look for that message a couple times, found it once but any reference to dates had been removed. Now I can't even find it. Guess it's easy to make promises knowing you can just delete them later.
 

Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #53 on: December 15, 2018, 08:26:20 am »
I also started a topic asking when we would see the road map but as you have pretty much discovered they are simply fraudsters! I wonder how many people were tricked into handing over money under this false pretence for a license update expecting them to play nice now and that boys and girls is pretty much the definition of fraud in law! To take money from someone under false pretences! But aren't Altium now pretty much based in china now? so go figure! And of course the last time I downloaded CS it came with the updates already in it no need to install them after checking my licencse that was valid by a matter of hours before the year ran out, so I'm not sure why anyone had to pay money for the so called update if it now come updated for anyone....
 

Offline IanJ

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #54 on: February 13, 2019, 07:17:51 pm »
Just fired up CS tonight and there's a new Beta update to 15.2.30 available......no idea what the changes are, the beta forum is quiet.

Ian.


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Offline ahbushnell

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #55 on: February 14, 2019, 01:57:59 am »
Just fired up CS tonight and there's a new Beta update to 15.2.30 available......no idea what the changes are, the beta forum is quiet.

Ian.
If you try it out please post.
 

Offline ahbushnell

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #56 on: February 14, 2019, 01:59:49 am »
Just fired up CS tonight and there's a new Beta update to 15.2.30 available......no idea what the changes are, the beta forum is quiet.

Ian.
If you try it out please post.
:)
 

Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #57 on: February 14, 2019, 07:57:29 am »
Apparently mine is up to date, I assume it checks even if the license is expired to encourage you to renew?
 

Offline IanJ

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #58 on: February 14, 2019, 11:50:34 am »
Apparently mine is up to date, I assume it checks even if the license is expired to encourage you to renew?

I tried to update to 15.2.30 beta last night but it kept failing with one particular component. I tried twice.
I'm away from the workshop right now so can't check but maybe they've pulled it...…..

I'm on the beta program so maybe that's why I got the notification....albeit it's been a while.

I enjoy CS very much, the last bug fix update sorted most of my issues...…..there's just a few GUI issues and of course the Vault problems I wish they'd look into......i.e. navigating the vault, copy n paste footprints issues etc etc. At the moment I detest the vault with a vengeance and rarely go near it.....preferable to just create my own footprints or download off the web etc and be done with it...…..

Ian.
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Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #59 on: February 14, 2019, 12:29:27 pm »
i didn't know there is a beta program. I don't bother with the vault as it never had what i want and if I make my own parts I get what i want on the BOM. You can still download integrated libraries, I use a 3mm grid so can't use any schematic symbols as the world is still stuck on 0.1" but I have taken footprints from manufacturers Altium libraries.
 

Offline ahbushnell

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #60 on: February 14, 2019, 12:54:37 pm »
Apparently mine is up to date, I assume it checks even if the license is expired to encourage you to renew?

I tried to update to 15.2.30 beta last night but it kept failing with one particular component. I tried twice.
I'm away from the workshop right now so can't check but maybe they've pulled it...…..

I'm on the beta program so maybe that's why I got the notification....albeit it's been a while.

I enjoy CS very much, the last bug fix update sorted most of my issues...…..there's just a few GUI issues and of course the Vault problems I wish they'd look into......i.e. navigating the vault, copy n paste footprints issues etc etc. At the moment I detest the vault with a vengeance and rarely go near it.....preferable to just create my own footprints or download off the web etc and be done with it...…..

Ian.
15.2.30?   :-DD
 

Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #61 on: February 14, 2019, 12:59:31 pm »
well we are desperate to see a return on our money that anything is better than nothing.
 

Online 2N3055

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #62 on: February 14, 2019, 01:22:40 pm »
Well it seems it is still in beta...
 

Online voltsandjolts

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #63 on: February 14, 2019, 07:25:32 pm »
I disagree.
I find CS to be a capable and stable tool.
Yes, its has some bugs and could have a few more features but for medium size layouts it gets the job done nicely.
 
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Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #64 on: February 14, 2019, 10:02:21 pm »
Well it seems it is still in beta...


Well Altium are all chinese now? maybe they misunderstand "beta" for "better" so a beta program must be a "better, better" program.
 

Online 2N3055

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #65 on: February 14, 2019, 10:03:42 pm »
Well it seems it is still in beta...


Well Altium are all chinese now? maybe they misunderstand "beta" for "better" so a beta program must be a "better, better" program.
LOL!
 

Offline ahbushnell

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #66 on: February 15, 2019, 03:00:47 am »
I disagree.
I find CS to be a capable and stable tool.
Yes, its has some bugs and could have a few more features but for medium size layouts it gets the job done nicely.
I agree. 
 

Offline Zbig

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #67 on: February 15, 2019, 11:57:20 pm »
A bit off-topic but I really hate how they keep spamming me with Altium Designer related e-mails (events, seminars, etc.) and fail to even acknowledge there is such a thing as CS. Couldn't make the fact they treat CS solely as a vehicle for shilling AD any more obvious if they tried. Do they really think folks who are into EDA software, of all people, are that stupid?
 

Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #68 on: February 16, 2019, 08:15:19 am »
A bit off-topic but I really hate how they keep spamming me with Altium Designer related e-mails (events, seminars, etc.) and fail to even acknowledge there is such a thing as CS. Couldn't make the fact they treat CS solely as a vehicle for shilling AD any more obvious if they tried. Do they really think folks who are into EDA software, of all people, are that stupid?

and yet when James Harriman from Altium took the trouble to spend 40 minutes on a mobile phone to me in the UK from Australia he assured me that altium did no such thing. But then everything coming out of Altium is a fat lie and they are clueless about their audience or they would never have even entertained the idea of circuit maker.
 

Offline mc6800

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #69 on: March 05, 2019, 12:14:27 pm »
They have released the 1.5.2 update now, but as far as I can tell all it does is fix the bug with fetching data from Digi-Key due to their API change (apparently notified two years ago). Oh, it also allows data from a number of new suppliers.

In my case the 'update' came a few days before my subscription expires, so I'm not sure about renewing.  There doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency from Altium/E14 about making new releases - will things change with Avnet in control now?
 

Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #70 on: March 05, 2019, 12:18:39 pm »
Avnet have potentially been in control for a while. It is only now that they are applying their branding and presumably tieing their stocks together. I doubt they will do much to CS for a while and are still at the mercy of Altium who seem to have no mind to change their screw the customer attitude.
 

Offline OleMi

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To me it's not beta, but alpha.
« Reply #71 on: April 02, 2019, 09:12:27 pm »
To me it's not beta, but alpha. Altium seems not keen to fix multiple bugs and there is one annoying bug that doesn't allow to work efficiently at all. It loses focus and jump to other windows on PC. Once I deleted my project instead of deleting tracks, because on delete operation it kicked me off to explorer. I described the problem with some video proof on their forum and heard that Altium has no roadmap for bugfixes. 

They probably will fix them when more of our licenses will expire so that we are forced to pay-off them their bug fixes.

I am with @Simon about Altium's arrogant pitch to Egle users. Altium claims about Eagle: "They make you pay again and again for the same tool". In fact we will do the same just to get bug fixed, because CAD is quite raw. My 15-years Layout 16.2 does much better, but has no multiple undo and 3D.

For new-buyers my advice: do NOT.
... until Altium begin to have a clear policy and roadmap for bugfixes.
 

Offline Simon

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #72 on: April 03, 2019, 07:48:33 am »

I am with @Simon about Altium's arrogant pitch to Egle users. Altium claims about Eagle: "They make you pay again and again for the same tool". In fact we will do the same just to get bug fixed, because CAD is quite raw. My 15-years Layout 16.2 does much better, but has no multiple undo and 3D.

For new-buyers my advice: do NOT.
... until Altium begin to have a clear policy and roadmap for bugfixes.

No that is Farnell that have short changed Eagle users. The problem is that we have two bad coampanies involved. Altium clearly do not care but we do not know what deal they have with Farnell that play silly buggers with the price. A program that launched at £2500 is now under £400, soon you will be getting a licence with your cornflakes! I'm sure those that were ripped off by Farnell for £2500 are furious and I am not happy to see that a program I paid £800 for is now less than half of that and that is about all it is worth when compared to the alternatives. To me the dropping of price is admitting that it is shit and that they do not have serious plans and I doubt there is any judge in the world that would rule in a court of law that they have to support what they started. I fear that the CS user will be well and truly fucked over worse than the Eagle ones were, they now have to pay a yearly fee if they want to update but they have a program, we CS users may end up with nothing at all and have to start all over again. I hope all of the other package suppliers are looking at this fiasco closely and are ready to step in with Library and project converters so that we can move to another package once Altium and Farnell have finished CS off once and for all.
 

Offline OleMi

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #73 on: April 03, 2019, 06:49:33 pm »
I read the arrogant claim on Altium website so I said Altium.

For me as the guy who was in marketing for many years the purpose of this Altium’s branch is obvious - PR of the supplier, Farnell. Other suppliers on the list are just for anti monopoly law. Farnell come with the idea of “cheap” CAD and sponsored it. This is common business model in many industries nowadays. The reason why we see bugfixes mainly related with vault is because of that goal. I am ok with this business approach and ready to “see ads” unless I didn’t supplied with buggy-solution. Probably sponsorship fee was not paid off, their marketing plans failed and we have what we have.
 

Offline kaz911

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Re: How's CS progressing? Is it no longer "beta"?
« Reply #74 on: April 04, 2019, 06:24:51 pm »
I think Altium is just killing CS on purpose.

I think the strategy is : Do not update very often and only push small updates. That will stop people paying for update subscriptions. Then Altium can say "well CS is not doing great - we have very few subscribers left - so lets just cancel the product"

Typical "Big Company" politics.

So my guess - in a year a so - CS will be canceled - and anyone still paying might be offered an Altium upgrade FOC - as at that time it will be cheaper than doing updates and develop CS. But the end user base need to be small enough for them to do a positive cost benefit.
 


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