Serenity Systems International (SSI) has announced an open (public) beta program for its Serenity Virtual Station (SVISTA) product, a virtual machine application for Intel based PCs. The software being tested runs on Linux, MS Windows, and IBM’s OS/2. A FreeBSD version is planned for later this year.
Serenity Systems Announces Beta of VM Application
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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The beta costs $50. That’s not “beta”. That’s knowingly selling a defective product. In any other industry that would land you in prison.
Not really. If the end product costs like $150, paying $50 for a slightly unstable version now, plus a discount on the final product is a big savings for some. As long as they are upfront about it being a beta and subject to improper operation, anyone buying the beta expecting operation the same as a finished product is only fooling himself.
Besides, ALL companies knowingly sell defective products. It’s physically impossible to sell nothing but perfect products. Companies know this and offer things like warranties and money-back offers. If you get a product which is defective to the extent that you cannot use it, you take up the company on that provision. There is nothing illegal going on. Now if you sell ALL defective products advertising them as good, THAT is illegal, but not because of the sales, but because of the advertising.
Some people make good money selling nothing but defective products… they’re called junk dealers. I go to a junkyard and pay $20 for an alternator KNOWING that it’s junk – it may or may not work. It’s the risk I take for paying $20 instead of $200.
Especially for people already licensed the VMware, there is by far too few information available about this system, even just to convince anyone to pay $50 for testing. Critical informations are:
– How much kernel dependent configuration are needed?
– How does the VM monitor affect the host kernel stability?
– How is the performance (raw CPU, harddisk I/O, graphics I/O)compared to VMware, instead of Virtual PC?
And J.F.: If the end product costs $150, and unless this is a server product, maybe VMware Workstation is becoming an option one should seriously consider.
I’ll add that the two major competitors, VMWare and Virtual PC, both offer FREE 30-day trials, so you can see how the thing works in your particular configuration. So charging $50 for a beta, without much information, is unlikely to be a good move.
There is features list: http://serenityvirtual.com/prod_info.php?url=content/features.html&…
there is a gallery: http://serenityvirtual.com/gallery/index.php
SVISTA has some advantages. I keep in my head four:
* It is optimized for eComStation (OS/2) guest. So, it may be used by eComStation drivers developers
* SVISTA is the multi-platform solution: eComStation host, Windows host, Linux host, FreeBSD host.
* SVISTA for eComStation is equipped with standard network virtual card (no sniffers or filters)
* It’s cheaper
Why pay to act as a tester… makes no sense. I’ll wait till the product is finished and reviewed. Then I may consider paying.
As for VMware… they priced themselves out of the small developer market. At their entry price I can buy a full fledged PC and a cheap KVM switch. SVISTA at $50 for the final procuct may have a chance.
Way crazy way to market products!
I can appreciate some of the sentiment being expressed. But the reality is, we (Serenity Systems) can only do what we can do. Comparing what we can do with what Microsoft or VMWare can do is, in some regards, unreasonable.
When the product reaches general availability release, users can expect a “no charge” 30 day trial. But such trials are very different in process and intent to a beta program. Here we are looking for active participants in part of the product process. We want to learn, fix, refine, even reposition and beta testing is part of that process.
People who participate in a beta certainly expect to form an opinion and even evaluate and compare. But that is generally not their primary objective. It is pretty pointless to evaluate a moving target, like a product in beta. If so, the user needs to continue the evaluation after release of the product, because the release level will certainly be different. So, why not wait until then to evaluate?
The beta period is a time of testing, learning, changing, fixing, documenting, repositioning. Beta testers are active participants in that process.
It should be pretty clear that charging $50 to participate in a beta is not intended as a revenue objective. The beta allows the participant to download and test all three current versions of the product. That includes two platforms not available from VPC and one not available from VMWare, though I acknowledge the limited appear of an OS/2 platform application. Even with the limited appeal, we feel it is a worthwhile business.
Even a charge a low as $50 tends to screen out folks who are simply looking to download some software to “mess around”. Folks who put down $50 are making a commitment to the process, and so are we. This is not an elitist statement. It’s a statement of an objective. Folks who simply want to evaluate, should wait.
As to information, users who are interested can particiapte in forum discussions. No charge for that. While I see the comment about a lack of information, I admit that I’m not sure what additional information is needed. If people want to send me an email with an information requirement, I’ll respond and we’ll update the site to include this body of information.
Serenity Systems has a very good reputation for dealing with users and protecting their investment in product. This is someting I don’t take lightly. I’m committed to the success and satisfaction of every single user. This is not to say that I’ve been able to make every user ‘happy’, ‘delighted’, or even satisfied. But, in every case, I’ve put the effort into it.
OS/2 World has been running a poll this week asking folks about upgrading to the next release of eComStation, our OS/2 based client. Over 80% of the respondents indicate they will upgrade. I would suggest that this indicates a pretty high confidence level in the vendor by existing customers and that should mean something to all users and prospective users.
http://scripts.os2world.com/stuffed/index.cgi?pkg=poll
Lest anyone confuse this with altruism, when I started with IBM in 1976 I quickly learned that our success was inextricably tied to the success of our customers, our users. I have not forgotten that lesson. I carry it forward, today. It’s good business because, very often, the “good’ thing to do is also the ‘right’ thing to do. And it is what most people who would occupy a position like mine, it is what you would want to do. So, it’s good when it works out.
For those who want to put the poll into perspective, they can go to http://www.ecomstation.com and download the Roadmap for more information about the upgrade. Fact is, I’m delighted with the interest and support demonstrated by the poll.
Finally, I appreciate Eugenia giving us the coverage. I appreciate and respect the comments, here. But I don’t come here often. My way of saying that I don’t expect to have a great deal of presence in discussions here. I think the most meaningful comments will come from those people who actaully enroll to participate in the beta. After all, my comments would tend to support my positions … like those I’m posting now. 😉
Folks who feel like it, should wait for a free evalutation program. Folks who want more info, please help us out by explaining your requirment, or participate in our forums.
And regarding the ‘buggy software’, two axioms have stayed with me in my career. First, “Software is never finihsed, only released”. Anyone who has been a brand or product manager knows this one. “When are you guys (developers) going to stop screwing around and give me product to sell!!!!” Been there, done that. Moving the goalposts is a way of life in software.
Second, “If you ever want to hear God’s laughter, tell Her your plans.”
Regards,
Bob St.John
Serenity Systems International
At their entry price I can buy a full fledged PC and a cheap KVM switch.
The question however is: Are you willing to carry another “full fledged PC and a cheap KVM switch” (or alternatively even a cheap second laptop) around?
I admit that I’m not sure what additional information is needed. If people want to send me an email with an information requirement, I’ll respond and we’ll update the site to include this body of information.
Sorry for saying that: I think I already stated the most critical information I need. I do not wish to repeat myself, but it is probably not too extreme to consider paying 50$ as unacceptable without even the hint what kind of kernel compatibility it requires on a Linux host, how it will affect the host stability, for example. Even with a certain good-will towards SVISTA, to provide another, nonproductive host as testing ground is not always an option.
Otherwise it appears that the beta is only targeted to those people who are not already licensing one of the other VM applicatons, and possibly is looking for a cheaper product.
“Sorry for saying that: I think I already stated the most critical information I need. I do not wish to repeat myself, but it is probably not too extreme to consider paying 50$ as unacceptable without even the hint what kind of kernel compatibility it requires on a Linux host, how it will affect the host stability, for example. Even with a certain good-will towards SVISTA, to provide another, nonproductive host as testing ground is not always an option. ”
On the site, http://serenityvirtual.com/prod_info.php?url=content/requirements.h…
has info about the Linux requirements. Also an article about installing on Linux. It is a bit early to comment on effect on kernel stability because this will be a wider test bed that earlier ones, but stability of the host has not been raised as an issue … yet. But I expect lockup and crashes during a beta.
There is an article and screenshots from Linux installs
http://serenityvirtual.com/gallery/index.php?g=SVISTA_Linux
And there will be a growing ‘inventory’ of information over time. Comparison with other products will be made, but at this stage, their value would be limited. Drops of beta products move up and down the scale.
As to the value of the product … in my view, depends on what the user needs and what the user wants to be able to do. For example, running on Linux is not an option for VPC users.
Anyway … it’s out there, now. The significance remains for users to determine.
Regards,
Bob St.John
Serenity Systems International