A pre-shipping release of hardware or software that has gone through alpha test. A beta version of software is supposed to be very close to the final product, but, in practice, it is more a way of getting users to test the software in the first place under real conditions. Given the complexity and ambiguous standards in the PC industry, it is impossible to duplicate the myriad of configurations that exist in the real world. See alpha test, beta test, release candidate and dog-food.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Seesmic snags Washington Post
- Just after tonight's McCain/Obama debate ended I received a Tweet message from Cathy Brooks, head of business development at Seesmic telling me the company has snagged the Washington Post as a customer. Seesmic has developed a 'white label' version of its service for the Washington Post's political...
- Blog posts 2008-10-07
- Forget the damn Linux netbooks. Can Windows replace Windows?
- My esteemed ZDNet colleague Ed Bott, God bless him, wrote a very insightful piece in which he discusses Taiwanese PC mainboard and component manufacturer MSI's challenges of selling Linux-based versions of their netbook, the Wind U90. Apparently, according to MSI, Linux-based versions of their netbook are...
- Blog posts 2008-10-07
- Antitrust suit against Apple, AT&T moves forward
- A federal judge has ruled that an antitrust suit against Apple and A&T over exclusivity deals for the iPhone may move forward, Ars Technica reports. Apple and AT&T signed a five-year exclusive deal but only told consumers they would have to sign up for a two-year...
- Blog posts 2008-10-07
- BI Crystal Ball – Next Gen BI May Be Closer Than You Think
- Most modern large enterprise Business Intelligence BI tools are very robust and feature rich these days. Up until a few years ago BI users could blame vendors for most of their BI ills. This is getting harder and harder to do. Many of the BI tools, especially the ones reviewed...
- Blog posts 2008-10-07
- Review: HAVA Platinum HD lets you watch TV on your Nokia Internet Tablet, S60 or WM device
- I've been using a Slingbox since they were first launched a few years ago and have used all of the mobile clients to watch my TV content on the road. I still have my Slingbox Classic and use it on my S60 and Windows Mobile devices from time to time....
- Blog posts 2008-10-07
- Windows Vista Woes or helping my Grandson with homework
- Considering my background, it's not at all hard to understand how I've become the tech support helpdesk for family, friends and the neighborhood as a whole. I've done my best to accept my lot in life with grace and courage. This time, my Grandson, Steven, was trying to complete a...
- Blog posts 2008-10-07
- News to know: AMD; iPhone security; Linux; SAP
- Here are today's notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily: Sam Diaz: AMD to spin off manufacturing. Techmeme Heather Clancy: The color that shall not be named. AMD's Vertal downplays green credentials, plays up efficiency arguments ...
- Blog posts 2008-10-07
- MozyPro for Mac goes public beta
- Online backup storage provider Mozy on Tuesday will roll out a public beta for MozyPro for the Mac, a new service for businesses using Apple's Mac platform. MozyPro for the Mac resembles Mozy's business lineup for Windows. It allows online backup for the Mac like its MozyHome...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- The color that shall not be named. AMD's Vertal downplays green credentials, plays up efficiency arguments
- I realize Advanced Micro Devices has some news in the offing this week that likely will supersede the urgency of this blog's content, but I wanted to recount some high points from a conversation I had about two weeks ago with Larry Vertal, the company's senior strategist when it comes...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- Student Technology Day: Steve Ballmer Q&A
- There was quite a lot to transcribe out, and many questions asked. Some questions put to Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, include: Will we always need programmers? What's Microsoft's input in Facebook and social networking? Does Microsoft have any changes in mind for their...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- Linux ready to replace Windows? Not yet…
- Is Linux ready to replace Windows on the desktop? Linux advocates think that light, cheap netbooks show off the advantages of an open-source OS over Windows. Out in the real world, though, the market is arguing to the contrary. The director of sales for one especially hot-selling netbook says its...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- iPhone 2.2 features trickle out
- iPhone 2.2 firmware beta 1 seeded to developers on 25 September 2008 contains some hints at more new features coming to the mobile OS, despite a changelog that lists only "compatibility testing." Ability to disable iPhone's auto-correction see screen shot Support for Japanese emoji icons ...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- Mono 2.0...why not Microsoft?
- The release of Mono version 2.0, the open source implementation of .NET that is available for use on Mac, Linux and Windows platforms, is an achievement in itself. I often wonder, however, why Microsoft has no interest in releasing a cross-platform, fully-supported version of the .NET framework themselves. by...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- Eight ways to track your portfolio on the iPhone
- In case you haven't been paying attention, U.S. financial markets are in a tailspin (Dow and AAPL both down 4 6+% today). Securities continue on their relentless roller coaster ride that could make veteran stock brokers lose their lunch. If you'd like to stay more in touch...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- Blackberry Storm, 'Application Center' info leaked
- Wow, a whole lot of Blackberry-related news surfaced this weekend. First, the user's guide to the highly-anticipated Blackberry Storm was leaked by the ever-intrepid BoyGeniusReport, who posted exclusive images on their website. Second, and more importantly, news of the Blackberry Application Center has emerged....
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- Google launches new Spreadsheets interface
- Google has just rolled out a new version of Google Spreadsheets -- the last one of all three products in the Google Docs suite. I have to say, this new version works great for me -- it has the familiar menus at the top, a bunch of new toys,...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- October promises to be hot month for Drupal, Mono, OpenOffice, Ubuntu
- October is promising to be a big month for open source releases. As the page on the calendar turned, Acquia launched of its commercially supported version of the popular Drupal open source social publishing system. And over the weekend, Novell-sponsored Mono project announced the...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- A Consumer Electronics Carol
- I recently received a promotional email from a large Internet-based retailer that shall for the moment remain nameless (cough! Amaz-ahem!)Â As I was considered to be a high-volume "Prime" customer, this online retailer wanted to offer me a 30-day trial of their their premier store-branded consumer...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- The top five reasons why Windows Vista failed
- On Friday, Microsoft gave computer makers a six-month extension for offering Windows XP on newly-shipped PCs. While this doesn't impact enterprise IT -- because volume licensing agreements will allow IT to keep installing Windows XP for many years to come -- the move is another symbolic nail in Vista's coffin....
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
- News to know: Green PCs, IT; IBM; Nokia; Apple
- Â Here are today's notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily: Larry Dignan: IBM launches beta of 'Bluehouse,' eyes Cisco's WebEx Matthew Miller: First impressions of the Nokia N96. Gallery right. Mary Jo...
- Blog posts 2008-10-06
Neighboring Terms
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- Marc Canter: The master of multimedia speaks
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In this Super Techies interview, larger-than-life techie Marc Canter talks with ZDNet's Editor in Chief Dan Farber about his career as a multimedia pioneer.
- Watch the video >>
- Is it time for "Radical Change" in IT?
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We need to get back to freethinking and innovation that is core to our roots. Companies like Intel were founded on thoughts like the famous quote from Robert Noyce - "Don't be encumbered by the past, go out and do something wonderful."
- Read the impassioned view on IT@Intel Blog >>
- Printers
- 'Green' Font Cuts Costs and Saves Trees (BNET)
- Three Ways to Save Paper (BNET)
- CNET Reviews printer buying guide (CNET)
- View all printers-tagged content on ZDNet
- Plan B from Brother
- It's the smarter way to work in color Our professional color ink-jet all-in-ones give you more choices, more features, and more value. Make the Smarter Choice. Learn More »
