GIANT didn't call it BETA; why does MS?

If I understand correctly, GIANT Company -- www.giantcompany.com --
developed and marketed AntiSpyware as a complete, finished, fully
functional, working software package. They sold it and supported it. Now,
Microsoft has purchased GIANT and released the same AntiSpyware software
program, calling it BETA with no support.

In these newsgroups, the MVPs are saying that since AntiSpyware is a BETA
version, users should expect problems, or at least not be surprised by them.
One MVP said in a post I just read that users should not install this
software on a production machine -- in other words, don't put it on a
machine with any critical data. Furthermore, he said that when using BETA
software, one should do so with the understanding that it may work so poorly
that a reinstall of Windows might be necessary, or necessitate using a
Restore Point at very least. And, if you are annoyed by the situation,
don't look to Microsoft. Instead, scold yourself for having installed BETA
software in the first place. It should be noted that MS has AntiSpyware
prominently displayed on it's home page, not buried on some BETA download
site.

If the GIANT software was worthy of retail distribution, why wouldn't MS
simply repackage that and sell it. MS thought it was good enough to prompt
them to buy the whole company, so it must have been pretty good software in
the first place. Other users seem to have been happy with the GIANT
version. (I've been using GIANT's Spam Inspector for over a year with very
good results.)

What gives here? Why is it BETA to Microsoft when it wasn't to GIANT? Has
AntiSpyware changed that much from the GIANT version to the MS version? And
if it did change, why? It sounds like it wasn't broken when GIANT was
selling it, so why fix it?

John

John;
Regardless of what the previous owners did, Microsoft is the new owner and
has deemed it a Beta.
There seem to have been some changes and there will most likely be more.
The fact is the owners consider it a Beta.
Users should also treat it as a Beta and install accordingly.
At your own risk with no one else to blame as so many seem to do with this
Beta.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/


"John Blaustein" <no@spam.com> wrote in message
news:%23dzx3lt9EHA.1176@cpmsftngsa05.privatenews.microsoft.com...
> If I understand correctly, GIANT Company -- www.giantcompany.com --
> developed and marketed AntiSpyware as a complete, finished, fully
> functional, working software package. They sold it and supported it.
> Now, Microsoft has purchased GIANT and released the same AntiSpyware
> software program, calling it BETA with no support.
>
> In these newsgroups, the MVPs are saying that since AntiSpyware is a BETA
> version, users should expect problems, or at least not be surprised by
> them. One MVP said in a post I just read that users should not install
> this software on a production machine -- in other words, don't put it on a
> machine with any critical data. Furthermore, he said that when using BETA
> software, one should do so with the understanding that it may work so
> poorly that a reinstall of Windows might be necessary, or necessitate
> using a Restore Point at very least. And, if you are annoyed by the
> situation, don't look to Microsoft. Instead, scold yourself for having
> installed BETA software in the first place. It should be noted that MS
> has AntiSpyware prominently displayed on it's home page, not buried on
> some BETA download site.
>
> If the GIANT software was worthy of retail distribution, why wouldn't MS
> simply repackage that and sell it. MS thought it was good enough to
> prompt them to buy the whole company, so it must have been pretty good
> software in the first place. Other users seem to have been happy with the
> GIANT version. (I've been using GIANT's Spam Inspector for over a year
> with very good results.)
>
> What gives here? Why is it BETA to Microsoft when it wasn't to GIANT?
> Has AntiSpyware changed that much from the GIANT version to the MS
> version? And if it did change, why? It sounds like it wasn't broken when
> GIANT was selling it, so why fix it?
>
> John
>
>

"John Blaustein" <no@spam.com> wrote in message
news:%23dzx3lt9EHA.1176@cpmsftngsa05.privatenews.microsoft.com...

Just accept they may be making changes to it, hence the beta tag.

It isn't on a beta site, but it does say beta just about everywhere, and as
such it's your choice if you install it.

I don't work for them, just amazed at all the anti-microsoft comments.

Do you just install new software, labelled as beta, without taking
precautions? If so, go back to school.

Andy

John

Quite simply, this software has know problems in a
corporate environment and with Windows Media Centre. The
Anti Spyware updates will also (eventually) be integrated
into SUS, so that it can be fully managed. Until then, MS
doesn't consider it ready for primetime as a Microsoft
Product. So it is beta.


Terry Farrell - MS Word MVP

>-----Original Message-----
>If I understand correctly, GIANT Company --
www.giantcompany.com --
>developed and marketed AntiSpyware as a complete,
finished, fully
>functional, working software package. They sold it and
supported it. Now,
>Microsoft has purchased GIANT and released the same
AntiSpyware software
>program, calling it BETA with no support.
>
>In these newsgroups, the MVPs are saying that since
AntiSpyware is a BETA
>version, users should expect problems, or at least not
be surprised by them.
>One MVP said in a post I just read that users should not
install this
>software on a production machine -- in other words,
don't put it on a
>machine with any critical data. Furthermore, he said
that when using BETA
>software, one should do so with the understanding that
it may work so poorly
>that a reinstall of Windows might be necessary, or
necessitate using a
>Restore Point at very least. And, if you are annoyed by
the situation,
>don't look to Microsoft. Instead, scold yourself for
having installed BETA
>software in the first place. It should be noted that MS
has AntiSpyware
>prominently displayed on it's home page, not buried on
some BETA download
>site.
>
>If the GIANT software was worthy of retail distribution,
why wouldn't MS
>simply repackage that and sell it. MS thought it was
good enough to prompt
>them to buy the whole company, so it must have been
pretty good software in
>the first place. Other users seem to have been happy
with the GIANT
>version. (I've been using GIANT's Spam Inspector for
over a year with very
>good results.)
>
>What gives here? Why is it BETA to Microsoft when it
wasn't to GIANT? Has
>AntiSpyware changed that much from the GIANT version to
the MS version? And
>if it did change, why? It sounds like it wasn't broken
when GIANT was
>selling it, so why fix it?
>
>John
>
>
>.
>

Not to mention, this is a beta, new features im sure are
in this product.

>-----Original Message-----
>
>"John Blaustein" <no@spam.com> wrote in message
>news:%
23dzx3lt9EHA.1176@cpmsftngsa05.priv...s.microsoft.com..
..
>
>Just accept they may be making changes to it, hence the
beta tag.
>
>It isn't on a beta site, but it does say beta just about
everywhere, and as
>such it's your choice if you install it.
>
>I don't work for them, just amazed at all the anti-
microsoft comments.
>
>Do you just install new software, labelled as beta,
without taking
>precautions? If so, go back to school.
>
>Andy
>
>
>.
>

Jupiter, Andy, Terry, SofaKing and others,

Thank you for the comments and explanations.

I installed and ran AS with no problems, other than that it wouldn't send a
report of a suspected item it didn't find. Also, I had to run it three
times to find and fix everything. I made my post here after reading about
all the problems people have been having. GIANT's other program, Spam
Inspector, has worked very well for me, so I was surprised to hear that what
had been a release version for them was now a BETA. I'm quite
pro-Microsoft, having used Windows PCs since the '80s.

John


"Jupiter Jones [MVP]" <jones_jupiter@hotnomail.com> wrote in message
news:ecSyxut9EHA.1600@cpmsftngsa05.privatenews.microsoft.com...
> John;
> Regardless of what the previous owners did, Microsoft is the new owner and
> has deemed it a Beta.
> There seem to have been some changes and there will most likely be more.
> The fact is the owners consider it a Beta.
> Users should also treat it as a Beta and install accordingly.
> At your own risk with no one else to blame as so many seem to do with this
> Beta.
>
> --
> Jupiter Jones [MVP]
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/
>
>
> "John Blaustein" <no@spam.com> wrote in message
> news:%23dzx3lt9EHA.1176@cpmsftngsa05.privatenews.microsoft.com...
>> If I understand correctly, GIANT Company -- www.giantcompany.com --
>> developed and marketed AntiSpyware as a complete, finished, fully
>> functional, working software package. They sold it and supported it.
>> Now, Microsoft has purchased GIANT and released the same AntiSpyware
>> software program, calling it BETA with no support.
>>
>> In these newsgroups, the MVPs are saying that since AntiSpyware is a BETA
>> version, users should expect problems, or at least not be surprised by
>> them. One MVP said in a post I just read that users should not install
>> this software on a production machine -- in other words, don't put it on
>> a machine with any critical data. Furthermore, he said that when using
>> BETA software, one should do so with the understanding that it may work
>> so poorly that a reinstall of Windows might be necessary, or necessitate
>> using a Restore Point at very least. And, if you are annoyed by the
>> situation, don't look to Microsoft. Instead, scold yourself for having
>> installed BETA software in the first place. It should be noted that MS
>> has AntiSpyware prominently displayed on it's home page, not buried on
>> some BETA download site.
>>
>> If the GIANT software was worthy of retail distribution, why wouldn't MS
>> simply repackage that and sell it. MS thought it was good enough to
>> prompt them to buy the whole company, so it must have been pretty good
>> software in the first place. Other users seem to have been happy with
>> the GIANT version. (I've been using GIANT's Spam Inspector for over a
>> year with very good results.)
>>
>> What gives here? Why is it BETA to Microsoft when it wasn't to GIANT?
>> Has AntiSpyware changed that much from the GIANT version to the MS
>> version? And if it did change, why? It sounds like it wasn't broken
>> when GIANT was selling it, so why fix it?
>>
>> John
>>
>>
>
>

Microsoft didn't just buy the software, and start letting
people downloading it for free. They made some major
improvments to the giant software, and are not completly
sure they have everything working properly yet. If you
have a problem with this, don't use this software.
>-----Original Message-----
>If I understand correctly, GIANT Company --
www.giantcompany.com --
>developed and marketed AntiSpyware as a complete,
finished, fully
>functional, working software package. They sold it and
supported it. Now,
>Microsoft has purchased GIANT and released the same
AntiSpyware software
>program, calling it BETA with no support.
>
>In these newsgroups, the MVPs are saying that since
AntiSpyware is a BETA
>version, users should expect problems, or at least not be
surprised by them.
>One MVP said in a post I just read that users should not
install this
>software on a production machine -- in other words, don't
put it on a
>machine with any critical data. Furthermore, he said
that when using BETA
>software, one should do so with the understanding that it
may work so poorly
>that a reinstall of Windows might be necessary, or
necessitate using a
>Restore Point at very least. And, if you are annoyed by
the situation,
>don't look to Microsoft. Instead, scold yourself for
having installed BETA
>software in the first place. It should be noted that MS
has AntiSpyware
>prominently displayed on it's home page, not buried on
some BETA download
>site.
>
>If the GIANT software was worthy of retail distribution,
why wouldn't MS
>simply repackage that and sell it. MS thought it was
good enough to prompt
>them to buy the whole company, so it must have been
pretty good software in
>the first place. Other users seem to have been happy
with the GIANT
>version. (I've been using GIANT's Spam Inspector for
over a year with very
>good results.)
>
>What gives here? Why is it BETA to Microsoft when it
wasn't to GIANT? Has
>AntiSpyware changed that much from the GIANT version to
the MS version? And
>if it did change, why? It sounds like it wasn't broken
when GIANT was
>selling it, so why fix it?
>
>John
>
>
>.
>

I don't have a problem with any of it. I am just trying to understand the
situation. MS-AS worked fine when I ran it on my PC.

John


<anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1d2b01c4f75d$24c20210$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> Microsoft didn't just buy the software, and start letting
> people downloading it for free. They made some major
> improvments to the giant software, and are not completly
> sure they have everything working properly yet. If you
> have a problem with this, don't use this software.

Welcome to the real world.
This is called "covering your butt" while still allowing
you to have boasting rights.
Oh...it also allows you to shoot down anybody who
complains that your new software doesnt live up to thier
expectations.

-Kevin.

>-----Original Message-----
>If I understand correctly, GIANT Company --
www.giantcompany.com --
>developed and marketed AntiSpyware as a complete,
finished, fully
>functional, working software package. They sold it and
supported it. Now,
>Microsoft has purchased GIANT and released the same
AntiSpyware software
>program, calling it BETA with no support.
>
>In these newsgroups, the MVPs are saying that since
AntiSpyware is a BETA
>version, users should expect problems, or at least not be
surprised by them.
>One MVP said in a post I just read that users should not
install this
>software on a production machine -- in other words, don't
put it on a
>machine with any critical data. Furthermore, he said
that when using BETA
>software, one should do so with the understanding that it
may work so poorly
>that a reinstall of Windows might be necessary, or
necessitate using a
>Restore Point at very least. And, if you are annoyed by
the situation,
>don't look to Microsoft. Instead, scold yourself for
having installed BETA
>software in the first place. It should be noted that MS
has AntiSpyware
>prominently displayed on it's home page, not buried on
some BETA download
>site.
>
>If the GIANT software was worthy of retail distribution,
why wouldn't MS
>simply repackage that and sell it. MS thought it was
good enough to prompt
>them to buy the whole company, so it must have been
pretty good software in
>the first place. Other users seem to have been happy
with the GIANT
>version. (I've been using GIANT's Spam Inspector for
over a year with very
>good results.)
>
>What gives here? Why is it BETA to Microsoft when it
wasn't to GIANT? Has
>AntiSpyware changed that much from the GIANT version to
the MS version? And
>if it did change, why? It sounds like it wasn't broken
when GIANT was
>selling it, so why fix it?
>
>John
>
>
>.
>