Author Topic: SoftMaker Office 2012 BETA testing (Read 96,315 times)

Curt · « **Reply #25 on:** October 25, 2011, 10:01 PM »

Quote

------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Second beta of SoftMaker Office 2012 for Windows
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The public beta test of SoftMaker Office 2012 for Windows progresses
nicely. We have just released the second beta that comes with the
following improvements:

- PPTX export completed (animations are now exported, too).
- Berlitz translation dictionaries included
- Improved PDF export
- Improvements to all import and export filters

If you have already downloaded and installed the first beta, you can
simply download and install the second beta from here:

http://www.softmaker.net/down/ofw2012probeta.exe

If you want to participate in this beta test for the first time,
please register and download the beta here:

http://www.softmaker.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

40hz · « **Reply #26 on:** October 25, 2011, 10:08 PM »

Thx Curt!

I was wondering when the second beta would be out.

FYI - the first was very impressive.

Can't wait to see if they fixed the two minor glitches I ran into - and if the email client is ready.

Curt · « **Reply #27 on:** October 25, 2011, 10:14 PM »

-no email client yet.
AFAIK the "final" SoftMaker 2012 will be launched before the email client is ready.

tomos · « **Reply #28 on:** October 26, 2011, 10:23 AM »

Quote from: Curt on October 25, 2011, 10:14 PM

-no email client yet.
AFAIK the "final" SoftMaker 2012 will be launched before the email client is ready.

shame, looking forward to seeing what they come up with

Steven Avery · « **Reply #29 on:** October 26, 2011, 02:31 PM »

Hi Folks,

Quote from: Curt on October 25, 2011, 10:14 PM

-no email client yet.

hmmm... us Eudora users are always looking for a long-term upgrade, as everything like Penelope and other tries remains uneasy. (Yes, there is also Thunderbird, Bat.. the DC winner ... Becky, Poco, Pegasus, Opera and Mailforge, formerly Odysseus, which desires specifically to be a Eudora replacement.)

However, I doubt that a newbie that is not an email specialist will be real sophisticated.
Anyway, when it comes out, keep us informed.
Maybe it will be a pleasant surprise.

Shalom,
Steven

cyberdiva · « **Reply #30 on:** October 26, 2011, 04:47 PM »

Quote from: Steven Avery on October 26, 2011, 02:31 PM

hmmm... us Eudora users are always looking for a long-term upgrade, as everything like Penelope and other tries remains uneasy. (Yes, there is also Thunderbird, Bat.. the DC winner ... Becky, Poco, Pegasus, Opera and Mailforge, formerly Odysseus, which desires specifically to be a Eudora replacement.)

Hi, Steven. I'm using Mulberry, and, like you, am very eager to see what Softmaker's email client will look like. I've tried TBird, the Bat, Becky, Pocomail, Pegasus, and several others (including, I think, Penelope), but I keep coming back to Mulberry, even though it hasn't been substantially updated in about five years or more. I share your skepticism about the sophistication a newbie client from a non-specialist company is likely to offer, but I can always hope. In the meantime, Mulberry continues to meet most of my needs better than any other email client I've tried.

TucknDar · « **Reply #31 on:** October 27, 2011, 04:17 PM »

If you want to look at the email client they'll include, it is available here: http://www.emclient.com/

It's the Pro version of eM Client that will be incorporated in the Softmaker Office (Pro-version). I don't know if it will be a specially designed version of eM Client or what changes there are from the standalone client, but the free version is very nice IMO.

Tuxman · « **Reply #32 on:** October 27, 2011, 04:29 PM »

Meh. Looks like Thunderbird.

Curt · « **Reply #33 on:** October 27, 2011, 04:45 PM »

Quote from: TucknDar on October 27, 2011, 04:17 PM

http://www.emclient.com/

http://www.bitsdujour.com/software/em-client/ 50% off for another 14 hours.

edited:

Quote

you can install on laptop and PC, but you need to request (the extra) license manually at sales@emclient.com

video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7io02-QYRSU

$149.95 Lifetime Upgrades, Today approx $100 via Bits du Jour

tomos · « **Reply #34 on:** October 27, 2011, 06:19 PM »

Quote from: Curt on October 27, 2011, 04:45 PM

$149.95 Lifetime Upgrades, Today approx $100 via Bits du Jour

I thought that was fairly expensive:
rounding it up, it's actually "only" $50 & $25 respectively

EDIT/ their comparision page leave a lot to be desired
http://www.emclient.com/pro-vs-free
(link is given on the BDJ page as "the comparison with Outlook, Thunderbird and others")

mwb1100 · « **Reply #35 on:** October 27, 2011, 06:57 PM »

Quote from: tomos on October 27, 2011, 06:19 PM

EDIT/ their comparision page leave a lot to be desired
http://www.emclient.com/pro-vs-free
(link is given on the BDJ page as "the comparison with Outlook, Thunderbird and others")

The correct link for the competitive comparison should be:

http://www.emclient.com/how-we-compare

Curt · « **Reply #36 on:** October 27, 2011, 08:57 PM »

Quote from: tomos on October 27, 2011, 06:19 PM

Quote from: Curt on October 27, 2011, 04:45 PM
$149.95 Lifetime Upgrades, Today approx $100 via Bits du Jour
I thought that was fairly expensive:
rounding it up, it's actually "only" $50 & $25 respectively

-no, that is merely a one year license, and then another $20 per year!
The lifetime offer only shows up if you click "buy" and place a check mark in "lifetime license".

tomos · « **Reply #37 on:** October 27, 2011, 09:02 PM »

thanks Curt & mwb for clarifications

(... wondering what Softmaker Office price increase will be once it gets email)

Curt · « **Reply #38 on:** October 27, 2011, 09:23 PM »

[attachimg=#]

- a little cheaper than the original eM Client. But no lifetime key.

SoftMaker · « **Reply #39 on:** October 28, 2011, 08:06 PM »

A little cheaper if you use only one of the licenses in the SoftMaker Office Professional package. A whole lot cheaper if you can make use of the second and third license of eM Client that is in every SoftMaker Office Professional package...

Note, too, that while we don't offer free lifetime upgrades, you get free upgrades of eM Client during the lifetime of SoftMaker Office Professional 2012. At least for early adopters of Office 2012, that is twice the free upgrade time compared to the 1 year of free upgrades of the eM Client package from its manufacturer.

Martin Kotulla
SoftMaker Software GmbH

Curt · « **Reply #40 on:** November 01, 2011, 08:42 PM »

Quote from: SoftMaker

------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Final beta of SoftMaker Office 2012 for Windows
------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the second beta of SoftMaker Office 2012 for Windows expired today,
we have just released the third and probably final beta.

This build contains not only bug fixes but also, for the first time,
SoftMaker eM Client 3.5 that manages your e-mails, contacts, tasks, and
calendars.

If you have already downloaded and installed a previous beta, you can
simply download and install the third beta from here:

http://www.softmaker.net/down/ofw2012probeta.exe

If you want to participate in this beta test for the first time,
please register and download the beta here:

http://www.softmaker.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"3.5", not merely "3"

Curt · « **Reply #41 on:** November 02, 2011, 05:32 PM »

Quote from: Curt on November 01, 2011, 08:42 PM

This build contains not only bug fixes but also, for the first time,
SoftMaker eM Client 3.5 that manages your e-mails, contacts, tasks, and
calendars.

Compared to the original eM Client version 3.0, Softmaker claims over 500 bug fixes and optimizations, and major startup speed improvement, in their version 3.5.

However, I am not (yet) a fan of it.

tomos · « **Reply #42 on:** November 03, 2011, 09:33 AM »

Quote from: Curt on November 02, 2011, 05:32 PM

Compared to the original eM Client version 3.0, Softmaker claims over 500 bug fixes and optimizations, and major startup speed improvement, in their version 3.5.

However, I am not (yet) a fan of it.

what's your usual email client Curt ?

edit/ is it too soon to ask why you're not a fan

?

Curt · « **Reply #43 on:** November 03, 2011, 01:54 PM »

/edit: it is on the contrary almost too late to ask; Pro 2012 including eM Client has left the building ;-)

My Internet Supplier is somewhat different from most ISP companies, because this one also gives me my television, telephone, download music (10 million tracks), rent-a-movie, email account, backup in the clouds, and so on - meaning that most of the time I am logged in. Already being logged in, I may as well read my emails while I am there. They also have a highly effecient filter: I get maybe one or two unwanted mails per week! So, about email clients, well, I have Thunderbird and Outlook 2003, and I like them both, and if you want me to adopt a new one, you better make it out of the ordinary! :-) SoftMaker eM Client is not bad in any way, it is actually quite good, but it is just not that extraordinary.

nilo2 · « **Reply #44 on:** November 17, 2011, 02:29 PM »

Will there be any discount to upgrade from Ashampoo 2010 to Softmaker 2012? (The lower-level version without emClient)

40hz · « **Reply #45 on:** November 19, 2011, 07:12 PM »

Just finished putting the latest beta through its paces and I'm very impressed.

The new email client is quite nice. Lightning fast. Packs much of the look and feel of Outlook without all the MS Exchange baggage that comes along for the ride. About the only feature it lacks (or I maybe haven't discovered how to do yet) is turn an email into a task on the to-do list. Not a showstopper - but that little feature is one of Outlook's handiest tools. Especially if your life and work revolves around things that come in via email.

Some nice tweaks in the rest of the suite as well.

Softmaker goes on my short list for clients that are very tight on cash but still can't afford to stray too far away from the Microsoft look & feel for productivity reasons. Figure if they need full compatibility with Office they can always order one or two copies and put those on kiosk type machines so they're available, and then populate the rest of their PCs with SO.

Much as I admire (and use) LibreOffice, I still think Softmaker's offering is too good to rule out just because of the modest price they're asking. Even for individuals and groups on very tight budgets.

Sweet suite!

TucknDar · « **Reply #46 on:** November 20, 2011, 08:29 AM »

Quote from: 40hz on November 19, 2011, 07:12 PM

About the only feature it lacks (or I maybe haven't discovered how to do yet) is turn an email into a task on the to-do list.

'Actions' menu -> 'Create Task from Message'?

Quote from: 40hz on November 19, 2011, 07:12 PM

Sweet suite!

Definitely agree! I love SMO!

Shades · « **Reply #47 on:** November 20, 2011, 02:30 PM »

As the policy here does not allow me to install this beta, can someone tell me if the email client supports the same versions of MAPI than Outlook?

There is simple MAPI which is supported on practically any client. Unfortunately there is also extended MAPI and that one is only supported by Outlook...as far as my knowledge goes. And what about CAPI (cryptography)?

Thanks in advance.

40hz · « **Reply #48 on:** November 20, 2011, 02:44 PM »

@TucknDar - Thx! (40hz gob-smacks himself.)

40hz · « **Reply #49 on:** November 20, 2011, 03:03 PM »

Quote from: Shades on November 20, 2011, 02:30 PM

As the policy here does not allow me to install this beta, can someone tell me if the email client supports the same versions of MAPI than Outlook?

There is simple MAPI which is supported on practically any client. Unfortunately there is also extended MAPI and that one is only supported by Outlook...as far as my knowledge goes. And what about CAPI (cryptography)?

Thanks in advance.

I'm guessing it doesn't support extended MAPI and it probably won't ever. Especially since Microsoft is fairly committed to migrating Outlook/Exchange users over to it's new and more robust Exchange Web Services (EWS) and therefor considers Extended MAPI a legacy API.