Filed under: Software, Beta Beat
Delicious Library 2 beta on the streets
In a Memorial Day treat for users, Wil Shipley of Delicious Monster announced via a tweet earlier this evening that a beta of Delicious Library 2 is now available for download and purchase. We've been waiting eagerly for DL2 for quite a while now, along with everyone else.Interestingly, on first launch of the new beta you're presented with the dialog on the right. Apparently DL2's scrolling and display performance relies on fixes delivered in Mac OS X 10.5.3 -- that is, fixes you can't get yet in an OS build that hasn't shipped. Patience is a virtue, I suppose.
Update: Wil Shipley replies below. The beta test is of the integrated store functionality in DL2; the software itself is not launched yet, so be cautious.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Chad said 11:27PM on 5-23-2008
delicious library 2 link is broken.
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Queco Jones said 11:40PM on 5-23-2008
I got a 15.3MB zip by following the link posted in the tweet (that is linked to in the article).
Christian said 11:56PM on 5-23-2008
Not-yet-released software that depends on a not-yet-released Mac OS X update? If ever there was an example of vaporware, this is it.
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monsieurG said 12:16AM on 5-24-2008
While i think the software is very polished, I do wish it had a more robust viewing capabilities for itunes music and movies.
Also, when this comes out, it should be free considering how integrated it is with everything Amazon related!!!! There is even a freaking keyboard shortcut to buy an item straight from amazon!!
Overall a nice piece of software but definitely not the software revelation it is hyped up to be!
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kap said 1:56AM on 5-24-2008
The data for all the items you add from your collection all come from Amazon, for free. Amazon allows these hooks into their system if you in turn promote their system and make them a little money. This is how give and take works, this is why there's even a place to retrieve the data from. If you know if any gigantic catalog of all sorts items from DVDs to books to clothing to power tools to whatever that has such easy to use and useful hooks, please let us all know. :P
Fabio P said 6:12AM on 5-24-2008
furthermore, the money raised thru amazon affilating, is not going in the developers pocked, but to charity organisation.
quoting their homepage:
"Every time you buy an item through Delicious Library, Delicious Monster donates 100% of the revenue sharing that it gets from Amazon.com (5-7%) to various charities around the world. Delicious Library users have so far raised thousands and thousands of dollars for tsunami and hurricane relief."
Forrest said 2:36PM on 5-24-2008
Wil, wash your car. It's pwn3d with dirt... and it's a nice car, it really shouldn't be that way... there oughtta be a law.
Jonathan Bloom said 12:47AM on 5-24-2008
Just downloaded the new version and I'm amazed at how well the scanner works, it is a lot better than the previous version. I just upgraded my license!
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Todd Bradley said 1:00AM on 5-24-2008
Good grief, this thing sounds more like Daikatana every time I read about it.
First, literally years ago at this point, we hear the developer say that he can't finish Delicious Library 2 until after Mac OS X 10.5 is released. "The new software needs special stuff that only 10.5 offers. But trust me, it'll be worth the wait. And I won't release my software on a beta release of Mac OS."
OK, fair enough, the world thinks. Then 10.5 is released, and we wait and wait months without hearing a peep. Hopefully, the developer is making great progress updating to the final release. Then 10.5.1 comes out. Still no Delicious Library 2. Then 10.5.2 comes out. Still no Delicious Library 2.
Now we hear, "Oh, it's nearly done. It just requires 10.5.3."
Meanwhile, whatever product momentum he built from Delicious Library 1 has totally faded and most everyone has forgotten about it. At this point, either version 2 needs to be world shatteringly orgasmic, or he might as well just give up and come up with a new idea.
Anyone know what John Romero's been up to the past few years?
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m00 said 3:01AM on 5-24-2008
building Massively multiplayer online games and planning to sell ingame items for real money.
He just can't get it right.
jf said 5:32AM on 5-24-2008
Is it their fault that Apple released 2 public updates to Leopard that did deliver the graphic performance that the Delicious 2 devs would prefer. I'm sure that they didn't want to release Delicious 2, and that it'd be slower then delicious 1 was on Tiger back when it was released. (Or was it released for Panther?)
If they were to release the software (if it were done) with optimizations targeted for 10.5.2 systems, people like you would have probably complained (and with reason) that it's slower then delicious 1 was on a G5.
Knowing a few developers myself, sometimes they want to deliver a good product even if it means waiting for some profit.
I'm sure they didn't want to release some crap application that would destroy their reputation. The community has huge expectations for this release, and I'm sure they want to deliver it.
If they have dev builds of 10.5.3 and it indeed does deliver some new method of improving performance in applications as visually rich as Delicious 2 will be, then god damn-it let them optimize their application for 10.5.3 and above, so that we can all get the performance we expect out of a modern intel mac.
Because I for one would sure hate it if the quality of these applications decrease over time, we would end up with software that feels like most applications do on Windows Vista, sluggish and awkward. Comic Life Magic for example is not the most responsive app, and because of that I don't use it as often as I would if it was speedier. I have a damn core 2 duo, and 4gb of ram and 256mb of video ram how much more resources does that application require. It's just slow, they need improve its performance more to deliver the same experience as if I was using Comic Life.
That is preciously the experience they want to avoid with Delicious 2. And most important of all, its a commercial application so they have even higher standards to meet.
Unless of course you wouldn't mind the same feedback as Times (not the recently released silverlight app from NYT) has gotten with all it's bugs and graphical glitches.
Just wait for 10.5.3, and wait for Delicious Library 2, I'm sure it will be worth it.
etchasketch said 1:29AM on 5-24-2008
Can someone explain to me why I would need this software? I know it's been a big hit but I never quite "got" it. Is it just oddly satisfying to have a list of all your stuff?
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fishbert said 6:15AM on 5-24-2008
It sure is when someone breaks in to your house and takes a bunch of it. I wish there was a way to attach my own pictures to the DL listing -- that would be even more handy in such a circumstance.
Eddie said 11:10PM on 5-24-2008
When you don't keep the jewel cases for your library and instead keep them in sleeves in a case. It's nice to have a virtual bookshelf of my DVDs for quick display when someone asks, "so what do you have?"
William Shipley said 2:10AM on 5-24-2008
Ok, we're beta-testing the store -- the software isn't officially "launched" yet. If you download that link you'll see the "beta" on the info pane.
DL2 doesn't REQUIRE 10.5.3, it just runs faster under 10.5.3. There are fixes I need to go full-speed. What exactly do you want me to do?
Todd: Every time you tear someone down, you die a bit inside.
-W
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Toma said 2:27AM on 5-24-2008
Will:
As someone who bought DL 1 just because he was anticipating version 2, I appreciate your gesture in releasing this beta.
However, it seems like you're in a lose-lose situation right now. Your options were to either release the software early and have people complain ("It requires unreleased software to run more smoothly?") or to release it a little later and have people complain ("About time.") As a user I'm not sure which option is more appealing; that being said, I'm waiting on 10.5.3 before I upgrade.
Ben C said 2:59AM on 5-24-2008
While I won't deny most of us DL fans have been getting antsy waiting... and waiting... for DL2, the Daikatana comparison was uncalled for. Kudos at least for not using the far more cliché Duke Nukem Forever, but still: don't listen to those guys. Take all the time you need. Releasing the beta was a wise idea and I'm eager for the final release.
m00 said 3:06AM on 5-24-2008
Ben C: Comparing it to Duke would be wrong, since DM actually released a Beta version, 3dReals still didn't.
Todd Bradley said 10:26AM on 5-24-2008
W: I hope you didn't take my comment personally. As someone else pointed out above, this is commercial software. Therefore, it's all business. Your decision to announce the new version years in advance of release was a business decision. And since I don't own the company or otherwise know your business objectives, I can't really say if it's been a good decision or not. Sorry if you felt "torn down" by my comment.
Libb said 1:55AM on 5-24-2008
Unless my lowly iBook has been stealth upgraded to 10.5.3 when I wasn't looking, the scrolling and zooming performance is fine under 10.5.2. I'm sure that whatever special sauce is in 10.5.3 will make it even faster, but I think everyone's doomsday proclamation that "ZOMG! Shipley's bamboozling us!" is unwarranted.
I immediately upgraded my MacHeist-purchased license out of love for the app, respect for the developer, and loyalty from him participating in MH. Worth every penny.
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