Although the PSP7 beta test is now over and the final version released and shipped, I've left this page up jsut in case nayone is interested!

Generally, a software program starts in Alpha, a stage in which it is barely functional and usually no one sees it but the software developers. The next stage is Beta when it is not yet finished or polished but needs testing, stressing and exploration by actual users. Do NOT expect a beta program to work properly in every way. The beta phase is for finding bugs, problems, glitches, awkwardness, et cetera.

This is where beta testers come in... JASC, as many other software companies, enlists its users in the beta phase. Who better to test functionality, new features and find problems? Usually, new beta releases appear every few weeks until all the bugs are gone, well, at least everything the beta testers have found. Sometimes, the first few beta releases do not yet include all features. For example, PSP7 Beta 1 did not have the option to choose color for text in the text dialog box like PSP6 has (one of my favorite features of PSP6!) but this has been included in Beta 2.

If you want to participate in beta testing, be prepared for some problems, save your work more frequently than usual as program crashes are not unusual. But, you also get to be a part of the creation, in on the ground floor, and when the actual release comes out, you're ahead of the game in explaining to all those confused new users <grin>!!

To be a part of JASC's beta test phase of PSP7, go to http://www.jasc.com/psp7.asp? and download the monster, all 29megs of it. Be sure to choose a download site that is resumable and try to avoid attempting this in heavy use hours. One friend of mine got up at 4AM, set the download and went back to bed! Install the beta but do NOT remove your current PSP program.

Now, poke around these pages and the other links I've listed and see what it can do and watch for bugs. To really particpate, head for the JASC news group for the beta program by going to Help on the PSP7 menubar, choose JASC Software Online... Connect to product newsgroup. I suggest reading the messages for a bit --- in a newsgroup you can read backwards in the messages as well to pick up the threads of discussion. This newsgroup is specifically for the discussion of the PSP7 beta and not for other PSP issues but the discussions about the pros and cons of the new features and changed functions is fascinating and some of the best PSP users are there, such as Mardi Wetmore of Mardi's Web, Robin Rowland of The Hood, State of Entropy's Tom Vallombroso, PaintShopPro6 Power's Lori Davis and other well known PSP users and tutorial writers.