Archicad 27 Beta Testing vs "Technology Preview" program

[Stress Co_]

As in the title... are these one-in-the-same?

LINK: Technology Preview Program to start on July 10, 2023 

[DGSketcher · Accepted solution]

No, they are different. Beta will have been to catch the major problems. Tech Prev will allow more testing with a more stable offering to a wider audience. Use at your own risk. The official AC27 release is in September.

[Stress Co_]

I found this after posting (from the AC26 Preview):

"Graphisoft is proud to announce the launch of the product preview phase of our software development for Archicad 26. This is in lieu of an expanded Beta period. This year, we changed our product Beta process to make it more streamlined, efficient, and effective. However, recognizing the need for customers to try our upcoming release in advance and in order to collect your feedback, our product preview will be launched at the start of our Beta period when all languages of the preview software are ready"

[DGSketcher]

I guess it depends on how you look at it. Beta in the past has been by invitation to a limited group that will "test" AC. Tech Preview is I hope stable, but it is still considered to be in development, so you could argue it is part of an extended Beta. I'm sure GS are grateful for any feedback if you want to engage with the TP version as it does help with getting AC ready for September.

[Karl Ottenstein]

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@Stress Co_ wrote:

I found this after posting (from the AC26 Preview):

"... our product preview will be launched at the start of our Beta period when all languages of the preview software are ready"

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And to @Bricklyne Clarence  - "start" is a typo.  They meant to say "end".  As seen in the public development cycle timeline (cannot find the link at the moment)...Preview follows Beta.  But, as said in this thread, it is really an extended beta of sorts, but with a totally different infrastructure.  I do not believe that an NDA is required for the Preview which I think is open to everyone... but I've not seen the details.  We'll know next week.

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Graphisoft-Insights/Technology-Preview-Program-to-start-on-July-...

[Bricklyne Clarence]

It's a difference without a distinction, IMO.

- You're still testing it.

- You're still testing it for bugs and flaws and reporting back them (just not officially)

- Your feedback (on a fundamental structural level) while welcome, is ultimately useless.

I believe you still sign an NDA(?) so you can't really talk about it or the features (...which kind of defeats the whole point of a "Technology Preview" at least with how it works in other companies and software), and thus don't really contribute to increasing the buzz and market awareness of it.

As has been noted, this Technology Preview just seems like an extended Beta-testing phase, that we just happen not to be calling that.

In other words, a rebranded (and extended) "Beta-testing" phase.

And look, I'm all for GS having more time to fine-tune the program and get (even more) bugs out of the release and make for a better product at launch.

Just please dispense with the marketing claptrap and rebranding and rhetorical sleight-of-hand nonsense.

Edit :

In fact your latest post adding the statement from GS themselves all but confirms it when they say the Tech Preview will commence at the start of the Beta period.

So it IS the Beta testing phase, that they're just calling by a different (and more market-friendly) name.

From the stories I've heard from former beta-testers in the past (including some accounts posted on here from even as recently as the last year's beta-testing process), I'm not entirely convinced they'll be any  more receptive to user  feedback and constructive critiques than they've been known to be in the past versions with this new rebranded TP process.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Quick thoughts:

• If I read correctly the Tech Preview will be open to all users who apply. It comes after the "Building Together Event"  and by that point NDAs are pointless.
• My experience during this Beta has been much better than 26 and previous years.

27 Beta might be an anomaly as they switch to the new workflow after the issues with 26 and based on what GS published here:

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Graphisoft-Insights/New-Yearly-Release-Cycle/ba-p/373014

I agree that at is core it is a rebranding but it is more logical and easier to understand.

My interpretation:

• Guided Validation- Pre-Alpha? (Development release) for select users
• User Validation Code Freeze- Alpha release for selected users - Bugs and workflow review in new features mainly
• Beta (Feature locked only bugs to report) with a bigger pool of select users
• Tech Preview (Previously known as Release Candidate / Initial Release, AKA Don't use this one wait for Update 01) open to all but there might be bugs missed during Beta. Its main function is final testing for production implementation. IMO could be used in production with minimum risk.
• Official Release previously known as Update 01, AKA the one most offices wait to upgrade to.

The critical area going forward is which users will be invited to the Guided Validation since that is the phase were the decisions are finalized.

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@Bricklyne Clarence 

Edit :

In fact your latest post adding the statement from GS themselves all but confirms it when they say the Tech Preview will commence at the start of the Beta period.

The link I posted shows that Tech Preview does not commence with the Beta, it is its own phase. You can argue that it is an "Extended Beta" if you want but I prefer to think of it as "Implementation (Roll Out) Phase".

 

[Eduardo Rolon]

More info and registration for AC27 Technology Preview can be found here:

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Graphisoft-Technology-Preview/gh-p/Technology-Preview-2023