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EMPLOYEE
I'm attaching here a mockup that explains how our Check for Updates might work.
And here you can download the BMML: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/335644/Upd...
Thanks in advance to the good friends of Mockups for any suggestion and comment!
I’m
happy to hear from you
Help me design the Check for Updates Feature
Hi all! It's time for me to work on a new feature for Mockups, "Check for Updates." Many programs provide more or less the same implementations with very few differences. Is it possible to develop something better?
I'm attaching here a mockup that explains how our Check for Updates might work.
And here you can download the BMML: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/335644/Upd...
Thanks in advance to the good friends of Mockups for any suggestion and comment!
I'm attaching here a mockup that explains how our Check for Updates might work.
And here you can download the BMML: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/335644/Upd...
Thanks in advance to the good friends of Mockups for any suggestion and comment!
Promoted
Response
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I’m
excited
3Once a month is too infrequent. I always check for updates weekly/daily. (But maybe that's outside your target group, since the hardcore fans read the blog every 20 minutes anyway and manually download all updates).
Other than the frequency, looks good/straightforward. I imagine there will be a menu item to also force manual update check.
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I’m
excited
3Once a month is too infrequent. I always check for updates weekly/daily. (But maybe that's outside your target group, since the hardcore fans read the blog every 20 minutes anyway and manually download all updates).
Other than the frequency, looks good/straightforward. I imagine there will be a menu item to also force manual update check.Comment -
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EMPLOYEE
I’m
thankful
Hi Jaanus, thanks for the feedback. Our current thinking is that the check happens every time you open the dialog (via a new "Help/Check for Updates..." menu item). It's not on launch, but you can get to it pretty quickly. What do you think? -
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Well, it DOES happen on launch if the checkbox is checked, right? I think the "check on launch when checkbox is checked" + menu item are fine.
Also, will you make it opt-in or opt-out? Opt-out makes more sense to me, since most people will want the updates, and there needs to be some special reason why you would NOT want the update. If you make it opt-in (checkbox unchecked by default, you need to approach it via menu), many people will not notice this feature.
+ is this only for desktop version I guess? In the desktop case users can install it themselves, but in case of server it requires admin action and regular user shouldn't see it.-
Correct, we're thinking that the defaults are checkbox on (i.e. opt-out), check on launch once a month.
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Awesome! We couldn't convince Peldi to do implement this =) glad to see this at the top of your list.
Only small change would be changing the button at the bottom from "Upgrade" to "Update" -
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Would be helpful to know when I last updated (in addition to my currently installed version). The versions probably don't mean much to most users, but knowing that I haven't updated in 6 months tells me I'm using really old code.
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Hi Adam, currently you can see the release date of the version you have installed in Help/About. We'll add the info even in the Check for Updates dialog, it's useful.
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Can there be a "secret" mode which allows me to download the "next release preview" version?
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Hi Adam, I thought about that, but the pre-release gets integrated into the main every Sunday, so it never really differs from the main that much...plus you'll know if there's something worth testing in the pre-release...don't you already? ;)
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I suppose that is true if the weekly release is sustainable. =) I suppose I'm just a fan of easter eggs.
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I’m
happy
2I think upgrade check should occur at each startup. Only display window if upgrade available and let user select which version they want to upgrade to if there have been several updates since current version. Also have a "check for updates" menu option.
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Hi Noel, thanks for taking the time to draw a new mockup. We cannot save each release and let you choose which to upgrade to...what's going to happen if you don't want the features in version 7 but want the one in 8? Upgrading to 8 will get you all of 7's...
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The idea was that if you wanted to not be so current, you could (like if u just upgraded to XP when Vista came out). I guess the original mockup with the separate releases was confusing. You just want to show what's new since current release, that's fine. I would display in chrono order not reverse chrono then and maybe a heading "Changes since installed version"
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Ok, point taken about some of you wanting to check for updates on each startup. We might add an option to choose how often to check, with "once a month" for default and an option to go to weekly, daily or "on every launch". Would that do?
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sounds good to me.
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What about a radio button: [on startup] [once a month]
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Why not once a week? That's what I'd choose (I know the app gets updated once a week). We'll mock it up.
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1Whatever you do here, please also consider this. It's very important...
http://getsatisfaction.com/balsamiq/t... -
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I’m
happy
1This is related to Noel's idea of checking at every launch. Instead of the user checking to see if there's something available, it would be a lot better to be informed that something new's available. "A new version is out. Check out what has been added.." and this shows the new things and a 'Upgrade'/'Not Now'.
This is something from my days as a programmer at an antivirus company, as we would have to push signature updates. While those needed to be up-to-date and immediate, it is not necessarily the case here. But the point is, why make the user's keep track of one more thing? Pushing vs Pulling, and while experienced users like to pull, pushing might be a better idea for everyone.-
Hi Arv, we will check at launch if you select the checkbox (and it will be selected by default, at least in the Desktop version). Of course opening the dialog is also a way to check, but not the only one. The discussion is about how often to check. We are going to provide a pulldown with the following: Daily, Weekly and Monthly.
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I'm only partially following this thread so pardon me if it's been brought up. But why not have the user selected the frequency of when to check for upgrades.
- Each time
- Every day
- Each week
- Each month
- Never -
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Yup, that is EXACTLY what the current plan is, thank you Michael! Great minds... ;)
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I agree on the design decisions to date, good job. Currently it's hard to update and even hard to find the correct download page on the website, so this will help a lot. -
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While you're working on the automation, put a link in the help / about page that points directly to the update page on your website. That will save a lot of hunting.
Be opinionated about frequency and avoid preference configuration hell. Choose weekly if that suits you; most seem to agree that monthly is too long, especially if you're releasing every week. Frankly, I'm not sure I even care what the frequency is. The check box should be "Check for updates," period. Users won't care when the check happens. And for those that do care, include a "Check for updates..." menu item so they can check right away.
In most conceivable real world situations, you probably should just check on every launch. The only reason not to is for load on your server. If your web site can't handle that load, you have bigger problems (the good kind of problem -- you're too popular :-). -
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Marco,
We implemented this feature for our products and the customer's love it. We create tax & accounting apps and we often need to post updates due to rate table changes, emergency tax law changes, etc. Rather than write all of this ourselves (I tend to be a buy-before-you-build kind of developer), we use TrueUpdate from IndigoRose. It's a great toolkit allowing you to script out your updating process pretty much anyway you wish. We put in check for update automatically, check for update on demand, etc with very little effort.
Hope this helps,
MB -
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Update -
I would recommend going with "check for update on startup" and a "check for update" on the Help menu. There's no need for a "check for update every N minutes". We did that for one of our apps and found that either no one used it or we received calls from customers who were annoyed with it. In practice, people tend to open/close the app on a regular enough basis to make an auto check every so many minutes unnecessary. So basically, just the 2 options I mention above.
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Hi Adam, I'll take this one. It's my fault for taking Marco off of this feature, but the two announcements we're gearing up to do in the next few weeks will explain why. We'll get to everything, stick with us! :)
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I’m
pumped. I wanna see more Balsamiq-ware. It's the best stuff out there.
You're setting expectations pretty high =).
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I’m
concerned
1Please don't increase the startup time in case of a slow network connection. Instead start the application and do the "is there a new version" check in the background. -
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We're not letting you off the hook on this one =)
By the way, I'd really curious to know what versions of Mockups your customers are running. Anyway you can tell that? Do most keep up to date by manually upgrading or are many using old versions?-
Hi Adam, the answer is "I have no idea", but for some reason this doesn't bother me in the least. Am I foolish, naive, or what?
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I suppose only inasmuch as they are driving support requests. I guess the other thing is that people have paid for mockups and aren't getting the full mockups experience - that would suck since zoom, pasting images, etc are newish features. (but maybe for those people mockups does what they need it to do...)
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I’m
thankful
I'd like to have "check on startup" as option... just to be sure to don't have "noise" while sketching...
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I’m
intrigued but apprehensive
In our company, we want to try to keep individual user versions of the desktop app in sync with each other, but also with the confluence plugin version, which has to be updated on a slightly different schedule, because the group in our company that maintains confluence (considered an "enterprise app") is different from individual users maintaining their own desktops.
Has a solution been imagined for the confluence (and other) plugins as well? -
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One of your partner's products NAPKEE does a great job in this respect. He seems to use the native Abode AIR UI/AX to check on startup (also via the help menu) and it upgrades in situ, with a section for releas enotes. -
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I’m
disappointed.
1I didn't realize when I posted earlier that this idea has languished for an entire year. PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS GO ANOTHER YEAR. That's all, thanks. -
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I’m
confident
So I used to think that I wanted to be notified when a new version was installed. Since google chrome was released I find I don't mind that it updates in the background. Have you considered if you opt in, to allow the for checking for updates when opening Balsamiq and then upgrading silently when closing? -
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I’m
wondering.
1Is there any reason why Balsamiq doesn't use the built-in AIR update capabilities? (http://gregsramblings.com/2009/10/16/...)
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Hi there, a quick update. We are taking little steps to make this feature possible. Sorry it's taking a long time but bigger, more important issues always seem to take precedence over this. Here's what we did in this area recently:
- added a "check for updates" menu item (in the "Balsamiq Mockups" menu on OS X and in the Help menu on Win / Linux).
- for now, the menu item just goes to http://www.balsamiq.com/products/mock...
- we just released a new "install badge" on that page which now tells you the version number properly and also says "Update Mockups" or "Launch Mockups", depending on the version you're currently running.
- the badge also has a link to the release notes.
The next step is to move the version check from the badge into the application itself, which should be quick.
A little bit at the time, we're getting there! :)- view 1 more comment
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Hi Jon. Since I added the "check for updates" menu 4 months ago, I haven't received very many requests to do anything more. That's why the priority has gone down. We'll add in-app-cheking, eventually, if people really want it. :)
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In response to Peldi, I would love to have this feature implemented, I just feel that every other mockup/prototyping software in Air has this feature. Maybe I am the only one who feels this way, maybe not.
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It's possibly too late to comment on this (although I notice that Check for Updates... on the Mac OS X doesn't look anything like this yet), but I have a small note.
The "Last updated" note would be more useful on the (2b up-to-date) version. See attached image.
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I’m
cutting the fat
The current implementation of this "feature" causes the following steps for me on Mac OS X
1 Choose "Check for Updates" from Balsamiq Mockups menu
2 System launches Chrome to http://www.balsamiq.com/products/mock...
3 Read the Update Mockups flash button
4 Realize I don't know what the version of Mockups I'm running is
5 Choose About Google Chrome from the Chrome menu by mistake
6 Switch focus back to Mockups
7. Choose "About Balsamiq Mockups" from the Balsamiq Mockups menu
8. Read the modal dialog
9. Switch back to Chrome to see if the version numbers or dates match
10. They don't, so click on the Update Mockups button
11. Answer "Open" when AIR Application install is finished downloading
12. Get the Currently Running dialog from AIR application install
13. Switch focus back to Balsamiq mockups
14. Close the About dialog
15. Quit Balsamiq mockups. Potentially go through multiple save/save as confirmations
16. Switch focus back to Application install
17. Click Replace on AIR Application install dialog
18. Enter OS password
I humbly propose that overdesign might be bogging down delivering on the replacement of these manual steps.
What if balsamiq.com had a web service that simply broadcast the current version number, and the mockups Check For Updates button just called that web service and either told the user all was up to date or actually downloaded the new version? That would take the first 10 steps above down to 1. Can we have that sooner, and layer on all the other logic later?-
Tremendous amount of detail, I like it.
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I just updated for the first time today (only was a minor revision out of date but I went through the same flow. I would prefer the webservice approach as well with an icon/notification somewhere in the interface that says I'm out of date and launches into a dialogue about what the update contains and has a simple "download now" or "wait/cancel" to get out.
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