LabVIEW
Announcing the LabVIEW 2010 Platform beta
No, LabVIEW 2010 is not just a bug fix patch to LabVIEW 2009. Very, very not. 
As for the pace of LabVIEW releases...I suppose it really depends on your perspective. If LabVIEW already does everything you need then you want us to slow the pace of releases, if it doesn't then you want us to speed up - at least in the areas you care about.
Every year LabVIEW breaks new ground in areas where it is being used and that opens up functionality that needs to be added to make it more attractive in those new areas. The R&D team works very hard to make those changes applicable to as wide an audience as possible. We also get feature requests from customers that we put into place.
I'd recommend applying for the beta so you can get an advanced look at the software. It'll also give you a chance to ensure that any bugs that are currently in the software do not affect your applications.
REM1 wrote:.... The R&D team works very hard to make those changes applicable to as wide an audience as possible.
I fully agree and am convinced about it. Guys are doing a great job.
Adding features either by an internal process or external customer requests is defenitley the way for continuous improvement. And I am sure you guys are trying very hard to maintain the backward compatibility aspect. Still releasing a Major version every year has this defenite downside : There is this client for whom a code done in LV7 is all that is needed. But when he gets to know that LV2009 is already out, he wants it ONLY, whether it is justified or not. But you know its a basic datalogging application, quite OK with LV7.0 and if you do not have LV2009 , you either invest in it or loose out the business.
I was just thinking if you can hold on to a specific version say for two years or so and release plug ins that the user may choose to add on as required. And once you know these are all bug free, merge them into a next major version. The Windows OS has in-built drivers for thousands of printers and scanners and one of the reason it takes 1 GB for simple install. Yet when I bought my new printer lst week, I loaded the driver that came with the printer ! I do agree that the dividing line between a universal package and a custom package is difficult to arrive.
Of course I have already enrolled for the Beta version, just not to loose out on a head start
Raghunathan wrote:I was just thinking if you can hold on to a specific version say for two years or so and release plug ins that the user may choose to add on as required. And once you know these are all bug free, merge them into a next major version. The Windows OS has in-built drivers for thousands of printers and scanners and one of the reason it takes 1 GB for simple install. Yet when I bought my new printer lst week, I loaded the driver that came with the printer ! I do agree that the dividing line between a universal package and a custom package is difficult to arrive.
I can not agree more with you Raghunathan. I have to admit I skipped Labview 8.0 to 8.5. But I upgraded then Labview 8.6 came out. And I am also happy that I completely ignored Windows Vista. I as customer want stability before a not quite error free new version, with only minor changes. But NI (the marketing department) want to sell, and think that they can create an artificial need by presenting a "new" version every year. I will also remind REM1 about the posting "Do you use LabVIEW but not apply for the beta?" http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&message.id=375205 That REM1 posted for about a year ago. It is quite interesting to see which postings that get most kudos
But anyway REM1, are you entitled to leak some teasers about what will be new in the 2010 version. Or at least point to some areas which will contain new element(s)
