Automatic notification on new releases

[David]

We often get the request to add some sort of notification whenever there's a new version of the software.
Until now, we've been a bit hesitant as that requires a message from your computer to our server over the internet. Some people might be less than happy about that as it might be seen as an invasion of privacy. Surely, it gives us some information about you(r computer IP address).

How do you feel? Of course, we could make this functionality optional. But would it be considered useful at all?

Kind regards,

The AnyRail Development team.

[santerdam]

David,

An automatic update notification is a good idea, I guess, for many users. Making the functionality optional for sure is needed. Not everybody would like this (me for example).

When you notify a new release on the forum, the new post indicator and the indicator are very helpfull to see where to go on the forum.

Alternative idea : Registered users can subscribe for e-mail noticifation for a new-release-announcement. You don't need any automatic feedback from our computers. You know you have a new release and for sure, nobody has that new release at release-moment. Thus you can do an email-blast without feedback what release I am using.

Regards,

Sander

[kimbo]

Wouldn't it be possible to simply have an upgrade feature on the software itself?
You could have it that a user sets it up to check for a new version daily, weekly, monthly thereby allowing the user full control.

[Andrew]

I think it better to KIS, keep it simple. Perhaps on the Forum site another page be added along side the Home or Help pages so you can see all versions and updates as to what the changes are.

Yours,
Andy

[Vincent]

I think it's a good idea. It's very useful I think. For those who feel it's intrusive you can make it optional. Maybe a setting that can be set during the installation?

Not every user comes to this forum. Personally I was quite late discovering it (maybe coz there was no link on the Dutch version of the website?) It's really annoying having to come to the website to check for new versions.

So, yeah, please go for it :-)

[kimbo]

Just in case my post wasn't quite clear, my suggestion was to have the update software as one of the options in the drop-down menus under Help.

Other alternative is a newsletter.

[David]

All right, thanks so far for your comments!
We were thinking to start with a button in the 'about box' that you could click to check for updates, or maybe as one of the Help menu items.

David.

[Chris]

Hi David.

I automatically get update notifications.  All people (on this forum) have to do to get update notifications is to click on "Send this topic" (top right) and they will get a notification every time you update the topic. (At least, I think that is how I did it.)

I agree, though, that a "Check for updates" option in the Help drop-down would be good for all others. Alternatively, I have at least one program that has an option to check for updates every time I start it up. Slows start up juts a few seconds, but saves even to have to think about it.

All the best,
Chris.

[dgann]

I would like to see automatic notifications of new releases.   3rd PlanIt does an automatic check when you start it and reports back the new version number.

Regards,

Dave Gann

[David]

We've added a simple first version of this feature in version 3.11.0.
By selecting the 'Help/Check for Updates', you can see if your version of AnyRail is up to date.

We've tested this on a broad range of PC's and from numerous internet connections, but if it doesn't work for you, please let us know!

David.