On Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:46:31 +0100 "a.l.e" <ale.comp_06 at xox.ch> wrote:
> hi mike > > > >> Users can and should keep up with the latest version, 1.4.0. > > There is a BIG difference in text rendering between RC6 and > > RC5. > it's a small difference... i don't mean that it's a difference > that does not matter, but it's one that only affects some > specific workflows and it's "hard" to spot. There will always be bugs and there will always be new versions that correct those bugs and hopefully add features. But we have been faced for some time now with new and not so new users that stick with 1.3.3.14 because it was "stable". However it has bugs too and no one is working on them. So we have this steady flow of posts from people, new to the product, who have problems with a version that hasn't been maintained in a long time. A.L.E. is absolutely right. At last report only one bug affecting only one OS was still unanswered in RC6. And the developers already have a list of enhancements/fixes for 1.4.1. So are users better off using 1.4.0 RC6 or 1.3.3.14? The answer is obvious. Can they get better help if they have a problem with 1.4.0 or with 1.3.3.14? Again the answer is obvious. The only program proved perfect was the original plain TeX. Donald Knuth offered a prize for each bug found and the prize doubled with each find. But TeX itself has moved on through LaTeX, pdftex, xetex and luatex. And yes, there are bugs being created, discovered and corrected in that process. The development of 1.4.0 and its new file format began with 1.3.4, which was bad enough to have a very short shelf life. 1.3.5 was much better and indeed was the basis for the Cedric Gemy book "Scribus 1.3.5 Beginners Guide". As it happens I have it on my desktop as I write this. Then there were the series of development versions, 1.3.6 through 1.3.9. 1.4.0 was supposed to be the culmination of this development cycle but as more users switched to it more bugs were found. But many of us are using 1.4.0 RC6 with no complaints. We used the earlier release candidates with no complaints. It is well past the time where we gave it the stable title. Is it perfect? No. But it is a notable improvement on 1.3.3.14. So the choice is not between 1.4.0 and perfection but 1.4.0 and its string of predecessors. We have even had a request for generation of files using the old format because some users are (IMO foolishly) clinging to obsolete versions. But this is not some commercial product where a new version costs big bucks. A.L.E hs it exactly right. Use the latest version but don't switch versions in mid-project. The only two versions in this shop are 1.4.0 RC6 and 1.5.0. -- John Culleton Free list of books for self-publishers: http://wexfordpress.net/shortlist.html "Create Book Covers with Scribus" http://www.booklocker.com/books/4055.html
