Datacolor User to User Support Group.

Hi,

I recently purchased Spyder2Express and I must say that is the worst 
software experience I have made since long. First, I must say that 
I'm not the only one with the problems described below. A look at teh 
DPReview forum will demonstrate this 
(http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?
forum=1004&thread=21651889&page=1).

The package came with Spyder2Express 2.2.2 (although the label on the 
CD says 1.x). This version immediately demonstrated bugs: error 
messages about the sensor not being recognized. Error 6 
(SpyderUSB.cpp 167). An error occured while taking a reading. Make 
sure the sensor is properly attached. Well, guess what, teh sensor 
*is* properly attached and recognized by Windows.

I went to the download site and discovered a version named 2.3.3. 
Unfortunately, this installation package was never tested because it 
crashes during the installation. Go figure.

Someone on a forum told me about version 2.3.4 but this version 
obviously had a short lifetime because it quickly disappeared from 
the Colovision sites.

Back to version 2.3. Please note that the results and the code that 
you obtain vary depending on from which site (US or European) you 
download. The same version number doesn't guarantee that you'll get 
the same code. Worse, I have two packages downloaded from the 
european site and both labeled 2.3 (the latest being dated 02-20-
2007) that are not identical.

Version 2.3 still has the error 6 problem (meanwhile I have been told 
that this error can be ignored) but now I have a new one: error 2 
(SpyderUSB.cpp 127). File not found. The software claims that "no 
sensor is attached" although it is and properly recognized by the 
system.

Please also note that depending on whether you are working on the US 
site or the European site, you don't deserve the same information and 
do not have access to the same files. This is a stangre policy.

So I'm now stuck. Uninstalling, purging the registry from everything 
that is left over by the uninstaller, removing all instances of the 
Spyder2 device in the device manager and re-installing version 2.3 
doesn't help.

As a software developer, I have never seen such an horrible way of 
managing updates. This is really a mess. I cannot imagine doing the 
same to my own customers. I would have closed my shop since long. 
Releasing different code versions under the same version number is 
not professional. Period. Releasing installation packages that have 
obviously not been tested is even more unprofessional.

As a customer, I'm wondering when Colorvision will be able to deliver 
a version of the software that merely works.

As a professional, it seems that I have lost too much time with that 
thing. The only thing that prevents me from asking my money back is 
that I have been told that the sensor is working fine and that the 
results are correct once you have got the software working.

So if anyone from Colorvision *who is really in charge* can give me 
explanations about this mess, I'd be grateful (the support is telling 
me that a new version will be released within the next few days but 
this was already about 10 days ago).

Thanks.

-- 
Patrick Philippot - Microsoft MVP
MainSoft Consulting Services
www.mainsoft.fr

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, "Patrick Philippot" <mainsoft@...> wrote:
>
> I recently purchased Spyder2Express and I must say that is the worst 
> software experience I have made since long.

Patrick,

This is a User to User group. 

Colorvision does not own this group.

Please contact Colorvision directly to troubleshoot.

Thanks,

John

> This is a User to User group. 
> Colorvision does not own this group.

Hi John,

OK, this is what I already did. But I'm just giving information about 
the problems I encountered with this software. I wish I had this 
information before purchasing the product. I might have spent a little 
more money to get a quality product (although the sensor itself appears 
to be ok).

-- 
Patrick

--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, CDTobie@... wrote:
> > I went to the download site and discovered a version named 2.3.3.
> > Unfortunately, this installation package was never tested because
> > it crashes during the installation. Go figure.
> > 
> Your assumption that it was never tested since it crashes 
> on your machine is flawed: it was tested, but not, obviously,
> on YOUR machine... most users have had no such issue.

Many users *had* this problem as reported on the DReview forum and on 
some forums here in France. So this is not *my* problem. If there was 
no problem, why has the version 2.3.3 installer been removed from 
your sites? Because the installer merely didn't work. Yoru support is 
exactly telling this:

"
I recommend uninstalling version 2.3.3 and re-installing an older 
version. We have errors with version 2.3.3.
"

(translated from french)

> As a software developer you've gone ahead, blazed 
> your own trail, and gotten in trouble. What you 
> needed to do was contact support, like any other user, 
> and get the right answers, instead of banging your head
> against the wall. 

Sorry but I got in touch with the support in a timely manner. And 
others did too. If we had received satisfactory answers, we wouldn't 
have tried to fix these problems ourselves.

> the fact that you are a developer and have unusual 
> stuff on your machine could well be a factor in your 
> problems here.

No. In that case, the target machine is not a development system. I 
have only standard software on this one.

Well, problems might be on the user's side but if similar complaints 
are going their way to discussion forums and to your support team, 
you could reasonably assume that there *are* real problems.

Beside the ones discussed above, I have other remarks:

- The online help delivered with Spyder2express is written for the 
Pro version and is absolutely irrelevant for Spyder2express users.

- The french translation has been done by a robot. Sometimes, this 
produces hilarious messages that cannot even be considered as french. 
I guess, there are similar problems with other foreign languages.

- The Express and the Pro version are obviously the same code. Just, 
the registration key makes the difference. However, the Express 
version is sometimes issuing error messages that are not relevant for 
Express users, like an ivitation to use the ProfileChooser utility. 
Again, lack of testing. Sorry.

-- 
Patrick