Service Packs vs. Updates?

[Kevin McAllister]

Hello all,

 

Can someone talk about the new terminology of "Updates" rather than Service Packs? I'm curious how it came about and what it means. And how do point updates (ie. Update 1.1) differ from full updates (ie. Update 2). There's clearly a new approach and I haven't seen it explained anywhere yet.

 

Thanks,

 

Kevin

 

 

[Kevin Allen]

Update sounds better. Servioe Pack sounds like fixing a mistake

[JuanP]

@Kevin McAllister Up through the 2023 product cycle, we referred to any release during a version as Service Packs. This coming 2023, Service Pack 8 will be the last time customers see the phrase Service Pack used. Beginning with 2024, all releases during a version cycle are referred to as Updates. This is a common terminology used by many subscription-based softwares around the world. Update better reflects the fact that releases during a version cycle for Vectorworks may contain bug fixes, feature updates, or even new features for our active subscription and service select customers.

 

I hope that clarifies. 

 

[Pat Stanford]

1.1 was released to fix a single bug that was preventing the 1 update from working properly for a percentage of people.

 

1, 2 are the standard update numbering.  

 

You shouldn't see X.1 etc. very often.

[zoomer]

So if I ever can update my old brain from embossed "SP" to "Update"

I need a proper official abbreviation for forum conversation.

 

VW UPD2 ?

VW U2 ?

 

EDIT :

Solution > Settings / Keyboard / Replace Text

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by zoomer

[line-weight]

I think the numbering should start at -5 and go up to +5 so that update zero is the one that occurs when it's safe for most people to consider starting to use it for real.

[Pat Stanford]

37 minutes ago, zoomer said:

I need a proper official abbreviation for forum conversation.

 

How about just 2024.2?

[zoomer]

3 minutes ago, Pat Stanford said:

How about just 2024.2?

 

I thought about just numbers are easier in conversation.

 

But I am not sure if marketing department will abdicate the positive impact of "Update".

 

I was pretty OK with "Service Pack" in the past though.

Pre VW 2024, VW had bugs and I was mainly happy to see them fixed by Service Packs.

(If VW 2024 still would have bugs, I maybe would still even prioritize bug fixing over new features "updates" ...)

And I always associated "Service Pack" with so positive feelings, like VW support caring of me

or even getting a whole "Pack" of Service and such.

"Update" feels a bit cold and impersonal.

[E|FA]

2 hours ago, zoomer said:

If VW 2024 still would have bugs

Thankfully they’ve all been taken care of. 

[Kevin McAllister]

9 hours ago, JuanP said:

@Kevin McAllister Up through the 2023 product cycle, we referred to any release during a version as Service Packs. This coming 2023, Service Pack 8 will be the last time customers see the phrase Service Pack used. Beginning with 2024, all releases during a version cycle are referred to as Updates. This is a common terminology used by many subscription-based softwares around the world. Update better reflects the fact that releases during a version cycle for Vectorworks may contain bug fixes, feature updates, or even new features for our active subscription and service select customers.

 

I hope that clarifies. 

 

 

Thanks for the info! Makes sense.

Kevin

 

[domer1322]

well ..... this terminology change gets my attention  When I bought my perpetual license one year ago, I also bought service select which will expire in a couple weeks.  I was very careful to get confirmation via email and verbally from the sales staff that my license would allow me to get VW2024 before my service select expired.  They said that I would be entitled to get service packs as they were issued for VW2024 during the following year before VW2025 comes out.  I would not be entitled to 'Updates' since last year the term 'Update' meant a new version ... that is ... version VW2025.  Now this thread tells me that they define an 'Update' as the same as a service pack.  Thus, I might not be entitled to service packs this year because they are now called an 'Update'.     I'm hoping someone can tell me that I will still be able to update my VW2024 with all service packs that occur before VW2025 is published, even though my service select expires in December 2023.

[zoomer]

^ would be interested too ....