Comments on: iambic Releases Agendus v12

iambic today announced the release of Agendus for Palm OS Professional Edition, Version 12, a robust, new version of its award-winning, fully-integrated, personal information manager (PIM) optimized for Treo smartphones. The functionality of Agendus for Palm OS Version 12 has been expanded to include new journaling capabilities and a project manager. Other additions include a Photo Dialer mode that associates a contact’s picture with its address information for speedy one-tap dialing, and Power Search 411, which simplifies reverse phone number lookup.
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Robust?

dukat @ 6/22/2007 4:17:08 AM # Q
"... Version 12, a robust, new version of ..."

Iambic??? Maybe after the 5th point-release. I've never had the pleasure to test a Iambic a new x.0 - release that was "robust" ...

IIIe -> m505 -> T3 -> Treo650 -> Treo680

RE: Robust?
theseus @ 6/22/2007 3:57:19 PM # Q
... nor one that wasn't anything more than what most would consider a "beta"...

I used to really like Agendus (then ActionNames, but I kept with them through the transition to Agendus), but I got fed up with all the buggy releases. Worse, they'd fix the bugs, throw in a couple minor features and call it an "upgrade". Then they'd refuse to fix the bugs from the earlier version, say "the new version fixes that" and expect you to pay the upgrade fee (about $10, on average)!!

I'm not saying they don't have some cool _looking_ apps, but if they worked half as well as they're packaged, I'd have less of an issue with them... And if they'd actually fix bugs in prior releases before leaving users holding the bag if they don't "upgrade" to the new version, I'd have no real issue at all with them.

It seems that their policy is to assume that all users will always want the latest and greatest version, and therefore they will upgrade to a new version, so that's the only place that needs the bugs fixed... But that's a faulty assumption and one that shouldn't be made. There are many arguments for staying with a previous version of a product (smaller footprint is just one reason). To refuse to fix bugs in those earlier versions is not the right way to handle the situation.

I stayed with Iambic for 3 or 4 "upgrades", with only one being what I'd really consider a true upgrade. Having to pay for bug fixes is something I'd rather do without. Just my own $0.02 on the subject...

-e

RE: Robust?
joad @ 6/24/2007 3:39:43 PM # Q
Yeah, it's getting to be more and more of a scam - Iambic basically just wants $10 bucks of your blood a year to keep "supporting" the application - but they shroud it in the "Upgrade" yammer so you get a feel-good impression of the transaction.

A case in point: the "411" service in at least version 11 consistently led to a soft reset when you try adding the info to a contact. To me - a MAJOR bug as I would have liked to use it, probably the only reason to make the upgrade from 8, 9 and 10 worthwhile. But Iambic never fixed it properly (you can view their "history" of Agendus to see that they claimed to- several times). Now version 12 is out, and they (yet again) claim to have fixed the 411 service. Uh-huh. Another $10 bucks to see if Iambic is lying or not.

It wouldn't be so bad if the *core* application remained stable. But every time more "bonus" stuff is grafted on it screws up some extremely basic things that you rely upon the software to do. And the beta testing they do seems about as exhaustive as the stuff Palm has been doing lately with the Treos (ie: poorly). By the time they get a lot of the bugs fixed and you buy the update...excuse me- "upgrade," you'll get a few months of use before another "upgrade" is released and the cycle repeats.

Actionnames/Agendus started out as a very usable GUI for the tiny Newton and then PalmOS screen (AND Iambic didn't charge for updates/upgrades for several years), but it just seems to have become a cash cow churn device for Iambic nowadays.

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removed by moderator

... @ 6/22/2007 4:46:32 AM # Q
...
iambic Releases Agendus v12
bostonm @ 6/22/2007 9:21:34 AM # Q
This happened a long time ago, and while under different management. The company publicly apologized for that. Let it go!

iambic has a lot of great software, with Agendus being the top. I've had conversations with them about this very topic. When someone in your family does something wrong, do you never let it go and never forgive them? People and companies make mistakes, that doesn't mean you completely shut them out. Geez!

Negativity on everything here on PIC
PadOPaper @ 6/22/2007 11:01:14 AM # Q
Agreed, people dredging up one silly domain name registration thing from 5-6 years ago that was reversed within a week or so is off topic. Also condemning a whole company for the actions of likely one person, which were reversed, is narrowminded among other things.

But it's the same complaint for most new products mentioned here, complaints about other products, previous versions or just soap box rants without the writer having actually tried the product the article is about. I wonder what this negativity about almost everything posted on this site really is indicative of? At times it is humorous though, I must admit.

RE: removed by moderator
Admin @ 6/22/2007 11:28:21 AM # Q
that post is the definition of trolling & off-topic and has been removed.
RE: removed by moderator
yetlneb @ 5/9/2008 2:51:41 AM # Q
You do if they don't give you any support on a product you've paid for.

I've had a number of issues and spent weeks trying to figure out what the problem is. I narrowed it down to Agendus. Without Agendus, my Treo runs fine. As soon as i install it, it reboots sporadically.

I submitted a trouble ticket, explained in detail what the problem was, and I haven't heard a word from them in almost two weeks. I submitted a follow up to the ticket, asking them for assistance once again. Still nothing.

I could understand if they were busy, etc. but it's been long enough.

I've searched the forums for other user problems similar to mine, and the only reply from iambic was not a very solid reply in my opinion, as it was "please do a hard reset, etc", and the user did that, replied asking for further instructions/help, and iambic never replied after that, or offered no other possible solution to the problem.

I swore by agendus for years up until just recently. I can't believe this is happening, but I will not go any further until I see evidence of a sign that they are rectifying what's going on (ie: giving substantial replies in the forums that offer solutions that work, responding to tech support requests - at least communicating even if they are busy).

Just look around, lots of people are unhappy because their product does not work, but they are not getting assistance or any solid responses in the form of a potential solution to their problems.

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...but the x.2 or x.3 is usually pretty slick....

hgoldner @ 6/22/2007 4:46:50 PM # Q
As a long time ActionNames (now Agendus) user (going back to 1998)I am generally a huge iambic fan. I recommend, however, avoiding x.0 releases of Agendus as they are generally delta-tests, and barely really release candidates. This was undeniably true of version 11 and 10. Each successive version almost seems to require one more .x release to get most of the issues resolved.

For those who are genuinely interested in the product, you can check the forums on iambic's website and when the complaints start to drop off, by all means dive in.

I will inevitably upgrade to 12, but not 'til the kinks are worked out.

Harold

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Iambic has become worthless and non-responsive

yetlneb @ 5/9/2008 2:45:42 AM # Q
I am having the same problem. I have been with Agendus for quite some time, and despite the issues, kept staying on board and bought the upgrades because of the reviews I read, thinking they have a reputation and surely they would stand by their product and take care of all the issues. I was dead wrong.

Since my Treo 600, I have had problems with every realease.

My latest problem is with my 755p, and I have isolated the issue to Agendus for sure this time - spent weeks troubleshooting it and my phone only has problems when Agendus is installed. Contacted Iambic, it's been almost 2 weeks, and still no response. I got an email from their QA dept asking me to fill out a satisfaction survey. I held off on that until this evening after checking to see if they replied to my trouble ticket yet. They didn't, so I filled out the survey and gave them my two cents, and unless I have evidence that proves I should do otherwise, I'm in search for a new software program to replace agendus.

I even checked the forums for users who posted problems about their product that was similar to my issue, and out of about 10 posts I saw, not 1 reply from iambic was a legitimate reply that offered any substantial assistance that would have led to a solution. Not one. I even found one post where nobody replied to the user's request, and this was a post from 2006. Pretty sad in my opinion.

I guess it goes to show, you can't always rely on reviews.

My problem has gotten so bad that I can't use the software on my phone anymore, or else it reboots my phone sporadically. Now that I have removed agendus, my phone hasn't rebooted a single time, and it's been almost two weeks. Not 1 problem!

I'd say skip agendus and look elsewhere because for the money I've put into the products I purchased from them, I would expect at least a minimal amount of decent tech support with some knowledge behind the responses that offer some tangible evidence that there is a glimmer of hope that the issue will be fixed.

They are getting away with ripping people off, but it won't last much longer. I am seeing more and more people upset because their product doesn't work, and Iambic is nowhere to be found.

Maybe they changed ownership or management? Who knows. I'm going to jump ship and go elsewhere. Anyone got any recommendations?

yeltneb

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