I've seen a few despondent comments about the time taken for the new version for Windows, but now we are into 2009 any updates?
Support Forum » Windows
Any updates on version 5 for windows?
(29 posts)-
Posted: 1 year #
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Don't want to poke the bear, but StyleMaster 4.6 for Windows is getting old and is in need of an update.
At least let us know when the Mac version of SM is expected to move from Beta to RC.
Posted: 1 year # -
Hi Storyman,
We should be almost ready to move to a release candidate for WM5 for the Mac this week.
Then we'll definitely be getting into the Windows version. As I've mentioned before, much of the code we can port straight across.
Apologies again for the delay, and thanks for the (increasingly strained I'm sure) patience.
j
Posted: 1 year # -
Just downloaded Safari 4 today. The only thing I've noticed with SM (4.6) is that I now have to click the refresh button to get the preview pane to update, as opposed to it doing it automatically whenever I make a change.
Will SM5 restore the original behaviour?
Posted: 1 year # -
John,
Hallelujah!!!
Robo_1,
I always refresh with a click of the button. Never did trust these new fangled machines (or browsers.)
Posted: 1 year # -
I've just come looking for a new version as well. I'm afraid to say this but the development with a last version of over 2 years ago ie: Nov 2006 does not look good.
Maybe it looks good if people think of newer versions as fixes but over 2 years without progress is not good.
A lot of very good software out there has certainly moved on enormously in that time.
When people spend they also like to consider value for money in updates and progress of the software.
I'm not even sure I would buy version 5 froma company that must be in decline.
Posted: 9 months # -
andy, I really don't think that's fair. As John has said, SM5 has been mostly rewritten from SM4, and when released, it's going to be the most complete tool on the market for editing and debugging CSS.
As I understand it, a big part of the delay has been the release of Safari 4, which SM relies on to create previews. It's thrown a lot of Safari based apps into disarray, principally because it has an amazingly aggressive cache. I'm happy for John to correct any of that, but there's been a few surprises in development which were simply impossible to predict until Apple released the Safari 4 beta.
Rather than wing it and release a buggy product which would require regular patching, John's held the project back and is ensuring that when it's released, it's the product we deserve to get.
I do share your frustration with the extended wait, but it's clear from the regular beta releases that the SM team is responding to feedback, and is hard at work on getting a great app out there.
Posted: 9 months # -
Hi andy,
I appreciate your frustration.
There's a great many reasons for the relatively slow progress.
Some are personal (I've got two kids 3 and under, so the amount of time that can be spent is less than the past).
Other ventures have really taken off in the last couple of years. We no run conferences for Web Designers and Developers in Australia, Japan and North America.
While these take a considerable amount of time that once was almost exclusively devoted to Style Master, it helps ensure the long term viability of Style Master. The reality is, the long term viability of all commercial tools like Style Master is questionable. Indeed, of all commercial desktop software. There are a great many open source and otherwise free projects out there. If you look at many successful applications in the same space, like TopStyle, CSSEdit, these have long periods on inactivity between their releases as well, and their developers are also developing other applications.
Style Master, CSS and web development done right are long term personal passions of mine, going back well over 10 years. This personal passion, couple with the success of Web Directions, while slowing down our development cycles, goes a long way to ensuring the long term viability of Style Master.
Thanks for the kind words Robo. The changes in Safari 4 are great, but certainly haven't helped - it's still very much beta software, but most of our users on the Mac have it installed - so Style Master is dependent on it, and its bugs.
One of the challenges on Windows is Internet Explorer - almost none of our users use it as their primary browser, but it is in effect the only embeddable browser on Windows (embedding Mozilla is a very problematic experience, we've done extensive investigation into it, rest assured). This means many of the new features of Style Master 5, which focus on CSS3, are essentially useless on Windows, at least in terms of Style Master's ability to preview them. As Mac users will have noticed, increasingly, the functionality of Style Master is actually part of the embedded browser - for example our XRAY features. These are far more difficult to implement in Internet Explorer, which lacks support for new browser features like Canvas.BTW, we've been releasing tools like these for use in your browser of choice
http://www.westciv.com/xray/
http://www.westciv.com/mri/and have some other cool tools coming soon, which will find their way into Style Master as well.
It's actually these technical challenges more than anything else which have held up development.
The good news is that we really are very very close to the Mac release. I think I've resolved almost all of the issues with Safari 4's webkit.
I do appreciate it has been frustrating for all concerned, in particular Windows users. Hopefully we'll have some very good news for you folks soon too.
Thanks again to you all, and apologies for all the frustration
john
Posted: 9 months # -
Do you have enough beta testers for Windows John?
If not email me, I'd like to see how it all works now. I've been using Aptana for most css edits but whenever I get stuck it's str8 back to StyleMaster.
The updated site is looking good.
Yani
You have the email akayani@...
Posted: 9 months # -
Hi Yani,
as soon as we are ready for beta testing, we'll let you (and all our Windows users) know
thanks!
john
Posted: 9 months # -
John,
ideally looking for an update on the whole V5 release for Windows.
Thanks,
KHPosted: 8 months # -
John,
It's good to know that things have been going well for you. Things aren't going so well for us who would like to use what Style Master 5 promises in the Windows version update.
It's been a year and a Windows Beta version doesn't seem to be any closer. Especially when considering that it's release is closely tied to the MAC version--which remains in Beta.
At least be fair with us Windows users and let us know if a Windows update is in the cards or not. Should we be looking for another CSS editor?
Keeping us updated on a regular bases would be appreciated.
There are several features that I like about Style Master and would like to see it continue.
Posted: 7 months # -
No news is bad news--Think Christmas or 3 years since last version--must be some kind of record or something
I figure John must be a little embarrassed at the length of time it is taking==I am sure it is not deliberate or from lack of want--but that does not ease the frustration..
John telling us how he feels for our frustration is getting a little old,and then explaing WHY it is taking so long only add to the frustration and confusion---
Make it simple John---When do you think we will see anything at all????????
I wonder if there is a way he could set up an email notification system to alert us when there is any action????---and maybe put a link to this forum somewhere on the SM website/blog---or did I miss it
Posted: 7 months # -
Hi Storyman, Rockstar and others,
a huge apologies for the tardiness of replying - it's flu season here in Australia, and my whole family and I have been sick over the last few weeks.
I am certainly far from comfortable with the time it is taking - but I do want to reiterate that things are definitely happening.
BTW, you can subscribe to the RSS feed at the blog, or at the forum, for when articles and so on are posted.
Right now I really don't want to promise a when - all I can say is that things are happening, and we did release a mammoth upgrade to the Mac, which shows development is continuing, and we are continuing to more than simply tinker - which is in fact why thing are taking so much time - there are huge architectural changes involved.
Thanks, and a big apology againjohn
Posted: 7 months # -
John,
give us some indication at least...
Are we looking at a 2009 release of V5 for Windows?
2010 ?
2011 ?
It's been a long time coming, there are numerous issues with the current 4.6 Win version, so come on at least give us some hope.
KH
Posted: 5 months # -
Just giving this a bump- it's nearly 2010 now and I need to know, do I have to buy a Mac in order to carry on using SM?
I appreciate that the Windows version is tied to IE and MS has released IE7 and IE8 - to say nothing of Windows 7 - but they are at least "trying" to be standards compliant (in a kind of Microsoftie way).
I am one of those people who learned CSS with SM and am kind of attached to it, although I more and more hand code these days rather than fire up 4.6.
CarolPosted: 3 months # -
Hey Carol,
John's just gone off on holiday for a week or so, but I'll get him to give you an answer when he gets back.
Posted: 3 months # -
Bump. So - 2010 - any estimates for latest SM PC version delivery date yet, please?
Posted: 2 months # -
John went away more than a month ago--for a week. he has been back for more than 3 weeks yet nothing to say???---I fear no news is bad news my friends and no need for Guy to reply FOR John again..
The fact [assumed] that this [ windows v5--if it ever happens] will be the last release of SM ever makes me wonder if John has not decided that it is not worth it--I mean who would buy a new css editor for $60 that was never ever going to be updated..
I would not---so imo John is basically doing a lot of work for nothing since the upgrade is free for most if not all users of 4.6----I assuming he is doing at least SOMETHING--
Does that SOMETHING have ANYTHING to do with SM V5 for Windows is another question left to the imagination..
I think it would have been a better idea to not release anything [mac os] till both versions [windows and mac] were stable.
I for one feel screwed---not because I feel I should not pay something for v5 but because my choice of OS has left me with much less than the "other users" who paid no less than me..
The question is--Is Style Master "DEAD" and should anyone contemplating purchasing 4.6 be made aware...
Without any comment from the developer I have to assume it is----RIP Style Master
Posted: 2 months # -
Plus!!!!!!! John Is selling SM V5 For Mac os for $20.00 less than the old never updated and possibly never to BE updated 4.6 for windows---screwed again..
click buy at top of page...
Posted: 2 months # -
This thread is depressing....
It your app was freeware the excuses for lack of action would be sort of understandable.
If you are too busy to do the work sell your business or hire someone to help you do the work.
I am uninstalling the demo and looking elsewhere.
Posted: 1 month # -
Made the jump to Stylizer months and have been happy with it. Unfortunately, it appears Style Master has faded into the sunset.
Posted: 3 weeks # -
I read all the negative comment in this thread, and then went off and checked out Stylizer and a number of other editors that fit my features list. Stylizer is very slick but I found the UI too much of a departure from the rest of the Windows-based tool set I've built up. Call me unfashionable, antiquated or ignorant, but it didn't fit my work process or environment. But Style Master did, even allowing for a slow development schedule. I also gave bonus points for WestCiv's obvious expertise and longevity. So with only a little trepidation, I just shelled out for Style Master.
I know a dead product when I see one, but this one is still fogging a mirror. I for one would like to offer my support and encouragement for John to press on and drag Style Master across the line. I see no reason why this product can't dominate its niche, given a little more focus, effort and good will.
Posted: 3 weeks # -
rsearle wrote: "...this one is still fogging a mirror."
Yes, that's why they call it "VAPORware".
I believe this website is on autopilot, and has been since before Christmas 2009. John hasn't made a post in 4 months, and he hasn't posted a blog entry in almost 9 months - the last entry is July, 2009.
No, John's not dead... in fact he's been rather busy: http://johnfallsopp.com/
Too busy, it seems, to bother with Style Master anymore.
Cheers,
Robert~Posted: 4 days # -
And WHAT does this mean????
Style Master
Style Master is the leading cross platform CSS developments software, with tens of thousands of users around the world. It's the oldest, and yet MOST FREQUENTLY UPDATED CSS development tool on either platform. Version 5 for the Mac OS was released in May 2009.
It may be the oldest but "most frequently updated" is pure fantasy--if not something else
Posted: 4 days # -
What are you lot using now then? None of us ever get a direct answer.
We have all been sympathetic to family and then illness etc. but maybe if it was a serious project someone should of been recruited.
I think most people here feel so let down they would not buy now anyway.
such a shame.
I'm not buying a mac just to keep up, can't afford to anyway.
Posted: 4 days # -
@Rockstar, amazing quote you found there!!!
It's like us offering a website design within 24 hours on our site and always saying we can't because of workflow.
Posted: 4 days # -
Not so amazing--it is right in the middle of his website http://johnfallsopp.com/
I used to think v5 would eventually come and maybe John could be embarrassed into doing the right thing. I do not think either anymore.
Posted: 2 days # -
It's a shame, I really don't know what's happening/happened to Style Master.
The Mac version is solid, but does need a .1 update to speed the app up and nip a few bugs, but I do feel for Windows users who - at this point - are simply being ignored.
I trust John to do the right thing by SM and it's users, but at this point we really do need some sort of official statement from him to let us know where things stand, and if indeed Style Master is a going concern for him.
Posted: 2 days #
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