Google I/O wrap-up

Wednesday, June 04, 2008 at 12:08 AM



There was no shortage of developers, or of sessions and snacks, at this year's Google I/O. Google Desktop team members were in abundance as well, with over a dozen of us out in full force. We had a popular booth showcasing a few of our favorite gadgets on Windows and Mac. The 2digg and Tetris gadgets were particularly well-liked.





Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth to chat. We are looking forward to many new developers and gadgets. We're resting up and recovering now but can't wait to see you all next year.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

We all love the abundance of gadgets that the majority of us wouldn't use anyway, but I would nevertheless ask:

1) Isn't it time that someone in Google read the Google Desktop group in Google groups? There are tons of bug reports that no one addresses.

2) Isn't it time that someone fix the download page? Attempts to click "Install Google Desktop" lead to nothing on freshly installed PCs. Bug reported on Groups many times.

3) Isn't it time someone does somehing with XP SP3? After installing XP3, GDS stops working to many people. Bug reported many times on Groups.

4) Is GDS about to die? It looks and feels like it's an abandoned project, written once and no longer taken care of, with no support people to stand behind it, no one to address the issues, no one to talk to.

P.S. I'd love to post this to Google Desktop blog, however thay won't allow commenting - ditto p.4.

Anonymous said...

manta-
The product releases a build every other month like clockwork. A release every other month is hardly considered "dying." Both of your issues have been addressed on the forum (http://groups.google.com/google-desktop) and further, SP3 issues have already been acknowledged in the group by the google guide chris AND on the release notes (http://desktop.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=58591) Finally, the install page works fine. If your problem is getting the installer to work period, that's already a sticky post in the group with a workaround/solution. I'm with you on the frustration point, but all otherwise, RTFM already.

ArtieV in the forums

Anonymous said...

ArtieV,

thanks for replying. I know all about the sticky notes, I even know how to read the page source and add "/thankyou.html" to GD URL. This will not change the fact that a clean install of Opera over a clean install of WinXP will do nothing when you click on the big "Download Google Desktop" button.

Finally, admitting after *a month* since SP3 is RTM that GDS does not work with SP3 is of no help. Saying "well, no one in our team cared to ask M$ for a copy of SP3 to check that we support it, our bad" would be helpful. Saying "well, we asked M$ to postpone SP3 RTM so we would update GDS" would be helpful. Saying "we promise that on the date ___ there will be a version of GDS that *will* support SP3" would be helpful. Saying "we work hard to address this issue and here's a URL to a beta version that you might want to play with while we're on it" would be helpful. Saying "we don't support SP3. See? see? we admit it, so get lost already!" is not helpful.

There is a number of absolutely superior Google products - Gmail, Maps/Earth, Reader - that make me admire people behind them and make me pretty proud that I myself work in SW engineering industry. Google Desktop, unfortunately, is not up to the high quality standard of these, lately.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Okay, so how about the fact that Opera isn't supported over GD? RTFM again perhaps?

Point taken on the testing, but you're obviously trolling here for attention given your spheil is fairly much off topic.

Secondly, I can't take your so called expertise seriously when you're comparing web based applications to downloadable applications. Apples to Oranges anyone? And since when is Microsoft Windows a non-hostile platform? You are disingenuous and have zero cred for not even accounting for that.

Please feel free to post to the forum you're bitching about to continue this discussion. I feel bad for clogging up this comments field already.

ArtieV

Anonymous said...

ArtieV,

thanks again for reply and for calling my comments "bitching" and "trolling". I've read all the manuals. *Never* on the GD download page it says "Please don't access this simple HTML page having one big button using Opera since it won't work". Don't believe me? Go read it. Secondly, Earth (briefly mentioned by me) is downloadable. Thirdly, I'd like to "troll" and "bitch" on GD support forum, however no one is answering my bitching there - and I've tried.

I'm actually "trolling for attention" by someone who's working for Google (preferably, on Desktop team). After reading your comments it's somewhat clear to me you don't, and no one who does replies, so I will shut up and go away trolling someplace else, I promise.

Anonymous said...

ArtieV,

thanks again for reply and for calling my comments "bitching" and "trolling". I've read all the manuals. *Never* on the GD download page it says "Please don't access this simple HTML page having one big button using Opera since it won't work". Don't believe me? Go read it. Secondly, Earth (briefly mentioned by me) is downloadable. Thirdly, I'd like to "troll" and "bitch" on GD support forum, however no one is answering my bitching there - and I've tried.

I'm actually "trolling for attention" by someone who's working for Google (preferably, on Desktop team). After reading your comments it's somewhat clear to me you don't, and no one who does replies, so I will shut up and go away trolling someplace else, I promise.