Mac Client 7.0.2? I was told Dec?

HCL Domino Domino Forum
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I was told December by IBM that Mac client would be available for 7.0.2.

I am hold off on updating servers since I can’t give management a date on the MAC client. Key Board Members in our company use MAC and Notes.

I can’t update unless they get updated. So I put it to IBM. Why are you not giving a ETA on Mac 7.0.2 client. This is impossible for any customers needing to roll out 7.0.2 with MAC users and not time table from IBM.

The powers that be in my company will be pushing Domino out the door for ( I hate to say it… MS Exchange just for this one reason). No feedback from IBM on software product delivery dates.

Mac client fuzzy dates is not acceptable in my world. I need to plan and schedule resources for upgrade roll outs.

Just a voice of 1 IT Director loosing my cool about Domino after 9 years.

Should I just call Microsoft now and get it over with and move to Exchange?

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Subject: Mac Client 7.0.2? I was told Dec???

I have to agree with Bill on this one. How long have they been talking about a 7.0 client for the Mac? Sure, 6.5.x works; but, it’s clunky. I use both platforms and typically stick with my client in XP. It’s getting harder and harder to justify using Notes to my Mac users.

Chatter on the forums led the folks waiting that this would be the month. At least give us a chance at the beta so we know it’s not just vaporware.

As for alternatives, I’d look at more open-source solutions before giving any money to Micro$oft.

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Subject: RE: Mac Client 7.0.2? I was told Dec???

They’ve been talking about the R7 client for Mac since Lotusphere 06. I’m still waiting/begging for a Mac admin and dev client.

What I don’t understand is how IBM not nailing down a ship date for the 7.0.2 Mac client is usable as a reason to dump Notes/Domino for Exchange.

As mentioned above, switching to Exchange, you’re either ditching the Macs, or having to support Outlook and Entourage for email clients.

Is Microsoft really any better than IBM at meeting a release date that is set before the code is final? Not in my experience. IBM typically is better at getting the code done before they release it and not having to release hotfixes on release day. Personally, I’d rather have something take a while to get right than to have them rush for a ship date and maybe miss something.

The Mac 7.0.2 client is definitely not vaporware. Beta 2 is out there. I’m not sure how I got on the beta list, but I did and I’m happy that I did.

I think it would be more productive to contact your local IBM/Lotus software sales person and explain your situation. They might have the ability to get you more information, or a demo or a copy of Beta 2 to test. If you’re in a situation where IBM could lose you as a customer over this, IBM tends to take it seriously…the sales/competitive orgs in IBM just need to know that.

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Subject: RE: Mac Client 7.0.2? I was told Dec???

Scott

It’s not the move to a different mail system Exchange, Qmail or yahoo mail to my company that is bothering me.

It’s the fact there is no information on IBM website on the Mac Client period. Other than a several open SPR in 7.0.2 release.

In my company there are a few key players that while don’t understand the technology as I do. They sign the purchase order approvals for the company. If they want to use a Mac within our company they can and will, they are the owners of the company and I have to support them.

I have been down this road many times before with the MAC. as it feel out of favor and now it’s back in favor with Domino.

If I could force the company to be a all windows shop, this would be a none issue, but I can.

My company is not a 100,000 + plus Domino Seat company. IBM is not going to move an inch for me.

I should be able to get real information and projected release version of when MAC is target to be ready: 7.0.2, 7.1, 7.5, 8.0 take your pick, from a call to IBM Support.

thanks

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Subject: RE: Mac Client 7.0.2? I was told Dec???

I don’t know if I’d agree that you should be able to expect a release date from support staff for a product that’s in beta. Would you call Microsoft support for a release date on the new version of Exchange? I wouldn’t. I’d call my local sales people.

I think you might be surprised at the results if you contact your local IBM sales org and explained your situation. Most of them should know that most Notes/Domino customers are sub-1000 user orgs. It won’t cost more than a phone call and some time and it might save you and your org a lot of headaches.

I’m not saying that I disagree with the communications issue though. I was hoping to see the Mac Notes client and Sametime 7.5 client ship this year so I’m disappointed to see that they probably aren’t. But that doesn’t really affect my users anyway so I’m not under any pressure to get them on the migration schedule anyway.

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Subject: Mac Client 7.0.2?

I get asked about the Mac client at least once a month and I have felt for a long time that IBM is falling down on this one. They should not have made the announcements a year or two ago if they weren’t going to put enough resources behind the Mac client to release it quarterly or half yearly along with the regular Windows clients. I’m not ready to ditch Lotus for this problem, but if IBM is trying win the hearts and minds of Mac users and IT people who support Mac users, hire the people needed to get the job done in a timely manner. Or just say that Macs aren’t as important to whoever’s currently in charge of Notes development as they were to the people who made the announcements. My rant is not aimed at this forum, by the way. I hope IBM is listening. This and some of the clunky UI problems that still haunt Lotus seem like no brainers if IBM wants to retain its market share. Innovation and attention to customer complaints & suggestions don’t have to be relegated to companies trying to gain a market. Lotus has a reputation for being popular with administrators and not so popular with users. Why can’t this be turned around?

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Subject: RE: Mac Client 7.0.2? I was told Dec???

I think you are all missing the point.

Mac support has been horrible from Lotus. Yet they promise things.

They actually promised that 7.0.2 for Mac be out in Sept 06.

It didn’t. In June, I decided to postpone my companies upgrade to Sept so that I could update everything at once.

Then Sept came around and it didn’t ship. Then they announced it would Ship in December. I wasted six months that I could have upgraded my server. Sure I could have done it anyway. But it just made more sense to do it all at once.

I did get on the Beta. And it is the BEST Mac notes client since 4.x.

They do need to communicate better. I think they blew it on this.

If they treated PC users the same, there would be outcry.

Unfortunately, we are a minority. But maybe thats also because the offerings have always been crippled.

Personally, I think hey should open the beta up so everyone can get on it if they want to.

The main point is we were told one thing; planned on it. Then without notice we learned we had to wait. And wait. and Wait. Still without communication. Not by Resellers, but by the lack of Mac presence on IBM’s own web sites.

Sure, lets have a solid launch. But I think they just kept us hanging so we wouldn’t jump ship. Or they simply don’t care. It can only be the two.

I for one, (now that I have been using the beta, am very optimistic about Notes again.) For those not on the beta, I think lotus deserves to apologize.

And they can. By delivering a Mac client that will have feature parity from now on.

brent

(if i were only a bigger CEO)

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Subject: you want them to release a buggy product?

I understand the fustration, but beta2 of the mac 7.0.2 client is in testing right now. It still has work needed before release. It will come out. Let them get it right IMO.

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Subject: RE: you want them to release a buggy product?

John

thank you for the info on beta of Mac Client.

Someone show me on the IBM website were I can track the Mac client progress and get official new and release dates?

As for my Dec date this was the date I was given by call into my IBM support contact.

How can anyone expect to target software roll outs with no information.

If IBM/Lotus post a notice that product will be release in a version and month in the future would help. But telling me it’s in Beta2 when IBM support is telling me on the phone Dec release date, don’t match. Can you blame me for being gruff when reporting to my company board on roll out plan with conflicting reports from IBM.

No information or miss information is not what I pay IBM service contract money. I have been in the software industry for over 20 years and I spent 4 of them coding at Lotus. I know you can’t release something before it is done. But the community needs to be keep updated by official IBM channels and not a user group.

Thanks

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Subject: Mac Client 7.0.2? I was told Dec???

Couple of things to consider:

As John said, it’s still in beta. I don’t know who ‘promised’ December, but as anyone in this field knows, you can’t count on shipped software until you have the gold code in your hands.

No reason not to roll out the servers now. You can continue to use your 6.5.x clients on Mac and Windows, and roll out the new client as it becomes available for the Mac.

Your corp. Mac users will be mighty disappointed if they roll out Exchange, as they may have to lose their Macs. Yes, they can hook up Entourage to Exchange, but you’re supporting two different mail clients at that point.

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Subject: Who promised December?

From article posted November 30 2006 by IBM:

"With IBM Lotus Notes 7.0.2 for OS X, Mac users have the collaboration power they’ve been waiting for

In one of the most-applauded announcements of Lotusphere 2006, IBM stated that the IBM Lotus Notes 7 client would support Mac OS X (Tiger) by the end of the year."

Also, if you go to this page, you’ll get the impression that a Notes 7 Client for Mac is available now:

I was asked this question TODAY and the latest information from IBM I can find about the release of a Mac 7.x Notes client is from November 30 (not that long ago) and it was still stating end of year.

I agree if IBM isn’t going to meet their self-imposed timeline, then they should communicate much sooner than December 28th that they can’t make it by December 31st.

Instead, all I can do is tell our customers that “last word from IBM is still the end of the year.” To which they reply “yeah, right”. Not good.

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Subject: RE: Mac Client 7.0.2? I was told Dec???

Greg.

  1. IBM Customer Support told me Dec was date for Mac client.

  2. I can’t move anything until I can show the new MAC client to the two board members. That includes no server upgrades.

If I can’t show then the MAC client then I am going to be tasked to replace Domino. The board members are as fustrated as I am on this issue of MAC client.

If I told my customers I would get product to them when it was ready, and not even an ETA date, I would not have any customers.

Not away to run a business. IMO.