Omnimaga
Calculator Community => HP Calculators => Topic started by: timwessman on April 07, 2014, 01:10:27 pm
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Periodically, the HP calculator group will ask for applications from individuals interested in beta testing projects. We ask for some information in order to generate the best cross section of users to hopefully catch as many issues as possible before a release. I can't select everyone, and not everyone is interested in each type of product.
Even though this is posted in the HP Prime forum, that does not mean there will not be other types of products (basic scientific, financial, mobile apps, etc) that need testing. This is just an application for general interest and you can indicate which types of products you might be interested in testing.
If you are interested in any however, please download a form and send it to me. Email is probably best. timwessman is my name, and I am at hp.com (this is your entrance exam - you must figure out the correct email address... :) )
While we don’t expect anyone to devote an unreasonable amount of your time, those that consistently find issues, perform tasks and generally contribute quite a bit are usually asked to continue as beta testers long term.
Sometimes, there are things you may not find extremely enjoyable to work on (for example, a non RPN machine or similar), but we may ask you to assist. Again, those that are willing to focus on specific areas or tasks are usually asked to continue testing in the future when the more exciting projects are around.
You are allowed to focus on specific areas of interest, but we ask that you don’t exclusively focus on areas of interest. There are always “boring” areas of products that need thorough testing as well.
In short, those that have positive attitudes and contribute get to continue for as long as you are willing to share some of your time. If you are fun to work with, we want to continue working with you!
As a beta tester, you will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement/non-disclosure agreement before any paticipation. We ask that you do not discuss in outside locations, post images or hints anywhere or discuss with people not involved in the testing. As far as I can tell, there has never been unauthorized leaks which means we can continue to trust the community as a whole.
If you are sent materials/units, we are also required to have you sign a form that basically states “HP is not responsible if this device destroys the universe and HP may request the units back at any time.”
Beta testing is a lot of fun! It is always exciting to have behind-the-scenes knowledge about what is ongoing, and to have a part in shaping the way products are formed, and to be involved in something for which we all feel passion. Often those involved in beta testing come up with new ideas that later appear in products, have keyboard layouts or product ideas discussed for feedback, and generally get to be involved with the calculators we love.
The download at the top of the list is a PDF form allowing you to type directly and is the easiest format. If you'd prefer the odt or docx version however, they can be downloaded as well.
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Well that sounds nice, but I don't feel comfortable with NDA's for some reason. :/
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Is this hardware beta testing or software beta testing?
I would love to test hardware, since I have no money to afford finished products, including the Prime (which I've wanted for forever). I can't do software because I don't have any HP calcs or have admin access on my PC (parents).
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Is there any obligation to this? Like you have to test this and this?
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Well that sounds nice, but I don't feel comfortable with NDA's for some reason. :/
Its just the way companies work. You get private information and in return you sign something that says not to disclose that information. Kind of unavoidable in modern business. I understand though and there are plenty of people who agree with you.
Is this hardware beta testing or software beta testing?
Depends. The answer is yes and yes.
Is there any obligation to this? Like you have to test this and this?
We invite people for specific products, and will often encourage testing of specific things within that product, but the only obligations are ones around confidentiality.
Note that I assume the applicant must be of legal age, else there is no way to enter a confidentiality agreement.
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Okay. Now filling out the form, in that case :)
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Note that I assume the applicant must be of legal age, else there is no way to enter a confidentiality agreement.
Crap. I'm only 15...
I have no idea what that age is for GA. I think it's 16, but I'm not sure, since it's 18 in most states...
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This sounds like a wonderful opportunity Tim. Thank you for taking the time to post it here. :)
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Well if you put it that way... NDA's are maybe fine for beta testing. In the case of companies forcing this onto say open source driver devs though, it's bad (kinda defeats the purpose of open source).
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Well if you put it that way... NDA's are maybe fine for beta testing. In the case of companies forcing this onto say open source driver devs though, it's bad (kinda defeats the purpose of open source).
Agreed.
This NDA basically says the terms of disclosure are "information regarding future HP calculator products" with the stated intent of "to provide feedback on future or upcoming products, including reports of issues or new features" or something like that.
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Yeah that's fine with me. However, I'm not sure I'm of legal age in France flight now (I'm 17 and pretty much everything is at 18 here). Also I don't own a Prime (yet). So I'll have to wait a bit.
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I am unsure if I would apply since I am kinda busy sometimes, but I'll consider it in the future. I would like to give some more direct feedback for future products.
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Is it fine with parental/guardian consent? (That's how the Microsoft ones that I've done work. Oddly enough, the WebOS Developer Kit Beta didn't need age or consent IIRC.)