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Beta
/bay't*/, /be't*/ or (Commonwealth) /bee't*/ n. 1. Mostly working, but still under test; usu. used with `in': `in beta'. In software development, a "beta version" of a product is one that is still in development but is published for testing purpose. In the Real World, systems (hardware or software) software often go through two stages of release testing: Alpha (in-house) and Beta (out-house?). Beta releases are generally made to a group of lucky (or unlucky) trusted customers. |
The beta version of a product still awaits full debugging or full implementation of
all its functionality, but satisfies a majority of the requirements. Beta versions
(or just betas) stand at an intermediate step in the full development cycle (*2).
Developers release them to a group of beta testers (or, sometimes, to the general public)
for a user test. The testers report any bugs that they found,
features they would like to see in the final version, etc.
When a beta becomes available to the general public it often becomes used
almost as widely as the finished product (when developers subsequently complete that product).
Usually developers of freeware or open-source betas release them to the general public while
proprietary betas go to a relatively small group of testers. Recipients of highly proprietary
betas may have to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Since this is the second major stage in the development cycle, following the alpha stage,
it is named after the Greek letter beta, the second letter in the Greek alphabet. >>
from wikipedia
