New Version of Articulate

Thanks Justin! I just sent an email.

With budgets cuts and tightening purses, I have been sitting in limbo ( for the last two months) with my approved sum to purchase  Articulate 09. I'd hate to purchase it now only to see the the next version released a few months down the road.

As frustrating as it may be to users, Articulate's policy on information regarding future releases does stretch our trust, yet we are obliged to continue to trust. From reading old posts, the last release was a bang, leaving very satisfied customers. Lets hope for more and better of the same.

I may lose my hair if the budgetary noose squeezes my allocated purse for Articulate before we see the next version.

We remain awaiting for an "Articulate(d) surprise" of the year!

Excuse the pun

Ike

If you want to lock in getting the next version with a purchase now, you should consider purchasing the Platinum Membership Plan, since that is one of the many benefits of the PMP:

http://www.articulate.com/store/pmp.php

BEFORE anyone buys anything!

I've just been catching up on the buzz around Articulate's new Storyline product. Looks like there will be two product streams moving forward - Articulate Studio (based on PowerPoint) for basic users and Storyline (standalone like Quizmaker) for more advanced users (appears to be aimed more at pro instructional designers). Looks like there may also be an upgrade path from Studio to Storyline for those wanting the extra features (and of course complexity).

Find more in this thread:

http://community.articulate.com/forums/t/1694.aspx?PageIndex=2

Could you at least provide any idea if this upgrade will have a capability for mlearning development and deployment?  We're looking at mobile learning at our company and I'm heading to mLearnCon in June to learn more.  Sure would like to know a general idea of what Articulate is thinking before I check out all the vendors at the conference.

Hi Jonathan,

If you look at the "verified answer" in the Storyline thread, you'll see the following:

"Will Storyline content work on my iPhone and iPad?

Yes, Storyline will be able to publish iOS-compatible output via HTML5."

Brian, Thanks - I saw that in the Storyline thread, but will this also be incorporated into the new Studio release?  Also, being a mlearning newbie, will Storyline also publish content compatible with BlackBerry devices or is iOS multi-platform?  I know HTML5 is the what Apple's products are going to, but something that will handle a multitude of devices/platforms would be great.

Will I need to purchase Storyline for my moble learning content and Articulate Studio for my CBT content?

Thanks again!

My understanding is that Storyline will publish (with some limitations) to iOS only (so no Android or Blackberry option).

However we have to consider the bigger picture when it comes to delivering e-learning content on mobile devices. There are two challenges with a mobile device:

1. The form factor - primarily the screen size and resolution but also the user input (keyboard, touch screen etc.)

2. The environments in which mobile devices are likely to be used (in the car, on the train, between meetings, at Starbucks etc.)

The screen size of most mobile devices effectively bars then from delivering traditional e-learning modules such as that produced by Articulate unless they have been specifically designed for the device (think extra big fonts and buttons). However the iPad and other slates are perfectly suited to e-learning but these are arguably more akin to laptops than pure mobile devices. A laptop or netbook is after all mobile device but we don't tend to do m-learning on them.

Most m-learning that I have seen is not what I would strictly called e-learning. It is either video with voiceover or simple reference documents or job aids. Quizzes also work well on mobile devices.

For me mobile devices have an important part to play in the overall online learning experience but a monitor with a decent resolution still provides a lot more flexibility and space to learn!

Articulate's future players - which you'll see first in Storyline, then in the next version of Studio products, will continue to publish as Flash.  Therefore, any Flash-enabled mobile device:  Windows Phone 7, Android, Blackberry will be able to run Articulate authored courses. 

There will also be an option to publish to HTML 5 - so you'll also be able to run Articulate authored courses created with these new players on iOS devices.  Because HTML5 does not offer all of the features of Flash, and because it is still an emerging specification, you may not be able to do everything on an iOS device that you can do on a Flash-based device. Spec limitations notwithstanding, we're going to do iOS right.  You'll have interactivity, gesture support, etc. 

As you look around, you'll see that's not the case with everyone who touts HTML5 support.

Mark.....thanks for that clarification.

Can't wait for all that gesture support stuff....suddenly our e-learning courses can get a bit more 'touchy feely'....

Very late in replying to this post, but would like to add my thoughts.

All products (no matter what the product) are,  generally speaking, the same when it comes to features.  However, for me, the differentiating factor is what happens after you've purchased the product - service and support is paramount.  

I love the ability to submit your problems online AND have a resolution time (again for me) of 24 hours or less.  Being able to go to any of the communities to get support, not only from my peers, but directly from Articulate staff.  The possibility to be part of the beta's they have for the products.  The fostering of knowledge within the communities - truly Articulate wants us all to be successful.   Last but not least - the ever evolving products that Articulate produces...Articulate just keeps going and going.  

I've been an Articulate customer for a little over 5 years (still a newbie) and my customer experience has been absolutely incredible and I am truly a satisfied customer since day 1.  

Amen, Jeanette. I think the following statistic says it all:

• Members on the Snap! by Lectora e-Learning forum: 87 (57 active)
• Members of E-Learning Heroes: 57,459

I second that.....I don't want to pull the trigger now without knowing for sure if that's a good move (with a new release on the horizon...).

Cheers,

Dave

I echo Jeanette Cefre's post.....Articulate's service and support is like no other and the fact that they share templates, graphics, demos, etc. just goes above and beyond! 

I got an email on the activity of this thread and thought I'd put in my two cents.

First of all I, like others have already said, need to tell you that this forum is absolutely top-notch. Support could not be better and therefore I don't think you need to upgrade it in any way. But are the forum staff the same people who are working on the next version of the software? I assume no, so this leads me to my second point:

I see some people repeating the mantra "you get what you pay for" and while I am inclined to agree to an extent, I think it is important to consider things like Wikipedia, linux and apache- All world class open- source services and software which cost zero. And while support for these free functions hardly measure up to the support of this forum, the main point of interest is always the software itself. And it is not like these freebies are completely without support. This insight got me on a train of thought of plugins. Maybe in between releases, which in all sincerity are few and far between when it comes to QM (which I use), you could allow an element of plugins, either open- source or not. This would supply the so called must- have functions for specific users while still giving your developers control over major releases. It would also add an element of customer feedback, in whichever way you decide to do it. It's just an idea, but take from it what you will.

I identify with the people posting here asking for new releases, because when using QM I feel the software is not growing with me. There is a learning curve and when you first start out using the program it takes you a while to get the hang of it. Then you are using all the functions, and finally you realize there are functions you need that are not included or supported. This is unfortunately when you either start looking for alternatives or stop using your current software to wait for a new release.

I chose to stop using it. And so did my "students" whose demands have also risen during the last 2 years or so. It doesn't matter to them if the user forum is top- notch or not.

Finally let me just clarify that I don't wish to use anything other than QM for my purposes and I think you have the best software available AT THE MOMENT. But even though competition AT THE MOMENT maybe isn't that tough, it will be sooner or later. And I, personally, would love to see a way of developers and users working together in making these products progressively better. Best of luck with the next version, I'm looking forward to it!

Maybe I should also say that I don't think that you guys need to choose between great customer service and a great software. With most users (evidently) completely satisfied with this forum, you can focus resources into software development, giving all involved the best of both worlds.

Hey BS,

In having a read through your post I can see the value in user generated 'plug ins'...similar to Word Press.

The one 'hole' I see in this is at what point does Articulate say 'Hey, sorry that developer plug in doesnt' work...it's not our problem'.  Will that then tarnish the reputation the Articulate has build by taking the hard stance of 'it's not our fault'.

At the moment there are certain 'hacks' you can use for some things and Articulate is quite clear when they say 'this is not supported by Articulate'....but I fear that if the doors open for user generated plug ins, they would have to quote that phrase too much.  I'm sure it would require MORE support for developers.....

I do like the idea, don't get me wrong.  I would love to see some solutions to some shortcomings.....I just wonder what impact it would have.

Great post!

-Dave

What has just been suggested was, I think, the point of the free user-generated interactions, (carousel etc.).

Problem was there were not enough of them generated, and the support, as mentioned, was done on a goodwill basis.

For me, all I would have liked to see was perhaps 3/4 "addition releases" per quarter or half-year even - heck we suggested about 100 new interaction types.

The strange thing is this....whilst the AP forums are amazing, the questions and discussions in many cases seem to stop at responses which come up with "clever ways to...." or "workarounds". There's hundreds of suggestions for functionality which customers (us) actually want. Most of it seems to be there now in SL, but why the forums were not used more proactively as an R&D-feeder to update AP more regularly I do not  understand.

Bruce

Thanks for the updates. I love Articulate, infact I have convinced a lot of my clients to use Articulate. But the upcoming projects for a lot of my clients require content on:

1. PC/Mac

2. iPad

3. iPhone

4. Android Tablets

5. Android Phones

6. Blackberry Phones

Pressure!! Pressure!! There are a couple of options available but im hoping we will receive good news soon before the projects get a deadline assigned then theres no choice :( 

Fingers crossed......

Articulate Staff--Please give us the latest news about Storyline--we have projects for mobile devices stacking up and would like to stay with Articulate as our dev platform.  Thx!

Hi Richard and welcome to Heroes! We cannot provide you with a specific release date or anything. If you want to sign up to find out when it is available you can do so here:

http://www.articulate.com/storyline/

Should you want to run your Articulate-authored content today on non-Flash supported devices, we are aware of several third party solutions that may meet your needs.  Please be advised, these are not developed or supported by Articulate, so we encourage you to test them out to ensure they meet your needs.   

Frame; Entered HTML5 player:
http://frameentered.com/content/low-bandwidth-html-articulate-player-waudio-reports-lms-too 

iSWiFTER Browser:
Another possible option for iPad users is to view Articulate content with the iSWiFTER app as demonstrated below. 
http://frameentered.com/content/articulate-ipad-iswifter
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iswifter/id388857173?mt=8

screenr:
If your Articulate content does not include interactive elements (such as quizzes or user-initiated navigation), you can record your Articulate content as it plays, using a screencasting tool like screenr (http://screenr.com), to capture a video of your Articulate content.  Screenr is free and screencasts can be viewed on iPads and iPhones directly from the screenr website.  There are also options to publish your screenr screencasts to YouTube and to download MP4 versions, both of which also play on non-Flash devices.

For more ideas on mobile learning, check out the following Rapid E-Learning Blog post:
http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/m-learning-101-ill-take-my-rapid-e-learning-to-go/

Richard - Thanks, I was thinking of posting a question here today. I agree with you 100%

Thanks Justin for the response. I completely understand about the release date. 

Would it be possible for your team to let us know if the courses can be created in different sizes for mobile learning.

For exampe: If we are creating a browser based course, then we create the courses the same way we do today in Articulate. 

But if its mobile, will Storyline let us define the dimensions for the course player. Like specific size for Tablets 10inch or 7inch and specific size for smartphones?

This answer will help us with our business case to keep Articulate as our dev platform. We are in the same situation as Richards. There is bigtime pressure for me and my team as the upcoming projects have a mobility requirement (both tablets and phones). And we have spent a lot of time coaching the team and documenting processes based on Articulate platform and want to stick to Articulate. 

Thanks and have a great day!!

Hi Ali.

We can't discuss specific features of Storyline beyond what we've made public here:

http://community.articulate.com/forums/p/1694/8945.aspx#8945