Reply to: Lotus Notes v 8.5.3 is now available, please upgrade

[DieScum]

When I was at IBM using Lotus for email was just terrible. Random crashes, killnotes.exe, dying over the vpn. Must have knocked a few hours of productivity off an average work week.

"Is email down for you, as well?"
"Let me check - nope not working for me either... oh wait... no, no, it's hung..."

Pretty much every day.

Odd that that would be allowed for something so business critical.

[Sysman]

Notes seems to survive in those industries where technology is not part of the end product. Manufacturing, engineering, mining and quarrying all seem to use Notes by default ( at least every client I've worked with in those areas has).

As a mail system it's pretty crap, as a shared services systems it's actually pretty good. Knock up a bespoke application or a database, drop it into the Notes system and it's available for everyone with Notes access to use. It's got some good features for collaborative working etc. The problem is most people don't bother with any of that, they just use it for email.

I liked Lotus Notes when we had it, and it was extremely good where someone had taken the effort to implement the collaborative stuff you mention. I used it for keeping logs of what I'd done to which systems.

That got replaced by some flavour of Outlook which crashed all over the shop and mangled emails, and none of us were impressed.

[darmstadt]

Well since they own it they are hardly likely to use a competing product are they.

Why not? They don't use OS/2 as a desktop although you have the option of their Linux desktop (but based on Redhat) But yeah, you're quite right many tech companies don't use Lotus Notes but then again it wasn't originally designed as an e-mail client but as a groupware product.

[Lockhouse]

Are HSBC still using Notes?

[DaveB]

Not so much that but Notes is what they use for e-mail, amongst other things, so basically makes the posters comments a load of old bollocks...

Well since they own it they are hardly likely to use a competing product are they.

I was just commenting on the fact that all the manufacturing/engineering/heavy industry clients I've worked with have used Notes and so have most of their suppliers and customers. All the technology focussed clients I've worked with have used Exchange. Your experience may differ.

[Old Hack]

I had to write an application, for a global company, showing information to all offices worldwide, based on Notes Databases.

I still have nightmares about doing it...

[Platypus]

Not so much that but Notes is what they use for e-mail, amongst other things, so basically makes the posters comments a load of old bollocks...

Yes, I was trying to agree with your point.

[darmstadt]

Love 'em or hate 'em they're still doing well !

Not so much that but Notes is what they use for e-mail, amongst other things, so basically makes the posters comments a load of old bollocks...

[Platypus]

Well that's IBM ****ed for a start!

Love 'em or hate 'em they're still doing well !

[darmstadt]

Notes seems to survive in those industries where technology is not part of the end product.

Well that's IBM ****ed for a start!

[xoggoth]

Maybe there was something about it that appealed to geeks, guarantees longevity. Looking for a prog for my still quite useful little 2004 Win CE 5 device the other day, not a chance. On the other hand, finding software for a Psion 5 or Sinclair QL is easy.

[DaveB]

Notes seems to survive in those industries where technology is not part of the end product. Manufacturing, engineering, mining and quarrying all seem to use Notes by default ( at least every client I've worked with in those areas has).

As a mail system it's pretty crap, as a shared services systems it's actually pretty good. Knock up a bespoke application or a database, drop it into the Notes system and it's available for everyone with Notes access to use. It's got some good features for collaborative working etc. The problem is most people don't bother with any of that, they just use it for email.

[Scrag Meister]

Just popped into my work inbox

Why do companies continue to insist on working with this pile of poo?

If ever there was a piece of software whose death is long overdue I can think of no better nomination than Notes

I found that new ClientCo uses Notes , a real step into the dim and distant past.

[the_rangdo]

Are Lloyds/TSB still using Notes?

Not for email at least

[Platypus]

Notes does a lot more than email...

ClientCo uses Notes and I'll agree that for email it's poo. But for all the other stuff they do with it, it's quite handy and that makes it much more difficult to migrate away from.

So I suspect that Notes won't be sunset any time soon.


By the way, as for the Lotus spreadsheet, that stuff is all free now, and I'm told is a darned good implementation of Open Office. Google for Lotus Symphony. I believe it runs on Mac, Windows and Linux.