Brad's Impulse Launch Review

Published on June 17, 2008 By Frogboy In Personal Computing

Impulse is the greatest thing since sliced bread...yada yada yada.

But how good is it really? Ultimately, only you will be able to decide. What I'm going to do here is give my personal opinion on how Impulse stands on the eve of its launch.

The Comparisons

Let's just get this out of the way, Impulse is not Steam or Direct2Drive or Xfire or whatever. It's has a very different design philosophy. So let me just say this: You would have to pry Steam out of my cold dead hands. You should judge Impulse as how well it addresses your problems.

First Impressions

So I double click on the Impulse icon. How fast does it load? On my ThinkPad T60 it's about 5 seconds but YMMV. In its phase 2 edition (August) I think we need to make it more multithreaded so that when you launch it, it comes up like a window. I.e. instantly. But it is pretty snappy (a lot faster for me than the betas were).

My next question would be, how much RAM is this thing using?

On load up, about 15 megabytes which is pretty good given that Internet Explorer uses 84 megabytes!

The Store

From a digital e-commerce point of view, the million dollar question is, how good is the selection in the Impulse store? With Steam or Direct2Drive, I can get a gazillion different games. So what about Impulse? The answer depends on what you're looking for.

The first week of the Impulse launch will be spent handling the logistics of getting hundreds of gigabytes of games, utilities, and applications up on the servers. So what is available at say 1pm on the day of the launch will be different from what is available at 5pm of the same day with each day adding more and more stuff.

But by Christmas, I suspect it won't be selection that makes one choose one digital store over another but rather the features and services that these things provide. Impulse, for instance, supports refunds for users having technical issues. That's a pretty big deal IMO. As far as I know, that will be unique to Impulse.

Community Features

So that we're all on the same page, Impulse isn't just a download manager ala Stardock Central. It is a full blown digital distribution platform. The platform comes in the form of Impulse Reactor which is a server-side virtual API set for developers.

A developer could, for instance, using the free Impulse Reactor SDK (which will be launched in mid August) type into their game: CVP.SaveGame() and save their game to the player's virtual drive. Or CVP.LoadPreferences() to get a game's preferences.

The first game to make use of the Common Virtual Platform will be The Political Machine. Unfortunately, The Political Machine v1.1 wasn't ready by the Impulse launch so we had to hide the "Games" button from the community area for multiplayer match making. As soon as it's ready, the button will come back and players will be able to find games either there or within The Political Machine itself. Other games that will be using it include Sins of a Solar Empire, Galactic Civilizations II v2.0, and Demigod. We are also working with a number of third party developers to begin using this.

Blogging

I am very biased in favor of non-website whenever possible. I just find website stuff slow.

The blogging and forum behavior on Impulse is pretty fast but I'd like to see it much faster. As in, instantaneous.

I think in the coming weeks you'll see a lot of improvements to performance across the whole thing as the initial launch was largely about just getting stuff in there.

My Friends

The friends stuff is a pretty big deal for me as both a user and as a gamer. It's only in its beginning stages really. Eventually, you'll be able to easily get games going and filter by friends or friends of friends to help improve the multiplayer experience.

When I play on-line, my biggest gripe is the griefing and such I run into. I'm 36 years old, I just don't have time to waste in a multiplayer game with some 15 year old whose out to "max their ranking".

Features that didn't make to the launch that make me sad

There are 3 big features that had to be put into phase 2 (August) that make me sad. The Impulse side was done but we just didn't have enough time on the game side to make use of them yet.

Those are:

Multiplayer Matchmaking. People could start and join games right from Impulse.
Achievements.
Game Rankings.

They'll get in there, we just have to update The Political Machine and other games to make use of them so that we can show off what's possible to game developers.

The same is true for NAT negotiation and such. One of the biggest pains in the butt on the PC is getting ports and firewalls set up right for a game. In Impulse phase 3, the Impulse back end will be set up to act as a kind of back-up for games that use our platform. So a user could connect to another user without knowing anything about routers and what not. We're hoping Demigod will be the first game to make use of this.

Getting Updates

So right now, there's a tab called "Updates" that shows up if there are updates to ones programs. I'd like to see an option put in asap that simply has Impulse download these updates automatically.

My other request is that when downloading updates, I want to see my actual bandwidth speed. I realize this is cosmetic but somewhere, techies should be able to get some idea of how fast their connections are.

Getting to my stuff

Impulse lets users add new categories to their applications and move things around via the dock (we'll talk about that more soon).

If there's an update, an exclamation point shows up next to it.

What's not in the launch version are forums for every application or a chat channel. Eventually everything will get its own forum and chat channel.

Registering your stuff

Users can associate various programs with their account. Right now, the only commercial programs that you can associate with your account are Stardock ones and programs you bought from Impulse. But the next step is to let you be able to associate any program with your account regardless of where you purchased it.

This way, when are setting up a new machine, you can just let Impulse download and install all your stuff (freeware, shareware, games, whatever).

Preferences

Clicking on the orb in the top left opens up additional options. You can set up where things install on a per category basis:

The Dock

Impulse is designed to customizeable. The initial launch doesn't have the skinning selection features in. That's coming "real soon now(TM)". But you can add and edit your own categories:

Extending Impulse

When you press the minimize to dock, Impulse launches the dock:

Impulse Dock

The dock displays the same content as the Impulse client. By default, it is set to auto-hide so it will hide to the taskbar edge with the user able to bring it up by moving their mouse to the bottom edge of the screen.

The dock is pretty powerful and yet light weight.

We plan to release later on an Impulse Tray applet that users can optionally use to stay in touch with friends, posts, updates, etc. It will not be part of Impulse itself as it will be designed to be as tiny as possible.

So what's next?

I think most people will find Impulse pretty compelling. Initially, its game content is not on par with Steam or Direct2Drive but that should change over time. Obviously on the non-game software side, it enjoys a tremendous advantage.

Impulse itself is pretty snappy but I found the forums and blog services be a bit on the slow side. This will be something Stardock will need to improve.

Download speeds of new programs, by contrast are fast. Faster than anything I've ever used anywhere.

The customization features, while decent, could be a lot better. I.e. I'd like to be able to select from a list of skins. Stardock's the leader in this area so it's something that it will be adding and supporting through its skinning site, WinCustomize.com.

It will be important that Impulse show off the features of Impulse Reactor as quickly as possible. Getting the Multiplayer matchmaking in should be up by the end of the month. Achievements, rankings, etc. are all going to be crucial as well.

I'd like to be able to filter out programs that are available but not installed. I'm an extreme case since I have a ton of things linked to my account but still.

I think people will be pleasantly surprised at how fast and memory efficient the overall program is. Given how pretty it is, on might expect it to be slow and a memory hog but even in its first release, it's really snappy.

Comments (Page 6)

zakai1369

on Jun 18, 2008

ZJBDragon

on Jun 18, 2008

kryo
However, Impulse appears, to me, as tag-along invasive software no differentImpulse doesn't "invade" anything. The dock and such are there so that people are more likely to want to use it, but if that's not your taste, simply turn the dock off and only run Impulse when you need to download something. It loads to the tab you left it on last, so if you don't want to see the community or store stuff, you won't need to after the first time you start it.

It is invasive when it's required for updates. However, if you tie these updates to anti-cheats, then it's something I 'want'. Cheat protection is something that isn't valued enough in today's multiplayer games.

But that Epic Games relationship...man, that's going to be a hard thing to look past. I don't think you guys realize the huge amount of anger out there at Epic Games. They've burned just about every bridge to their customers that can possibly be burned. I'd buy an EA game before I'd remotely consider an Epic Games game these days. Just the sight of their products and logo disgusts me because of what they've done to PC gamers -- and I'm far from alone on this.

Wizard1956

on Jun 18, 2008

I'm not into PC games,so I may never see that side of Impulse and couldn't care less about Steam.I'm new to desktop customization.I enjoy it,(and the company here at WC) even if I myself never create anything.ODNT,like games or movies are entertainment to me.None are "mission critical".My PC will work fine without them.I choose to keep ODNT updated because it has value to me.Impulse to me is just a way to further increase that value and enhance my computing experience by doing that and more with style and ease.If they want to tempt me with a fancy store,that's cool. This is America,it's ok to make money.Use it or not,it's up to the individual.As for me,I hope Impulse continues to function long after I do.

Zydor

on Jun 18, 2008

In the middle of all this comes Wizard1956, arguably an anology for what is to come, not into PC games, likes what he sees, bingo new convert, new potential customer. Impulse is not about us now, its about who we will be in 2-5 years - and if Wizrad1956's reaction is anything to go by, they could well have got it right.....

Personally, I like it a lot - but thats just me, an opinion, not a declaration of war on who is Right or Wrong. The "sea change" in the digital world is happening right now to meet the needs of tomorrow, not today. Using todays values and needs to judge tomorrows product never works.

Regards

Zydor

on Jun 18, 2008

anology/analogy - dang I really do miss that edit button

mdsorom

on Jun 18, 2008

Wizard1956 hit it on the head from where I sit. Platforms such as this are designed at a Strategic level - not for today only, else the investment put into it never gets re-couped. Its not - as such - needs of "the now" that drives the design and background OEM type facilities (there's obvious limits to that statement in some areas of it), its designing to a prediction as to what the Market needs or wants on a circa 2-5 year view. Early adopters always get the early market share and the long term reward.
In the middle of all this comes Wizard1956, arguably an anology for what is to come, not into PC games, likes what he sees, bingo new convert, new potential customer. Impulse is not about us now, its about who we will be in 2-5 years - and if Wizrad1956's reaction is anything to go by, they could well have got it right.....
Personally, I like it a lot - but thats just me, an opinion, not a declaration of war on who is Right or Wrong. The "sea change" in the digital world is happening right now to meet the needs of tomorrow, not today. Using todays values and needs to judge tomorrows product never works.
Regards
Zy

Certainly a large group of people will love it. I would never deny that there is a market for computer-savy individuals with a love for these things. It just would have been handy to not have HAD to download and install it just for a patch for a game that came out before this. Not a patch that gives extras - but I guess there might be some - but a patch that fixed issues with TA that we bought before Impulse came out. We are left with the simplistic, but undeniably accurate,

"If you want to fix your tech bug on the game you just bought, then you MUST download and install our new product called Impulse."

That was why I was upset. But to be fair, I can simply uninstall it just as soon as I get the courage to do so. Somehow I fear that my serial numbers will be lost or my game account somehow corrupted. And, if there turns out to be any more bugs, then I will have to reinstall it. (

edit - that angry face should have been a sad face. I typed it so I didnt preview it.

Zydor

on Jun 18, 2008

Somehow I fear that my serial numbers will be lost or my game account somehow corrupted. And, if there turns out to be any more bugs, then I will have to reinstall it.

I hear you totally and empathise. Another analogy (Alert: I'm in wax lyrical mode tonight ). When the whole genre of Web Host/ Personal WebSpace was first being postulated - geez was it THAT long ago - *scrabbles for me Will* - my reaction was:

*hands off my private data, I'll keep it thank you very much - mutter mumble rant and rave *

Then embarassingly, the penny dropped as to why the WebHost Provider and all that genre was needed, not just nice to have, NEEDED. Opppsss..... frankly I should have twigged it earlier, I had a few bad hair days! I guess what I am trying to say is "Joe Soap" like us cant have a total vision of whats coming, however much we might like topursuade ourselves that we do have that vision. In the World of the Vendor/Providor, the future Vision looks wholely different as they will have an inside track on future capabilities coming down the track. That enables a different Vision of whats needed, that initially seems wierd to us.

It boils down to trust at the end of the day. My EA checkbook is slammed shut until they get back the trust, that'll take a loooooong time. My Stardocks chequebook is wide open with blank cheques. Well, maybe not blank ones ......

Regards

MindTooth

on Jun 18, 2008

Come on guys!! What is the problem installing Impulse, and have a easier way to deploy patches. Yes you can remove it afterwards, but who knows, maybe in the future there is a game that you like being released in Impulse.

Everyone seems to look at the glass half-empty. Try look at it as half-full. I think that the way Impulse is handling patches as DRM is a much better approach then EA with must active every tenth day or so, Steam with is required to be connected to Steam, etc. As many stated before, and I will again, you can only use it to install patches. When you are done, you close it, and start it once there is a new patch. No need to have it running in the time between patches.

I totally respect everyones view on this topic, but please consider to look at the upsides of it, and not some sort of a EA/Microsoft monopoly. Stardock is doing the best they can, and with Impulse as a competitor to Steam, this can only mean better products for the end-users.

Birger

Wizard1956

on Jun 18, 2008

arguably an analogy for what is to come,

Thanks,I've been called an analogy before,I just don't remember the -ogy part.

Imo,MyColors was part of this forward thinking on Stardocks part,something anyone at any level of expertise can use and enjoy.

I can simply uninstall it just as soon as I get the courage to do so.

Before you do,give the dock a try,you may change your mind.

mdsorom

on Jun 18, 2008

Look at it this way, I play several different games. What if every game I played forced me to install their hot-new-platform or whatever it is to simply patch the game I bought? Heck, I've installed an average of one new platform per week with just this one game.

Again, it's not that I think Impulse is bad or useless or anything like that. In fact, I have no idea what it's supposed to do - besides the updates. Until a couple weeks ago, I'd never even heard of a platform

Gambler

on Jun 18, 2008

Zubaz

That comment, in context, is about freedom (freedom based on class even [and a bit of research would indicate that Brad's "class" came from hard work]) and is an accurate acknowledgment of options.

That comment appears virtually every time someone criticizes something online. It's not context-dependent.

The criticism is that the user doesn't like something

The substance of criticism is not that someone dislikes Impulse, but what exactly, why and what can be done about it.

I like the ideas of Impulse. But I don't like the idea of making it mandatory for the reasons stated above. If it's that good and useful, shouldn't users adopt it without extra compulsion?

ins11

on Jun 19, 2008

Nothing is mandatory. It is a distribution platform. After the product(s) are distributed, you are free to delete the application. Do you complain that you are "forced" to use a web browser (usually Internet Explorer) to download game patches, then "forced" to use a unarchiver such as Winzip or Winrar to extract the files before finally being "forced" to use Windows Installer, WISE, Installshield or similar to install said patch?

Mumblefratz

on Jun 19, 2008

The point is that there are many other uses for a browser, winzip and windows installer. Impulse is a single use application. In fact it's an indirect single use application. The only point of it's existence from my point of view is to update one single application that I own. Other than that it is overly complex dead weight.

Also simply deleting this distribution platform or even uninstalling it can have unknown consequences. For example uninstalling SDC has the consequence of deleting all your serial numbers from your registry without telling you. The end result of this caused me to be unable to submit a game I had spent 6 weeks on plus the additional time it took me to debug the problem.

I simply don't wish to spend the time installing the platform, figuring how to use the platform, deleting or uninstalling the platform and then figuring out how my system has been damaged by this process. To me the updates are not worth this effort.

zakai1369

on Jun 19, 2008

I completely agree you have the right to your own opinion Mumblefratz. I agree you have the freedom to state your opinion and the freedom to choose not to use anything on your computer that you don't want to use.

You've stated numerous times that people are saying your opinion is invalid by trying to offer up their suggestions, alternatives, and opinions. But to every response here you have basically had the same response just put in a different way. Sometimes not even put in a different way just restated again and again.

Isn't that pretty much dismissing all of their attempts at alternatives and opinions as being invalid?

Somewhere along the line you stated how gaming is such an inconsequential part of your life that it doesn't warrant using this platform.

How then does letting people know you won't be using it and going on and on about it once you've stated that warrant so much time?

I'm not trying to be a jerk about it but it comes across to me as you want to have your opinion and choice and you want to make it public but then if anyone disagrees or tries to offer an alternative you don't feel they are entitled.

Mistralok1

on Jun 19, 2008

Mumble, for what it's worth, I'm with you on this one. I resent the fact that I am being forced to install a large and intrusive program just to do one single function (update) for one single program.

At this point I have to say that I support the idea of Impulse. I think that it is a good idea that will be good for Stardock, and probably for the gaming industry as a whole. But it's not good for ME. There is no feature in there that I would ever use. I'm not the chatty type, I don't blog or read blogs, except for the occasional Stardock news blog.

I don't like that fact that it installs a new item to my desktop. Dock? I don't need no stinkin' dock. What many people think of as enhancement, I think of as clutter. I keep my desktop and my computer in general, lean and clean.

Again, I support Stardock and Impulse. It is the right idea at the right time. But please give us minimalists a simple way to get these small (and after 1.92) mostly insignificant updates to the one single Stardock program that I use.

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