Kinsky Desktop - poor program

[jwka]

To make it clear from the beginng: With having two pairs of 140's (one active, one passive), two pairs of 109's, one 6100, one Majik DS, one Majik DS-I, two Sekrit's, one Sneaky and one Klimax DS, I guess one will rate me to be true Linn fanatic.

Having said this, I need to say that my experience with the Linn software is so poor that I am wondering meanwhile if I have made the right desicion on high investment into the Linn hardware.

Here are my results:

Kinsky not showing any room. Linn config does (same computer). Ping and any IP scanner finds all devices.

Try to make screenshot for proof: Kinsky to disappear when pressing the hotkey (SnagIt). ANY other program does not.

Kisnky to die (crash) multiple times per day. ANY other software (Lotus Notes, Photoshop, MS Office, powertoys, Netstumbler, Port Scanner, Logitech Squeeze XXX etc. etc. etc.) works just fine. Kinsky to be the only one to constantly fail in funtion and producing crashes.

Kisnky unable to deal with multiple network cards. Every time I disconnect my Laptop from the dock, Kinsky dies with telling that the interface card changed. Surely! That is how Notebooks with docking stations work, guys!

Totally disappointed.

Anyone else with such messy results?
Thx.
jwka

[SuperToMMo]

I have crashes mainly only plug player, Kinsky is like only once in a while it decides to be blind (well but in my, knofig could not find it to). However, my net work is very simple.

[JoeBroesel]

(2010-03-20 23:33)jwka Wrote:  ...

Try to make screenshot for proof: Kinsky to disappear ...

Kisnky to die (crash) multiple times per day. ..


Kisnky unable to deal with multiple network cards....

Hi,
I agree.

See also here:
http://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread.php?tid=4154

Now if there was a really good manual, maybe that would change the situation.
For instance: It is possible to drag a file from your local computer into the right area of Kinsky Desktop, to play it.
I haven't found this feature noted anywhere except by reading nearly millions of posts here.
This is not the right way.

[Flying Sheep]

Jwka

It won't make your day any better, but I can confirm that I do not experience any of the problems you do with KDT. So maybe it's down to your setup? I am running Windows XP. (I have also experimented on OSX - but that's a story for another thread).

I switch frequently between 2 network connections - I hard-wired for DS Control, and a USB 3G Stick for internet connection (active now). KDT shows both, although it does think the second is a Bluetooth connection! KDT so far has never crashed, even though I run all sorts of other stuff at the same time and only reboot when forced to by a software update.

Alt Printscreen allowed me to make a screenshot - I don't have snagit so I couldn't test that way.

I do have some reservations about the GUI design - but that is a matter of taste as much as anything else.

Grüsse

Chris

[little wong]

Kinsky desktop is by far the weakest link.
Even sitting here now on my laptop I'm not running Kinsky.
It's far easier and faster to turn on my touch and get either Songbook or plugplayer up and running.

Linn really need to outsource kinsky, they just don't have the time and/or expertese to give us something we all want.
Considering Kinsky is the end user interface it is very important to get this right for non-enthuesiast like us who are willing to put up with it.

We are very lucky to have the likes of Songbook, Plugplayer and Konductor

[freshman]

(2010-03-20 23:33)jwka Wrote:  To make it clear from the beginng: With having two pairs of 140's (one active, one passive), two pairs of 109's, one 6100, one Majik DS, one Majik DS-I, two Sekrit's, one Sneaky and one Klimax DS, I guess one will rate me to be true Linn fanatic.

Having said this, I need to say that my experience with the Linn software is so poor that I am wondering meanwhile if I have made the right desicion on high investment into the Linn hardware.

Here are my results:

Kinsky not showing any room. Linn config does (same computer). Ping and any IP scanner finds all devices.

Try to make screenshot for proof: Kinsky to disappear when pressing the hotkey (SnagIt). ANY other program does not.

Kisnky to die (crash) multiple times per day. ANY other software (Lotus Notes, Photoshop, MS Office, powertoys, Netstumbler, Port Scanner, Logitech Squeeze XXX etc. etc. etc.) works just fine. Kinsky to be the only one to constantly fail in funtion and producing crashes.

Kisnky unable to deal with multiple network cards. Every time I disconnect my Laptop from the dock, Kinsky dies with telling that the interface card changed. Surely! That is how Notebooks with docking stations work, guys!

Totally disappointed.

Anyone else with such messy results?
Thx.
jwka

Hello !
Your bad experiences with KDT can be results of a lot of different software
installed on Your computer.
As Windows manages their libraries (DLL files) in very bad and practically unpredictible way, such observations are made usually with computers, where a lot of different software is installed/reinstalled.
Usually even deinstallation of some software does not help, as unneded versions of different DLLs are retained in the disk.
So (I understand that it is time consuming task) - if it is possible,
try to reinstall whole Windows (including reformatting disk).
Maybe it would be better to You to create separate partition with separate
OS only "for audio purposes" - if You have some free space on Your HD, then try to use partition magic (but, please, do it carefully, reading manual before :-), if You are not too much familiar with computers (generally - IT).
Or - try to use VMWARE, for example to create separate virtual machine
inside Your OS installation.
Clear operating system installation should definitely help.
As an example - I use my laptop only for business tasks, and ...
for Linn DS, having installed, apart from Office, Outlook etc, only
Kinsky, Foobar and DBPoweramp - and Kinsky has _never_ crashed.
regards
freshman

[jwka]

@freshman:

Good idea.

And of course, best to use a seperate network with only the music parts in it. And a separate router and internet access. A separate server with only a UPNP Server running, not even a Backup SW. Uninstall all other software. And finally: Never run. Then never problems.

Sorry to say, but that is simply the death of these systems including the whole Linn DS parts an cannot really be the solution.

It was allways a quickly chosen approach to blame MS or Windows for the mess.

I have been working in the software industry all my life (more than 25 years but far too long on a management level to have enough experience left to invetsigate the low level problems here) and all I can say:

There has allways been programs that just ran perfect. And others. With bad design, with bugs and bugs and bugs. Complaining about the OS system, the DLL's, the other software installed, humidity, the weather and the moon.

That is just nuts!

I mean: If you choose to use .Net as a platform, you should never ever say anything about Windows.

And from a "cleanyness stenmdpoint": This is supposedly the most messy approach you can think of. The overload is just brutal and it is just a matter of days rather than weeks when first problems will be there with other SW also running on .Net.

Well, need to either:

- replace the Linn stuff

- find other software that CAN do the task

Will see.
Cidero, that old 2007 product just works fine, but has trouble with the bulk response of the Klimax DS that also seems to be non-standard.

All is just a pitty.
jwka

[freshman]

jwka,

What I'd like to say is that responsibility of Your problems is at OS side, and
it's lack of stability.

I work in IT as well (well - slightly shorter - around 20 years).

And - one of results of my experience in this area is that :
If a lot of people does not observe any significant issues with the software,
and some others do that, then responsibility for that situation is placed
at lower layer.

Additionally - even the most stable software fails, if the OS is not stable
(and - You have to agree - it is very easy to destroy stability of Windows).

As I have no issues with Kinsky (and have not too much additional software installed and have no issues with my Windows installation as well) then simple implication of this fact is my recommendation.

I agree that reinstallation of OS is very uncomfortable, but sometimes, especially in Windows world, it is the fastest solution.

regards
freshman

[MnM]

jwka, you come across as a bit of a prick. Amongst other things: 25 years software industry experience and, on the basis of your brief negative experience, you consider sacking the staff? Hmmm.

I have used KDT on a recent Samsung NC10 netbook with a lot of success, although waking from sleep sometimes needed a restart. Currently using it on an old, underpowered Lenovo laptop, when it has been temperamental, but tweaking settings and applying a load of Vista updates, as well as updates to the network card drivers, seems to have helped a lot.

This stuff is much more controlled on the iPhone, so if you have one, try Little Wong's suggestions. Alternatively there are other controllers available for PC. You'd better pick one which supports Linn's extensions to the UPnP standard, unless of course you'd prefer not to trust these.

[jwka]

(2010-03-21 13:33)MnM Wrote:  .. on the basis of your brief negative experience, you consider sacking the

another experince from (my) life: Things that don't work on the first try will never work propperly. Especially true with software.

(2010-03-21 13:33)MnM Wrote:  Alternatively there are other controllers available for PC.

Any suggestions? I am more than willing to try since I like the Linn "hardware" really pretty much, but a KlimaxDS without a propper UPNP Controller is just for the junkyard ... you will certainly agree?

(2010-03-21 13:33)MnM Wrote:  You'd better pick one which supports Linn's extensions to the UPnP standard, unless of course you'd prefer not to trust these.

Quite allergic against "extensions to a standard". Even when it comes from Linn ... (again, I like that company much, especially the "hardware"). This has allways been a very good excuse to be proprietary.

Thx
jwka