[fred]

If you have not tried BBO Version 4.8.7 or later, I suggest you use the link below to read about it before upgrading to 4.9.0:

Click for 487 post

Besides the usual bug fixes (the TD-sub-bug has not been fixed yet - sorry - working on it), there is a new way to look at a list of tables in the Main Bridge Club (and in other bridge clubs, and in tournaments).

You can try this using the "pictures of tables" command on the View menu, by changing this setting in the Options dialog (Tables tab), or by pressing Control-V (perhaps more than once) when you are looking at a list of tables.

Note that "pictures of tables" works in conjunction with "small tables font" - there are 4 "table views" altogether regardless of whether or not you are in Classic View.

There are 2 reasons for this option:

1) In New View (as opposed to Classic View), lists of tables were sometimes hard to read, especially with a 800x600 BBO window, especially with "small tables font" set to "off", and especially with several lobby columns showing.

The new "pictures of tables" option attempts to address this problem. If this option is set to "yes", each entry in the table list needs much less horizontal space to look nice than it would with this option set to "no".

2) We hear rumors that the Main Bridge Club list can be intimidating and hard to understand for new BBO members.

The new "pictures of tables" option attempts to address this problem. There are not as many tables displayed and each entry in the list has a gentler and more table-like appearance. Hopefully the table-like part will make it easier for new members to look at the list for the first time and quickly understand what it is all about.

You will notice that the number of tables that can be listed at once is much smaller in "pictures of tables" mode. This may be a negative for some experienced BBO members, but I suspect it will be a positive for most new members.

Please note how the lock and star icons appear differently than normal in this list. I like this and I am thinking about using the same method to display these symbols elsewhere in BBO.

If you are confused, here is what I mean: stars, locks, and other symbols usually appear in a white box. In the "pictures of tables" list there are no white boxes. I think the net effect is a quieter screen and less intimidating symbols.

Let me know what you think about this and about "pictures of tables" in general.

This will almost certainly be the end of major new developments for a while. Of course I will still be fixing bugs and may make minor interface changes, but the time has come to start getting the new version ready for release to the general membership.

If you find any problems or have any feedback, you can either post in Forums or send me an e-mail (fred@bridgebase.com). I am going to be away from my office between Wednesday and Sunday and I may be slow or unable to respond to e-mail or Forums posts during that time.

Instructions for upgrading to version 4.9.0 follow.

You can upgrade to 4.9.0 at:

Click here to update!

or download everything at:

Click here for everything!

I suggest you use the first method, but however you do this, please make sure you exit the BBO program COMPLETELY before you start the download process.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com