SimplePortal vs TinyPortal - Which do you PREFER?

Started by Douggy, July 29, 2009, 05:30:01 PM

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Which do you prefer?

SimplePortal
226 (48.7%)
TinyPortal
135 (29.1%)
Other/Neither
103 (22.2%)

Total Members Voted: 452

Eliana Tamerin

Quote from: Antechinus on August 20, 2009, 12:00:24 AM
The second: last I looked they were basically just forum posts by another name. That was 2.2.2 I think, or 2.2.3 or whatever. Couple of weeks ago anyway.

Then if you would refrain on speaking to that which you have little knowledge. I do the same for TP, as I have not used it regularly since it's early 1.0 beta versions. It would not be fair for me to presume TP's current status or direction at this point. Please know I mean no offense or disrespect in this statement.
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Antechinus

Well if you have released an upgraded version in the past couple of weeks I'll take another look at it.

bloc

Maybe we should rather acknowledge there is an interest and a will to expand SMF - no matter what portal you like to use. :)

Different sites, different needs.

As for expanding any portal with more options, like blogs, shop, gallery etc. its already alternatives that works, .e.g SMF Store, SMF MG, Zcommunity and so on. TP module feature will see modules like these, yes, but even more it can make smaller ones more useful for a mini-CMS/portal. For example pure frontpage manager, RSS feedmanager, Custom page/form creator etc.

I can relate very much to TP being perceived as more complicated than others though, thats why the next release, v1.0 beta5 is being rewritten to face that challenge better. Its also primary developed on SMF2, so the beta will support both SMF 1.1.x and SMF 2.0 RC1/2.

mikungfu

Quote from: Antechinus on August 19, 2009, 11:42:44 PM
Ok, you want a detailed comparison. How about you write it? Somebody has to and it would be a good way of answering your own questions while making the information available to others.

What????.... A person comes here wanting to learn something and you sugest him to answer it himself??? Has it crossed your mind that the main reason for someone to ask for an explanation is because he simply doesn't know?..

Yes it is true that nobody had yet come into details about both Portals features so, no need to rush into trying to "criticize back".

Thanks for the informative part of your reply. That helped me and should help others.

Antechinus

Most people wont have a list of exactly what all the differences are between all the portals. Including me. I was saying that if you are really interested you should look into it yourself. That way you find out what you want to know and you can tell other people. What's wrong with that? Somebody has to do the comparison.

Minare

Quote from: Antechinus on August 20, 2009, 07:40:02 AM
Most people wont have a list of exactly what all the differences are between all the portals. Including me. I was saying that if you are really interested you should look into it yourself. That way you find out what you want to know and you can tell other people. What's wrong with that? Somebody has to do the comparison.

Completely agree

"beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

"there's no accounting for taste"

"different strokes for different folks"

mikungfu

Quote from: Antechinus on August 20, 2009, 07:40:02 AM
Most people wont have a list of exactly what all the differences are between all the portals. Including me. I was saying that if you are really interested you should look into it yourself. That way you find out what you want to know and you can tell other people. What's wrong with that? Somebody has to do the comparison.

I can understand that most people don't have a list by heart. All that I asking was for people who have had experience with these portals (specially those who have used them both) to try and make some compared list of their features and each portals compared weaknesses and strengths.

Of course I did try to investigate it myself... But there is not enough information available. Specially when it comes to TP, the available info at the website is "spartan", to say the least! They say something like "we have a shoutbox and a downloads module and... Many others that you will love".
Of course in these circumstances we (people who have never used any of the portals, but want to learn before installing) have no choice but to rely on the experience of people who have used them, in order to get this information.

...And in case you're wondering, of course I have asked at the TP portal why there was so little info about features. Bloc (the developer himself) said I was right and promised to work an a comprhensive list of features.

When I saw a topic with this title I didn't expect to read 4 pages of discussion without this kind of info. Even though some of those 4 pages were due to topic derrailing...

Villesa

Quote from: Bloc on August 20, 2009, 06:30:19 AM
Maybe we should rather acknowledge there is an interest and a will to expand SMF - no matter what portal you like to use. :)

Different sites, different needs.

As for expanding any portal with more options, like blogs, shop, gallery etc. its already alternatives that works, .e.g SMF Store, SMF MG, Zcommunity and so on. TP module feature will see modules like these, yes, but even more it can make smaller ones more useful for a mini-CMS/portal. For example pure frontpage manager, RSS feedmanager, Custom page/form creator etc.

I can relate very much to TP being perceived as more complicated than others though, thats why the next release, v1.0 beta5 is being rewritten to face that challenge better. Its also primary developed on SMF2, so the beta will support both SMF 1.1.x and SMF 2.0 RC1/2.

Could you Bloc help me out please?
You'll get the idea

I'm all ok.

Crip

I have become comfortably numb!


I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.
   - Abraham Lincoln -



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G6™

#89
For me it's TP for several reasons.

1. Easy to use and easy to work with
2. it's own layersystem that make about any other theme made for SMF work with it
3. Panel and grid system for blocks that make it possible to create any layout you want, only your own imagination stops you.
4. Module system ( and also in the works for more and easier functionality ) where you decide what extra functions you want to have in your postal, instead of building everything in a package that gets to be so big you have a hard time installing it to a host.
5. TPs forum and site. So much info with everything from a simple code change to very complext changes to make a site look like a "one and only or One of a kind" site if you like, instead of just a page with boxes and texts.
6. How it handles security regarding uploads and downloads to the host. Images and GD library are walking hand in hand, and in return you never have to scratch your head when a layout breaks up because of to large images.
7. The team on TP. Easy people handpicked into the "family" where everyone have their own way in helping out. A very easy going team that always gives a hand to the ones in need of help.
8. Block code and snippets that constantly are growing with the help of members with ideas. The team always listen to new ideas including the developer and coders that 99% of the time take the ideas in and try to make them happen.
9. Expanding article pages where you draw out your own fully integrated webpages and name them according to the content so it's easy for google to read them and save them ( pretty urls like )

I can go on and on writing in why im for TP, and i can promisse you thats not just because im one of the team there, i wouldent been that if i didnt love the software and where it's headed. Especially now when it's close to be done for SMF2 aswell :)

I have tried SP and MK portal aswell, but i didnt like how things were looking inside and the difficulty of making changes in the code and making themes work inside them. I guess it might be diffrent if you are use to the software, but i saw no reason to learn more about them as im stuck with the portal i love already  :)

Deaks

after being avid TP fan for years my fav is SP, many times myself and my friends have asked for support on TP site and to this day there has not been any helpful answer or replies to them.
~~~~
Former SMF Project Manager
Former SMF Customizer

"For as lang as hunner o us is in life, in nae wey
will we thole the Soothron tae owergang us. In truth it isna for glory, or wealth, or
honours that we fecht, but for freedom alane, that nae honest cheil gies up but wi life
itsel."

Crip

I have become comfortably numb!


I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.
   - Abraham Lincoln -



TOTM Winner. | Demo Site1on1 Theme Support

WillyP

#92
I can't believe anyone would have a complaint about TP's support staff... not to say any others is not just as good, but so often I am truly amazed at the patience of people who volunteer their time and resources to help people who can't describe their problem effectively, or can't read simple rules for requesting help.

But anyway, I voted for TP, I did briefly try several other portals and found TP to be the closest match for what I wanted to do. I looked at a number of factors... what 'extras' were available at the time, how the site looked when installed, how quickly I was able to catch on...

To be honest, I don't remember exactly what I liked about TP. A feature comparison grid would be extremely helpful.

Dazed

I have not found a more helpful community than the TP site. While this particular portal may not be the end all save all for everyone I feel that it best suits my needs. I have had a few rough times there regarding certain issues but they have always been resolved. You also cannot beat what is available from themes to blocks, and otherwise. From its most basic level TP is the most user friendly IMO and best supported. Notice the "IMO" please as I am not here to flame. Let it be said that no matter your portal choice, theme, or otherwise; SMF and it's community, mods, support, and personal choice is what matters.

Arantor

I have to admit, I've recently started trying out SP - though I said about not using it earlier in this thread - and I can see it's making a difference on my dev site though I haven't yet got into doing the really good customisations I want yet.

mashby

I like/use TinyPortal. Still using .98 but have installed the beta on another site I help out with and both work fine. I merely chose it because I saw that Bloc was the author of it and he has some strong merit around here. I'm not so sure it's better or worse than SimplePortal, EzPortal, PortaMX, or Dream Portal. It was just a gut reaction at the time I was looking for a portal (May 2008). At the end of the day, this thread is more like, which car is the best. All of the cars get you from point A to point B and have some gas mileage implications and maybe even some insurance implications. And if the car is convertible, it may have some "picking up chicks" (read that as mid-life issues) implications.

What great about all of them is they provide a selection based on your needs...much like the "I need a forum software, which one do I choose" debate. Everyone will have an opinion on that too as well, and each one has its merits.
Always be a little kinder than necessary.
- James M. Barrie

Something like that

Quote from: diplomat. on July 30, 2009, 01:53:07 AM
My question is: Whats with the easy and small-adjective named portals? Im waiting for a DifficultPortal or a LargePortal to be released...

Because if you wanted that, you could just use vBulletin ;D

Norv

Harr!
It's a tie now! 37/37.
* Norv realizes it would look weird to admit cheering around here, so solely marks the tie on the board.
To-do lists are for deferral. The more things you write down the later they're done... until you have 100s of lists of things you don't do.

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Facundo


Eliana Tamerin

Quote from: Norv on September 10, 2009, 12:13:16 AM
Harr!
It's a tie now! 37/37.
* Norv realizes it would look weird to admit cheering around here, so solely marks the tie on the board.

It's about time. That's about what I would expect, that it's really not that one portal is better than the others, just that it simply fits one person better versus another.
Do NOT PM me for support.

SimplePortal 2.3.6 is OUT!
SimplePortal Project Manager
Download | Docs
SimplePortal: Power of Simplicity!

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