I bought this component after reading the 2 good reviews. However, I am disappointed when I actually use it.
First, there is a problem with inserting image hosted on another website. The Insert Image button has an input box to enter the URL of the image but it doesn't work. Image is not displayed. Try it on the demo http://demo.elearningforce.org/administrator/ and you will see what I mean.
Second, if you were to use the upload image option, images are uploaded to a folder *within* the /administrator directory. Most security-conscious Joomla users will use .htaccess to protect the administrator directory. So storing the images meant to be displayed to the public inside the administrator directory is really.... errrr... unwise. Apparently, some images are stored inside the administrator directory and some are outside.
Third, even uploaded images are sometimes a touch-and-go affair. Inserting it into a magazine page does not guarantee that it will actually appear when you browse the magazine. Try the demo at http://demo.elearningforce.org/administrator/ and you will see what I mean.
Fourth, there is a bug in the "Path" drop-down menu on the Insert Image page. The names of 2 separate files are joined together. Again, this bug is visible on the demo.
Fifth, whatever you type into a magazine page does not automatically page break into the next if there is too much text for one page. You have to trial and error, and migrate excess text to another page.
Sixth, the "Check the latest version" function does not work for me. I get an error message.
Seventh, I think there is a bug in the Flash editor. If you insert 2 images to a magazine page, they overlap each other instead of being flushed beside or underneath each other. Also, when you put text and pictures together, they can be jumbled up when you actually view the magazine.
Eighth, customised resolution can cause browser compatibility issue. I set a customised resolution for my test magazine. It looks OK on Microsoft IE but not Firefox. On Firefox, the Flash area is only about 100px high although the window size is correct.
As I said, I am disappointed with what I initially thought was a very good product.
This component is now version 2.02 and the bugs I mentioned above relate to very basic functionalities. I can't even do the basic things that should really be taken for granted.
Because of the above-mentioned bugs, I get the impression that the author/s of this component hastily joined some codes together and rushed it out to commercial sale without full proper QC testing. If they had actually tested it fully, say by implementing a real magazine on the component, they will realise the shortcomings that I have mentioned above.
To those thinking of buying, I would encourage you to try designing a page on the demo site first http://demo.elearningforce.org/administrator/ and seeing the result at http://demo.elearningforce.org/index.php
To the author/s of this component, I think the component could be really good and I appreciate your efforts. But there are quite a few bugs to fix. Try to replicate the contents of a real magazine using the component. If everything goes smoothly, your component is ready for commercial sale. As it stands now, I don't think it is.
Owner's reply:
Hello and thank you for your reviews which really helped us to make our component much better!
Here are some comments to your remarks:
1) Our latest version moved to new TinyMce editor (Not Flash based) - and now this problem does not exist.
2) Now all media files saved in one place located in media folder.
3) Yes, this was one of the issues of the Flash based WYSiWYG Editor which we used in the previous versions. Now it doesn't exist.
4) The editor which we use now doesn't have this issue.
5) Now the size of the editor in the magazine's new/edit page corresponds to the settings of the magazine which this page refers to. So the text display which 'fits the page to the utmost' is excluded. The implementation of transferring the 'unnecessary' text to the next page is almost unreal.
6) Now it's fixed too.
7) Editor is fixed now.
8) This was fixed in the previous versions of the component.
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