San Dimas FAQ

 

Basics

 

What is Project San Dimas?

 

Project "San Dimas" is the code name for a new eBay desktop application.

 

"Desktop application," what exactly do you mean by that?

 

That means an application doesn't run in a web browser. Other examples of desktop applications include Word, iTunes, and Skype.

 

When will San Dimas be released?

 

We are working hard on it, and it will be sent out to the first set of beta users as soon as it is ready.

 

You didn't answer the question.

 

Sorry, that's all I can say right now.

 

How do I get it?

 

Sign up for the beta at www.projectsandimas.com. The sooner you sign up, the sooner you will get into the beta. So sign up. Right now. Do it.

 

How do I keep up-to-date on the project?

 

Read the weblog.

 

Is it an official eBay product, or is it just a prototype?

 

Yes, San Dimas is an "official" eBay product. However, since it is currently in beta it is not a supported product, meaning that you won't be able to get technical support through eBay customer service during the beta period.

 

So is this going to be one of those "forever in beta" projects?

 

No way. We aren't using the "beta" designation as a marketing gimmick.

 

Features

 

What features are in San Dimas?

 

We are currently developing three main types of features. First: the "core" eBay buying features, including search, browse, watch list, and bidding/buy it now. Second: unique desktop-specific features, such as alerts and a browsing history. And third: features such as checkout and feedback that are integral to the eBay experience, and that if they weren't included would require you to go back to the eBay website on a regular basis.

 

What about selling?

 

We are planning a simple selling feature for San Dimas, targeted strictly at "casual," non-professional sellers. However, this feature will not be included in the initial beta release.

 

What about features x, y, z, etc...?

 

The San Dimas roadmap is very flexible. While we have certain features in mind, once the beta is out we will rely very heavily on the feedback of our users to determine what new features we implement, how we change existing ones, and even which features we remove.

 

Will it run on a Mac?

 

Yes, San Dimas will run on both Windows (XP and Vista) and the Mac (OSX 10.4 or higher).

 

What are the minimum system requirements to run San Dimas?

 

We don't know for sure yet, since we haven't done performance tuning. Informal performance tests have shown that it can run with acceptable performance on most any computer.

 

Technology

 

I'm interested in the technology... tell me more

 

OK. San Dimas is built on the Apollo platform from Adobe. Apollo allows developers to use Flash, HTML, and PDF to build desktop applications. Apollo allows applications to run cross-platform (Windows and Mac, and Linux in the future), and it provides the ability for internet-connected applications to run "offline" (without a continuous internet connection).

 

How does San Dimas work? How does it get the data from eBay?

 

San Dimas uses eBay Web Services to communicate with eBay. Web services are a mechanism by which client applications communicate with a server via a standard network protocol to exchange data via a well-understood format like XML. In fact, there is nothing preventing other companies or developers from creating applications like San Dimas, using the web services just like we do. You can learn more about this at the eBay Developers Program website.