Operating systems, Graphics Drivers and Hardware testing key to 1.7?

It seems to me that above all else, LL needs to have a strong handle on crash rates.

Without this, performance and functionality are pointless unless you can log in and stay in SecondLife.

That said, what are the clear plans to get a full coverage of every permutation of OS, Patch Level, Driver Version, and Graphics Hardware going through a full suite of graphic effects (lighting, particles, client rotations & sound, rezzing, prim torture, etc etc).

Can LL publish a full list of system configurations they have seen attempting to log into the main grid?

Could we check off one by one each system configurations (or at least the 80% main ones) and whether or not each configuration has gone through a full suite of graphics stress testing?

A lot of us could try to drag our friends into the preview grids, depending on their particular hardware configurations. I could send an IM out saying "Anyone with this version of ATI Radeon, can you IM me back?" and that sort of thing.

I personally am a bit worried that we're going into summer with 1.7 (peak time for SL) and another jump in crash rates does not do anyone any good.

Also, a way to programmatically change user preferences via LSL command would go a looonnnng way to getting this job done.

Maybe these LSL commands could be enabled on the preview grid only. For example, we could get someone to wander around with shadows on and then shadows off, but we send a command to their client to turn them on so they don't have to manually do so.

I've read this and posted my response to the other thread, where you asked pretty much what you are asking here