Vbulletin Vs. Ikonboard

[Vector@rmf]

My site currently uses Ikonboard, I have over 3000 members in about 4 months and growing exponentially every day, and just found out that the search capability of Vbulletin is amazingly faster than Ikonboard (which is VERY important for my site). So I post the big question: Which WILL be better in the future?
Can someone including admins here post honest opinions as to why I should spend the extra $160 to upgrade? And I'd also like to add a request for the admins here to PLEASE add an import utility for Ikonboard users, as I'm one of the Ikonboard users still considering which is best to use (and will definitely be moved more to switch if an import utility is made). I am aware of another post about this, but the answer there is that you guys MIGHT add IB to the list, so "pretty please, with sugar on top", can you guys add an import utility soon?
I've heard that IB's Version 3 will have Mysql support, so I was wondering if I should've even bothered posting this post, but at least I'd like to see my options before it's too late if I should decide to switch over to Vbulletin, and hopefully this will be an ultimate guide for people all over the world in deciding which board is best for them. In my honest opinion, it's either Vbulletin or Ikonboard, or PhpBB, nothing else. Yabb was terrible, at least when I was using it before, and UBB is too slow when there're lot of concurrent users. Discus looks weird in interface, I just don't like it.
So far I learned the following, and any help to expand my knowledge is VERY much appreciated

1) These 2 boards are the BEST so far, with Vbulletin definitely better in speed till now, which justifies its price tag. PhpBB is another candidate, which I'm interested in if I find that it's just as good as Vbulletin.

2) Vbulletin is said to be a resource hog if it's not backed up by a serious server (like this one, since I can do searches at a blistering 0.5 secs, which is impossible with the current IB). -> How about Ikonboard? Or PhpBB? Someone please post...

3) IB will come out with Mysql support, which I WILL test out before making my decision to decide which board is best for me. -> I am REALLY interested in seeing IB's search performance, remember Matt, I was AMAZED at Vbulletin's search performance

I hope all of you will help me in making a great decision...

P.S. I was going to post this on IB's website too, but it's been down for hours...

P.S. There is 0% possibility that I'll ever use UBB, I know Vbulletin is FAR BETTER than UBB, and cheaper

P.S. My site's been down for 8 STRAIGHT days, and I'm switching from CWIhosting (F**K YOU A-HOLES!!!) to Venturesonline as soon as the site is back up

[chrispadfield]

Your options:

Vb
IB
UBB
phpBB

first of all, ignore totally UBB and phpBB. There are enough good reasons littered throughout the forums.

I have not seen IB v 3.0 yet (is it even out) but it does look good and Matt is certainly committed to it. a Mysql backend will help a lot.

But it is bar on impossible to judge between two products when one is not out yet. I don't know Matt's experience with mySQL, you have to have it very well optomized and we have a bunch of mysql experts here who code in such a way. Until you can compare the products no one can say anything.

[klisis]

IB isn't in my option yet. Yes, IB will come out with mySQL. It *will which means it has not so IB is yet outta my option.

[Vector@rmf]

Too bad I didn't know about Vbulletin when I started using IB ~sigh~, but hey, I'm looking forward to seeing who eventually wins here, and yes I will test out IB when I get my hands on V3, which should have been out, but I just saw that IB went through a major site crash (hope everything is ok with them, not like my site, which is still down...).
But now I've found good info from you, chrispadfield. Can you kindly link me to the negative reviews on Phpbb? I've actually edited my initial post because Phpbb never crossed my mind till I realized that it's a Vbulletin-wanna-be-for-a-free-package (absolutely no sarcasm intended for Phpbb, at this point I've yet to find negative reports about Phpbb)? I know I'll never use UBB, I have 3 to choose from, and I will do my research for reviews on Phpbb too, so I'd appreciate it if you can gimme some links to why Vbulletin will work better for me, thanx in advance

[Freddie Bingham]

Matt posts on this forum so why don't use just ask him? He seems to give unbiased opinions on the subject.

First on the list is to create an UBB6.0 import. Then we will focus on other software. I couldn't tell you what the first candidate would be but work on that will not start until vb2.0 is considered final.

[wert]

Originally posted by Vector@rmf
Too bad I didn't know about Vbulletin when I started using IB ~sigh~, but hey, I'm looking forward to seeing who eventually wins here, and yes I will test out IB when I get my hands on V3, which should have been out, but I just saw that IB went through a major site crash (hope everything is ok with them, not like my site, which is still down...).
But now I've found good info from you, chrispadfield. Can you kindly link me to the negative reviews on Phpbb? I've actually edited my initial post because Phpbb never crossed my mind till I realized that it's a Vbulletin-wanna-be-for-a-free-package (absolutely no sarcasm intended for Phpbb, at this point I've yet to find negative reports about Phpbb)? I know I'll never use UBB, I have 3 to choose from, and I will do my research for reviews on Phpbb too, so I'd appreciate it if you can gimme some links to why Vbulletin will work better for me, thanx in advance

You board seems like it might be getting a lot of traffic. With this kinda load, your best bet is easily vBulletin. I tried installing the current rev of Ikonboard and it was ok, but the search function was one of the slowest around. Maybe this will change when the new release moves to mySQL/php...
Right now, I wouldn't recommend phpBB for you. As it stands now, it's a fine board for slower sites. But once you get over 30-40 simulataneous users, it tends to die. Eventually, a few months down the road, they should have a 2.0 rev out that will handle more traffic. It's open source tho', so you don't get the same guarantees that you would by purchasing a vBulletin license.

[Matt@ikonboard]

Vector,

Ikonboard still has a little way to go before it hits gold. Version 3 will be a lot more efficient that the current version, but like any new release - it's going to take time to weed out the bugs and optimise the code.

The current version of Ikonboard has a few common problems that will be resolved in the next release. We've only been around for about 6 months, so we're still finding our way, and public testing and feedback is vital to it's development.

It sounds like you've got a growing board and if you don't want to wait around for iB to hit gold, then I recommend vB. It's simply sets the pace in BB software.

It's classy, well coded by experienced coders and the support is excellent too.

If you have a bit of cash to throw at your website, go with vB. Ikonboard will catch up eventually, but it's gonna take a few months to realise it's potential.

I hope that helps.

[Vector@rmf]

Wow, thanx for the quick replies, especially to you Matt. Yeah, I started out with Ikonboard, loved it so much until I found that its search capabilities need to be retouched
However, I cannot switch to Vbulletin until they develop an import script for IB. I just noticed IB LOST all their data? So you guys forgot to back up the forum stuff too? I'm wondering if CWIhosting, the idiots that are hosting my site, actually lost everything, because if that is the case, then I guess I should move over to Vbulletin since I'll be starting off new again LOL, but if I have all my current stuff, dunno, I guess I gotta think hard. I've spent so much time hacking IB, enjoyed it so much, erased all the little bugs myself, retouched the tables here and there that I dunno if I will have the time to do that with Vbulletin if I decide to switch.
I might have 2 links later on though, New Forum and Old Forum if I do not lose everything...
Anyway, thanx again for quick replies guys, you guys were all very helpful

[Vector@rmf]

I found the reviews on Phpbb, thanx for the comparison, it helped me a LOT in getting a good picture of the 2 boards, VB and Phpbb

[Matt@ikonboard]

Baah, my old webhost won't release the back-ups. (I doubt they have any).

In a cruel twist of fate, my local backups went down with my hard drive last week. I was going to tarball the lot and make another backup over the weekend.

Lets look on the bright side, it was the quickest forum and member prune I've ever done.

[Vector@rmf]

Ummmmm I think I'm gonna join ya on that, it doesn't look like CWI will ever go back online any time soon, nor come up with any backups of my precious Ikonboard stuff..... LOLOLOL

[klisis]

Originally posted by Matt@ikonboard
Baah, my old webhost won't release the back-ups. (I doubt they have any).

In a cruel twist of fate, my local backups went down with my hard drive last week. I was going to tarball the lot and make another backup over the weekend.

Lets look on the bright side, it was the quickest forum and member prune I've ever done.

Hehe, you are very optimistic, Matt.

[jojo85]

if you haven't got any money take the phpbb!

[Nicholas Brown]

See, Matt has the right attitude.

He is recommending vBulletin to and Ikonboard user - would we evr see an I.P rep doing this? me thinks not.

I think that Ikonboard is the best perl board available, and vBulletin is the Best PHP/MySQL!

Lets not start having battles between I.C and V.B like there has been between UBB and vB

[jojo85]

lol