Permanent Eraser 2.4.0 was released today, which also marks the third anniversary since Permanent Eraser 2.2 was released. Even though it has been two and a half years since the last significant version of Permanent Eraser was released, the version that was released today has been in a lengthy beta stage that would rival the beta testing of Google.

Shortly after the release of Permanent Eraser 2.3.2, work began on Permanent Eraser 2.5. Initial plans included adding a System Preference pane to control the preferences for Permanent Eraser. Unfortunately, including a System Preference pane might have involved packaging Permanent Eraser with an installer, which was not an optimal choice, since not all programs also include an uninstaller. Those plans were put on the shelf to make way for development of 33 RPM and the not-quite-as-ambitious Permanent Eraser 2.4.

From August 2007 through 2008, nearly all development efforts were put into releasing and evolving 33 RPM, with only several digressions taken to work briefly on other Edenwaith products. Finally, full attention turned back to Permanent Eraser to tend to the completion of the next version of Permanent Eraser, which had been floating in a Developer's Limbo for far too long.

The most dramatic changes from Permanent Eraser 2.3 to 2.4 appear to be mostly cosmetic, but much like Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the largest changes were underneath the hood, laying a new foundation for the coming year(s). With great hope, Permanent Eraser 2.5 will not take nearly as long to complete. It is foolhardy to make promises which may not necessarily be able to be kept, but the promises of what Permanent Eraser 2.5 will contain should be even more enduring.