Re: Designer/2000 & Developer/2000

In article <mikek-2003951257210001_at_franklin-tty12.jvnc.net>, Michael Kranzdorf <mikek_at_krt.com> wrote:
>In article <dbmooreD5nG9J.4sq_at_netcom.com>, dbmoore_at_netcom.com (Dennis
>Moore) wrote:
>
>> (2) We have ***NOT*** changed non-Windows pricing (i.e. Mac, Unix,
 VMS). While
>> we may make some tuning adjustments on those platforms, we don't expect
 to have
>> free runtimes on all platforms. We build the product on Windows and then port
>> to those other platforms, which is a very difficult and expensive process (if
>> you don't believe me, then ask Sybase's PowerBuilder why their Mac and Motif
>> ports are over two years late ;-). On Unix and VMS, we also support character
>> mode deployment, and again this is expensive and time consuming. With Windows
>> now not only our fastest growing but also our largest single platform
 (in terms
>> of units and revenues), we have to take a "Windows first" attitude but without
>> negatively affecting our huge Unix and VMS installed base.
 

>> -- Dennis Moore, Oracle Corp.
>
>
> "Once Again Mac Users Get the Shaft"
>
> I think this is a cruel and unusual policy and I really hope you
>reconsider it. Just because you build the product on Windows and then port
>it, it's not fair to simply yank out the "porting cost" as extraneous to
>the product development. You know all along that you're building
>cross-platform tools. Perhaps If you restructured your development process
>to focus on that from the start, it wouldn't be so expensive.
> You're giving up a huge amount of money by not charging for Windows
>runtimes. Surely the amount you'll get out of the other platforms is not
>worth the bad will it promotes. I already have to wait months to start
>using "the way cool really great stop using 4.0 now" Forms 4.5 for Mac.
>Now you want me to pay extra for it? While Windows users get it earlier
>and cheaper? They get 2 pluses and I get 2 minuses. This all leaves a bad
>taste in my mouth.
>
>Mike Kranzdorf mikek_at_krt.com

I have a much better solution that waiting for someone to try and port windog software to other platforms... :-)

Get yourself a WWW server, some CGI experience and build your app using HTML and FORMS. You then get the multimedia and distributed access facilities of the web interface as well as a nice forms based interface.

The use of a good web browser such as Netscape will give you the same interface on all platforms, without having to develop software for all posible platforms.

Other facilities such as the ability to create and download high quality reports and images give this technology a significant advantage over all others.

One of the big problems with client/server technologies is the distribution of upgrades. Because the application software resides upon the server upgrade costs are significantly reduced. Distribution of documentation and updated help files does not exist. Help and documentation can be distributed via the Web interface as easily as the applications. Changes would be visible to end-users as the changes are made...

Some of the limitations of web browsers such as automated updates of information are being solved by advances in HTTP and HTML standards.

The use of encryption/authentcation technology such as Netsite commerce server means that the comms link between client and server can be made very secure with no software development cost...

There are drawbacks, but these are only a problem in certain application areas. If you want details give me an email.

The use of images

One application for the web interface is to create and display team photographs. A database holds the details of all members of each project team and some rather neat imaging software (freeware!) is used to overlay images of each team member upon the companies front step. The resulting team photograph is then displayed using the imagemap mechanism. The user can click upon any individual in the team photograph to find out more about this person.

Another use of imagemaps is in the display of "drill-down" graphs and charts. We are currently looking at mechanisms where HTML based reports could be created for an end-user, but graphs and charts become imagemaps. When a user clicks upon a section of the graph of chart, the image is refreshed to show details of that section.

I hope that I have wetted your appetite. I spend most of my time developing applications for customers using this technology and just love doing it.

All the best,

        Jacqui Caren

-- 
Jacqui Caren, Paul Ingram Group Ltd. J.Caren_at_ig.co.uk
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