Re: Mildly OT: dBASE IV
From: paul c <toledobythesea_at_oohay.ac>
Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 00:30:26 GMT
Message-ID: <Cgreg.203770$WI1.93527_at_pd7tw2no>
>
>
> Borland killed it. A case of "time to market" versus "doing everything
> properly" but then failing on the "properly" part. Bugs galore and
> late.
>
> Meantime Billy boy snuck MS-Access in, prettier and somewhat buggy but
> at a quarter of the price - people didn't mind, they saw hope. Foxpro
> filled the "hardcore" niche.
>
> Borland got hurt bad, the CEO had to go, the languages deparment was
> plundered of its gurus. Anders Hejlsberg of Turbo Pascal and Delphi
> fame now does C# at a company that can pay him.
>
> MS eventually bought FoxPro and Borland had Paradox, by then dBase was
> dust.
>
> Wordperfect was simlar. Once the leader but too slow to market with
> their windows version, again MS-Word wasn't perfect either but at least
> it was there.
>
> People talk about MS monopolizing but these other guys actually kill
> themselves.
>
> With drama like this who needs soap operas?
>
Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 00:30:26 GMT
Message-ID: <Cgreg.203770$WI1.93527_at_pd7tw2no>
Alvin Ryder wrote:
> Marshall wrote:
>
>>I randomly surfed my way to a PC World article on the >>"25 Worst Tech Tech Products of All Time." It was actually >>better done than those sorts of things usually are. >> >>I was interested to see item #5: dBASE IV. >> >>http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,125772,pg,3,00.asp#dbase >> >>Roughly, the blurb claims the company went from market leader >>to nowheresville on the "strength" of this single release. >> >>I vaguely remember Ashton-Tate as a once-was tech giant. >> >>Anyone have any stories about this they'd care to share? >> >> >>Marshall
>
>
> Borland killed it. A case of "time to market" versus "doing everything
> properly" but then failing on the "properly" part. Bugs galore and
> late.
>
> Meantime Billy boy snuck MS-Access in, prettier and somewhat buggy but
> at a quarter of the price - people didn't mind, they saw hope. Foxpro
> filled the "hardcore" niche.
>
> Borland got hurt bad, the CEO had to go, the languages deparment was
> plundered of its gurus. Anders Hejlsberg of Turbo Pascal and Delphi
> fame now does C# at a company that can pay him.
>
> MS eventually bought FoxPro and Borland had Paradox, by then dBase was
> dust.
>
> Wordperfect was simlar. Once the leader but too slow to market with
> their windows version, again MS-Word wasn't perfect either but at least
> it was there.
>
> People talk about MS monopolizing but these other guys actually kill
> themselves.
>
> With drama like this who needs soap operas?
>
Heh. Life on the street i guess.
m Received on Mon May 29 2006 - 02:30:26 CEST