Now I probably have this all wrong, but I can't help but think some of this Works plan is all wrong.

Here it is. I've got about 500 clients on my Arev app. I'm sure I'm the only one struggling to get this over to OI because I'm somewhat dense. After my initial Works subscription ran out I'm no better off. There was some stuff that helped, 3 developer's experiences in a white paper, but I find that I learn best/easier by example.

Then, I read in the Works promo that they have a sample AREV =] OI application if I only cough up another $1500. My question is: Isn't this a little back-asswords? Shouldn't REVTI be encouraging developers to remain in OI by giving out examples of the migration? Show us how to use the tools we already paid for. Then, after we are feeling warm and fuzzy - safely with our AREV apps in the OI world - entice us with newer wizzies such as jRev, upgrades and such only available with the Works.

Just a thought… this _is_ the Online Discussion area, isn't it?

Paul

Hi Paul,

If you were already a Works subscriber, then all you should need to pay is the renewal fee ($495 if it went unlapsed, $695 if it lapsed over a couple of months…I believe) and not the price of a new subscription.

So, you will still need to shell out money but about one-third of what you were expecting.

dbakke@srpcs.com

SRP Computer Solutions

Paul,

Although I agree and feel your pain .. the simple fact is that with RTI you have to pay to get the information.

You should be able to talk them into 499$ price.

dsig

David Tod Sigafoos ~ SigSOlutions

dsig@teleport.com cis:70302,77 voice:503-639-8080

Just to clarify - do you think that being charged for upgrades is wrong OR that RevSoft should so their sample apps on an obsolete/older OI version so that people who haven't upgraded can still use them?

amcauley@sprezzatura.com

Sprezzatura Ltd

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

] Just to clarify - do you think that being charged for upgrades is wrong

No. Not at all. It's just that I'm not going to put any more money into it(Arev/OI) until I am confident that there is a future in it.

] OR that RevSoft should so their sample apps on an obsolete/older OI version so that people who haven't upgraded can still use them

Maybe. If that's what it takes for me to learn it.

Paul

Paul,

It's just that I'm not going to put any more money into it(Arev/OI) until I am confident that there is a future in it.

Are you concerned over the future of OI or whether you will be able to get AREV into OI soon enough? Are you set on doing this all yourself or would be willing to have someone work with you - at least to get you moving at a steady pace?

dbakke@srpcs.com

SRP Computer Solutions

Don,

After Aquaman called me this morning, I've decided to give up trying to port the application over to OI. I will be using OI to model up the windows design and then turning it over to a VB shop for production. I just can't afford the time that would be required to learn/write the code needed to give a windows version of my application even the same functionality that my dos program has. And, I would be embarassed to charge for a product that was anything less.

However, I will be pursuing the Data Warehousing and Internet capabilities of the OI product. So, you probably haven't heard the last of me yet.

Paul

Paul,

If you are just going to farm out the project to a VB shop, why wouldn't you consider giving it to an OI developer instead? Do you need compatability between the Windows version and the AREV version? How will they deal with multi-values…or is that not an issue?

dbakke@srpcs.com

SRP Computer Solutions

Paul

Currently I know of few Windows packages which have equivalent functionality to their DOS equivalents. (I refer to packages generally - not just the RevSoft community). I'll be honest and heretical and say that for things other than Word processing and Graphics, DOS is more functional all round (except for prettier UI). All Windows really gives is a standard UI (kinda like an automatic over a stick shift - and I drive the latter).

So you'd just be following the market .

Sprezz kicks ass in delivering Windows UI, because our users ask for it. We are the best. BUT I believe we delivered better value for money with Dos - but that isn't where the market is.

Like Don, we'd be happy to quote on the conversion.

But

Given that you have shown over years in the RevSoft community that you CAN deliver product (and I know that I've known of you for getting on for a decade) I'd prefer to teach you to fish.

Once you know it, OI is actually a MORE productive environment than AREV. I used to say with AREV I'd do 90% of the product in 3 weeks and the remaining 10% in one month. With OI I do 99% of the product in 3 weeks and the remaining 1% in 3 months. That 1% is "shrink wrapping" - making it behave like a "Windows" product. But given that most Ms products don't do this - how important is it?

Why not have as vacation in the UK for two weeks, and on the first live in our office. We'll show you how to do it. We'll charge you for it of course - but a damn sight less than a VB shop to write it.

We've had the frustrations, let our experiemce help you. Or if you don't want to come to the UK speak to Mike Ruane - he's been there too.

Don'y throw away the baby with the bath water!

Toodles

amcauley@sprezzatura.com

Sprezzatura Ltd

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

Andrew and Don,

Thanks for the offer. It's not that I don't think someone in the Arev/OI community can't do it … including myself. It's partly because I'm not confident enough in the future of OI. I'm not confident that I'll have enough of a marketable skill once I learn what I need to know to write my own OI version of data Import/Exports, a *complete* Query By Form, a capable report writer, a report processor, and whatever else I discover is missing in OI.

You said, "All Windows really gives is a standard UI (kinda like an automatic over a stick shift - and I drive the latter).

So you'd just be following the market ."

Since Windows will get the blame for the change in the UI and the shortfall in the product, it might as well be anything then. Clients won't care what platform it's in. They *will* care what platform it is NOT in, however.

It's also partly because of the "offer I can't refuse" from this other VB shop. You see, this other shop was a competitor. They are where I was hoping to be when I started all this about 12 years ago. Between the two of us, we have about a half a dozen apps all targeting the 50,000+ local government offices here in the U.S. They don't have anything to match my main application, so it's missing from their "pie. I provide the business model, they supply the grunts. They would then have their final piece and I would inherit the benifits of their national marketing. As far as cost, they are doing it just so they can offer a complete package on a county by county basis - which boils down to 25-50 offices per county.

I thought of showing them all the advanced features of OI. They were impressed with my Advanced DOS product, but alas, that all went away.

So you see. It just might be the right time for the inevitable switch. I keep clutching tightly to my RBasic manual, but all this peels my hands off of it one finger at a time.

Thanks for the offer.

Paul

PS I'll be hanging around to see what I can do with warehousing and Internet access. No expectations there .

Heard and understood!

As for Internet… went into a company today and sat down with their NT/DCOM/VB techie, created an account, built a table in two minutes. Did a QuickForm - ran it and entered data in two minutes. They were blown away! Published the form to HTML and used it via a web browser with full validation in 2 more minutes. They creamed themselves.

No exaggerations on timing. They are very excited and immediately asked for a copy of OI for evaluation.

amcauley@sprezzatura.com

Sprezzatura Ltd

World Leaders in all things RevSoft

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