> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:owner-u2- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of BobJ > Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 1:27 PM > To: u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org > Subject: Re: [U2] Where Will the .NET Apps Live ? > > Ah, but what IS the environment? If it is a server and a bunch of PCs > then > it is client server no matter how you slice it. And if it is client > server > and it is not from Mars then the client desk top is very probably Windows.
Today it is very likely that the client is a version of Windows, Linux or Mac OS, with the largest percentage squarely in Windows category. > Yes, there are exceptions. But they are just that - exceptions. I don't find it that exceptional for someone to be running either Linux or Mac OS X on the desktop, but I work with higher ed and other not-exactly-manufacturing companies. I haven't seen a recent pie chart of desktop OS's -- can anyone point to a URL that has one you think is pretty accurate? > I think > that most of us who have an MV background in common write apps that are > not > shrink wrapped and not sold at CompUSA. And most of those apps, no matter > the language, are very thin client and very thick server simply to avoid > dealing with Windows and .NET in any detail. We might thicken the client > a > bit by using some of the better tools of Accuterm but even then we don't > put > much stress on the client. So you are right in the sense that using .NET > to write the server software is probably not a good idea yet. But on the > client side, assuming that we ever get to where we actually write client > software, VB.NET has become a giant. And Visual Studio makes using that > giant very easy once you are able to see the trees inside that vast and > dense forest. There are some very real advantages to be gained by > spending > a little time learning the ins and outs of COM and the various DOMs. You > can offer an application that looks and feels like it is part of Windows - > and the guy or gal sitting at the keyboard gains comfort from that. When > he > or she is composing a quote or an order and comes to the part where a > small > story needs to be written and included then Word or Word Pad or Notes can > be > invoked and the results embedded in the transaction. When the thing is > finished then it can be sent to a lot of places in a lot of different ways > - > including sending to USB printers even though the server doesn't support > USB > printers. But the learning curve is perhaps not steep but certainly not > trivial. And for programmers like us (We? - tough grammar problem) indeed -- my father the linguist would tell you to go ahead and use "us" there > who > have > been using the same tools for 20 years or more, learning anything new is > tough. > FWIW, I struggled with Java for a few months and actually got a few things > running. Then I struggled with C# - which went a little quicker because > now > I almost understood OOP - and got a few things running. Now I'm > struggling > with VB in many different manifestations and finding power that I had no > idea existed. Manifestations? VBS, VBA, VB, VB.NET - each is the same > and > each is different. The differences are partly in the DOM and partly in > the > product of the compile - or the lack of a compile in the cases of VBS and > VBA. I opted to take one of these to master and the other to let you master ;-) My current detour has me teaching college-level programming (Java I and Java II, as well as OO patterns), so I should come out of that a bit more savvy. It still looks to me that the easier route is .NET, but that lockin to Microsoft is too big an obstacle from my perspective. > The bottom line of all of this is that MS does seem to have a strategy and > it does seem to be working. It has cost them a few dollars to eliminate > some of the competition and it may cost them a few more dollars to > eliminate > some more of the competition. But there does not appear to be any power > on > earth that can stop them. So resistance is futile - we might as well > learn > .NET. I suppose that eventually they will become part of the Government > and > there will be a cabinet post - Secretary of Microsoft - with a budget > larger > than that of the Intelligence Community. At that point I will really be pleased that I opted for a different path. > Merry Christmas to all. And meaning no disrespect to those who are not > Christian. It will still be Christmas and they can still be merry :) Amen. --dawn > BobJ > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dawn M. Wolthuis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org> > Sent: Thursday, December 23, 2004 12:43 PM > Subject: RE: [U2] Where Will the .NET Apps Live ? > > > > In fact if you want a software application environment that includes > unix > > in > > any flavor or has the option of including such -- linux, Mac OS X, or > > anything other than strictly Windows, you will not want to go .NET (at > > least > > not yet, and I suspect not for a long time). From my perspective, .NET > is > > for those who have completely married themselves to Microsoft and plan > to > > continue that marriage for better or worse. > > > > The unfortunate thing is that it is not (yet) really easy to write > > small-to-midsize quality applications using Java. That's why many have > > opted for scripting languages such as Perl, PHP, and Python for web- > based > > solutions. > > > > When everything is from a single-vendor (Microsoft), you at least have > > (knock on wood) compatibility and Microsoft has also done well, from > what > > I > > hear, in making nice development environments. The other side of the > house > > (Java, for example) is not so well coordinated, but that is where I'm > > spending my efforts none-the-less. It will get there. > > > > --dawn > > > > Dawn M. Wolthuis > > Tincat Group, Inc. > > www.tincat-group.com > > > > Take and give some delight today. > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:owner-u2- > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Don Kibbey > >> Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 6:14 PM > >> To: u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org > >> Subject: RE: [U2] Where Will the .NET Apps Live ? > >> > >> Java over .Net???? That just sounds wrong. > >> > >> If you have a server environment that's exclusively Unix, you will > >> probably > >> want to just stick with most anything except .Net. > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Brutzman, Bill > >> Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 6:28 PM > >> To: 'u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org' > >> Subject: [U2] Where Will the .NET Apps Live ? > >> > >> Is there a way to save .Net exe app programs on a Unix box... such that > >> Windows users can launch these programs directly? > >> > >> A lecturer indicated how to save exe apps on a Windows Server. For us > >> here, > >> the trouble with this scheme is that it turns 2-tier into 3-tier. That > >> is, > >> if the Win Server goes down, clients would be unable to run their ERP > >> programs. > >> > >> This scenario seems to make a compelling case for Java over .NET. > >> > >> Comments are welcome. > >> > >> --Bill > >> ------- > >> u2-users mailing list > >> u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org > >> To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ > >> ------- > >> u2-users mailing list > >> u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org > >> To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ > > ------- > > u2-users mailing list > > u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org > > To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ > ------- > u2-users mailing list > u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org > To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/ ------- u2-users mailing list u2-users@listserver.u2ug.org To unsubscribe please visit http://listserver.u2ug.org/
