Rod Engelsman wrote:
Chris BONDE wrote:
I am not sure what this means?
Are you saying that MySQL is free but not that good, so people use
spreadsheets.
Or what.
Chris
MySQL is free. MySQL is a fantastic piece of software. But for the
uses that a lot of people want a database, MySQL is like taking an
18-wheeler to get groceries.
Here's the big difference in my eyes between something like MySQL and
Access -- and you would have had to use both to realize this:
Install MSO Pro with Access. Go to Start => All Programs => (wherever)
=> Microsoft Access. You can immediately construct a new database
using drag 'n drop, fill-in-the-blank, GUI stuff. You can construct a
useful implementation without knowing a damn thing about SQL, OBDC or
any of that mess. Those tools are available if you need them, but they
aren't necessary to get going.
I'm not a computer noob by any stretch, but the ODBC, client-server DB
stuff is one thing I hadn't fooled around with much. So when I decided
to try out MySQL with OOo, it took me close to a full day to figure
out how to get it all set up. I hear tell it's even worse in Linux --
I don't know. The only way to make it half-way convenient was to set
it up as a Windows service, meaning it has to run all the time in the
background, whether you're using it that day or not. Otherwise you
have to open a DOS window to manually start it up each time, etc.
Another measure: I have a book sitting on my desk called "A Practical
Guide to RedHat Linux 8". It's a textbook for a class I'm taking and a
pretty decent reference as well. It runs to 1565 pages. The manual for
MySQL -- just one program -- is almost 1300 pages long in the pdf file.
My take on it all is this: There's more than one way to skin a cat.
Likewise there are many different kinds of cats that need skinning.
Not every cat-skinning method is appropriate to every kind of cat. (I
know that is a really tortured analogy -- pun intended). But Access
and programs like it have a huge following for reasons totally
unrelated to the MS hegemony. They're simply the right kind of tool
for a large class of needs. MySQL can also fill those needs but it's a
lot steeper learning curve and often a fair bit of overkill.
Rod
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To Rod and all: What you do not seem to realize is the reason people use
Linux is to get away from MSFT and its bugs, so it does mean learning
something a bit different.
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