Re: Suggestions?

["mike808" <mike808@users.sourceforge.net>]

> The system may already be in place, but the interface won't be.

Sure it is. I'm talking about already working MS-Access solutions.
That means the forms and reports are already done in the existing .mdb
file. We're just talking about least-cost, biggest-bang-for-your-buck,
easy solutions for replacing an existing, entranched application based
on MS-Access.

Sure, it would be great to replace it with a load-balancing
high-availability custom-designed and implemented web-based solution.
Throw in some XML and WebServices and you'll be buzzword compliant.
Heck, do a usability study as well. But we're talking about what a person
can do to deliver a working replacement using Free Software in a day or so.

> Yes, I know, put the forms in a network shared .mdb, and include code
> to dynamically create the DSN.

Which is exactly what a lot of people do. And exactly the system MySQL
can provide a "quick fix" for on the road to a web-based replacement
system re-designed from the ground up. But to a lot of PHBs, they
aren't interested in how great tomorrow's software is going to be,
and when they hear it will cost as much as their existing MS-Access
solution, "free" doesn't sound all that great. It sounds just like the
guy selling the next "upgrade" version. Swapping in MySQL delivers
pretty understandable benefits with low risk (the users don't know the
difference, except that it crashes less or not at all anymore) and
an even better price.

As Lee mentioned, the new MSDE (aka SQLServer "Lite") makes a direct
play to counter this exact "exit strategy" of migrating to MySQL and
the purpose is to keep your business data held hostage by Microsoft.

Mike808/



-
To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@silug.org with
"unsubscribe silug-discuss" in the body.