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Technology Stocks : Microsoft - The Evil empire -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lady Lurksalot who wrote (578)	1/21/1998 10:18:00 PM
From: K. M. Strickler	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1600

Holly, Actually the problem with the interface to WIN95 is the extensive code that is used for the GUI interface. I support a medical billing program that has recently ported to the windows environment and the complaint is that the code is so interrelated and seems to be 'in one humongous file' so to speak, that a lot of resource is involved in saving all of that data. The original load was 3 disks under DOS and 13 disks under WIN95. The pretty pictures take a lot of code and the various open linkages require even more. The problem is that the smarter we want to make the machines, the more code is required to produce that effect. That simple DOS command line is entered by a 'human computer' that is several orders of magnitude quicker than the silicon variety. Have you ever stopped to think that the quick DOS command line that you come up with is the results of knowing what and where you want to go today. Many new users don't really know how that linkage is performed, and if you try to explain it to them you will see their eyes glaze over as they drift away. The GUI interface is that 'point and click' that every user seems to grasp. It allows those who really aren't interested in how to get there still use the program. As for the software that has faded away, you are correct, of course! Good code doesn't always make enough money or is sold wide enough to stay around. That is the 'critical mass' or the imbedded base of users that buy each new release to see to it that the software remains. I try to update the base of software that I use with each new release. Sure it costs me a couple of bucks, but I want them to stay in business. I have written custom software in the past and I know what a task it can be. I am currently working on a project that has been in development for 5 years come this May! We are just beginning to test the prototype now, and still hafe the InstallShield to write. If I write for someone else, my spiel goes like this: 1) You put a check for $25,000 on the table. I take the check and cash it. Then in 6 months I come back and let you know how it is going. 2) If you decide to continue, you pu another check for $25,000 on the table, and I go again. 3) This continues until the project is complete or we all give up. When you consider that there are as many ways to write a program as there are programmers that I can get to write a program ( if it works, is it really wrong? ). As for the higher speed, your DOS should run OK for the 'tool' stuff, but the 'toy' stuff might get a little too quick for you to respond to. ( Spell checker should be real quick, but so will tetris! ) As for some of your slow loading, i don't know what platform you are running on, but a SCSI WIDE disk interface is at least 3 time faster than the EIDE. If you are on an ISA card it is even slower! The systems are still I/O bound. ( Slow I/O ) Headway will continue to be made, in its' own time!