>From: Sean Michael Mead <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > Actually the whole Java concept was flawed. Nobody *really* wants a
>cross
> > platform solution because a cross platform solution is not optimized -
>it is
> > "dumbed down".
>
>That's just plain wrong.
Not at all - read on.
>Organizations of any significant size widely favor
>cross-platform solutions, because it lowers their costs dramatically in
No. You are incorrect. Organizations right now are moving to
platform-neutral solutions (like Citrix and HTML) - not cross-platform
solutions (a subtle but important distinction). No organizations are
working today to develop further into the total-integration cross-platform
client server model that was favored in the early nineties. Way too
expensive.
>supporting their multiple operating systems (face it you can't use M$ for
>any
>mission critical system),
That is not correct, either - but a very common misconception. You hear
many nightmare stories about Windows because there are many MANY Widows
installations. For every nightmare there is a hundred places that would not
give it up.
>and it increases their efficiency (even though the
>program might run a tad slower than one fully optimized for only one
>system, it
This is true to a point only if the org. is doing in-house development,
which is relatively rare these days for orgs. of any size. Most orgs buy
"solutions" and they buy the favored platform (Win NT 4 + Win 95) along with
it.
>can be supported in only one version, rather than requiring multiple
>version
>support and training, and it can port data and its applets across all the
>systems rather than having incompatibility failures). That is why there
>has
>been an explosion of use in HTML, XML, Tcl/Tk, etc.
The true facts of the matter boil down into "cost per transaction" and "cost
per desktop installation" industry figures. The jury is not out on this
one. For almost all of their networking products Microsoft has the lowest
total administrative costs per unit out there. The same is true for systems
and software integration.
The reason is that they design with this metric in mind - and they are not
afraid to force their users into a box on HOW they must do things. It
leaves a system admin. very unsatisfied when he is forced to do things a
certain way just because that way is an "optimal cost" solution rather than
an "elegant" one.
BTW I see we are digressing from topic - lets get back to the point...
Faust
PS: No I a not a Microsoft lover. I am, however in charge of market
research and analysis for one of the branches of our federal government.
... Our research contractors and think tanks can outspend your research
contractors and think tanks any day ;->
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