> IDEA has rediculously high ROI. And it's normally high > productivity is skyrocketed if you are refactoring > because of all the advanced refactoring features it > has. > > IDEA was written by people who apparently actually use > the editor they're selling. JBuilder is probably used > for JBuilder, too, but look at how long it takes > Borland to crank out new useless features; Intellij > does it every week.
I've used JBuilder for years, and have recommended it often. However, IDEA is simply way more productive, and appropriate to the way I work. Refactoring is the major advantage IDEA has over anything else I've tried (which includes codeguide). I am now more evolutionary in my programming approach, iterating toward the proper packaging and naming of things later in the project when the issues of feasibility and functionality have been settled. Often the cost/tediousness of repackaging classes (for example) in a normal IDE, is such that you just avoid it, if at all possible. I'm an independent contract developer, and I normally pick up free or inexpensive software tools (Net beans, jedit, ant, Metamill, etc). For me to commit US$400.00 to an IDE is sincere testimony to the productivity of IDEA. It has saved me probably a hundred hours development time in the last 6 months, and my products are better structured than they would otherwise be. However, I wish intellij would drop the price. More developers (including clients - why dont you use our jDeveloper?) should know the joy of immediate refactoring. Oh well, its intellij's business model. I suppose those excluded by the current pricing will just have to wait a few months for the open source and competitors (Borland ?) to come up to speed. Bill Winspur.
