More on fP 6.0 features

[Nancy Palmquist]

Fairlight wrote:


>>There are features to expand the core product and enhance the product for
>>existing developers, and there are features to attract new developers.
> 
> 
> There's also such a thing as only breaking even.  What good is attracting
> new developers if you stop being able to hold onto the ones you already
> have?  You don't gain ground that way, you tread water.

I think as a long time developer with filePro I really wanted to weight 
in on this point.  My current applications and all my installed systems 
work just fine with the filePro language as it is right now.  I have 
trouble convicing these people to take advantage of the new features - 
since that would require new development  and that costs money.

I am able to use the new stuff on new systems - so I do get to use it 
eventually.

However, adding developers will add users - more users than if you just 
sell filePro to the end user type developers.  I know only a few 
developers that use filePro exclusively and make a full time living at 
using it for development.  There are much more in-house developers that 
work for the end-user full time.  These people, while very important, do 
not add many users to the list.

I see where the Biometrics could attact new developers and build that 
base where someone will take a chance and invest in the time to develop 
for a niche and sell many units into that niche.

I think there needs to be some buzz in the market about filePro - Rapid 
Development capability - or as a front end to ODBC data (excellent use 
for filePro).  Discussing it here amongst the choir is a waste of time. 
  I want to see it in mags, forums, web links, - anywhere and everywhere.

IMHO - That will expand the market faster than any features.  Sell what 
you got - not what you will have - someday.

Nancy


> 
> Personal opinion:  Reaching new clients should be a secondary concern to
> pleasing those you already have.
> 
> And I daresay it -seems- like a lot more effort and resources have been
> expended on features that would appeal to new developers than to satisfying
> the long-unanswered requests of the old ones.  That may or may not be the
> case, but the slant of all the adverts has definitely been towards the
> more..."fluffy" features.
> 
> mark->


-- 
Nancy Palmquist
Virtual Software Systems
PHONE: (412) 835-9417			Web site:  http://www.vss3.com