filepro CD - map project update

[Fairlight]

Y'all catch dis heeyah?  Linda Hapner been jivin' 'bout like:
> I thought there might be a run time version of the GUI fp that could be 
> licensed reasonably.  But I do not work in the GUI version, so I was only 
> guessing.

Here's the catch.  fPGI -is- a runtime scenario.  Problem is, it's
client-server, and thus needs a server to connect to to run.  This is what
I'm reading right from fP-Tech's web site documentation.

So for "syndicated" purposes, unless you're leaving a central server up,
which seems to defeat the purpose, it's an entirely useless solution.  It's
the wrong paradigm for your purposes.

I'd cite costings, which I've heard are extraordinary (in the sense of
"extraordinarily high"), but in keeping with the practise of further
alienating prospective customers, they refuse to post standardised costs
on their web site, instead requiring you to submit a request for a quote.
A truly backwards approach if ever I've seen one.  So there's no standard
price list publicly available on their site, even if you go to "Purchase".

> Right now we are working on the printed version of the atlas -- we have a 
> print deadlline approaching fast.  Once that is done, we are looking to 
> distribute the information on a cd.  The cd will be data only -- names, 
> addresses, phone numbers and type of rocks quarried.
> 
> The user would want to sort, search and print from the data.

Hmmmm.  The printer part I'd need to research for Windows.  Barring that,
I think I might actually have a lot of the rest of something like this
programmed in Perl/Tk.  I'd need a more solid spec to know for sure.  I
could point you to a URL with a demo version of the program in question
and let you evaluate just how far off it is from what would be needed,
and what modifications would be required besides the one obvious one.  If
interested, make a request off-list.  If not, no problem.

> Again, if I can't do a gui version in fp on a cd with a reasonable runtime, 
> then there is not reason for more discussion.

Well, there's discussing the alternatives.  :)

Their runtime prices may be more reasonable than I've heard.  Guess you
have to track down an actual person (good luck on that--I never seem to
get anything but an answering machine and near a day's wait) and ask them.
However, their own web site says it's client-only and needs to connect to
a linux or Windows server.  Unless their web site product information is
outdated, this seems entirely useless for your needs, Linda.  Sorry to say
it, but it appears it won't work in this context.

Bests,

mark->