From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: ff6c8,9ace0fdfdf311c42 X-Google-Attributes: gidff6c8,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,9ace0fdfdf311c42 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: 10db24,9ace0fdfdf311c42 X-Google-Attributes: gid10db24,public X-Google-Thread: f43e6,9ace0fdfdf311c42 X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public X-Google-Thread: 1108a1,9ace0fdfdf311c42 X-Google-Attributes: gid1108a1,public From: Dave Wood Subject: Re: Is Ada a commercial language ? (was: SEIC News Brief...) Date: 1996/12/11 Message-ID: <32AF0396.BB6@thomsoft.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 203551445 sender: news@thomsoft.com (USENET News Admin @flash) x-nntp-posting-host: wood2 references: <58cd0h$jqj@news.nyu.edu> <58jj0jINN6v@maz4.sma.ch> content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii organization: Thomson Software Products mime-version: 1.0 newsgroups: comp.lang.ada,comp.sw.components,comp.object,comp.software-eng,comp.edu x-mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (Win95; I) Date: 1996-12-11T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Laurent Gasser wrote: > > In article <58cd0h$jqj@news.nyu.edu>, kenner@lab.ultra.nyu.edu (Richard Kenner) writes: > However, it isn't surprising that any product being newly developed > > will be based on the then-current version of the OS. After all, it > > certainly has to work with that version anyway, so developing it for > > both that and an older version can be significantly extra work. > > Let me play the devil's advocate. This attitude is very popular in the > computer market and goes badly against the interest of customers. I agree in the short term, but in the long term everyone is served by this kind of rapid evolution. > As a customer, willing to get a new application solving one of my needs, > I have to upgrade to the version of the system developers had chosen. > In many cases, this implies an upgrade of the hardware to keep up with > the extra burden of the new system. In some cases, the new hardware > only comes with a more recent version of the system, which is no more > compatible with the software originally selected by the customer... ;-) > > I know no other industry so able to drive consumers to consume. > It seems to me this is just the nature of a rapidly evolving technology. When hardware or software vendors are able to present a persuasive argument that their latest product is vastly superior to the one on your desk, you feel compelled to buy. When enough people buy, the preceding product becomes obsolete, requiring everyone else to buy in as well. I don't think this is unique to computing, it's just more evident due to the breathtaking rate of change. For example, music lovers who disdained CDs and felt they were inferior to top-quality vinyl, nevertheless have been compelled to buy CDs and CD equipment just from sheer overwhelming market tides. Enthusiasts of BetaMax, convinced their format was superior, had to give it up and go with the flow. Same for 8-track. Having been forced to move to new hardware (CD players), the customer naturally had to upgrade all software (CDs) or be left in the dust. Horse lovers were compelled to buy gasoline once automobiles became the dominant form of transporation and quickly made saddles, buggies, and hay obsolete. In a few years, you will feel compelled to buy new TV sets simply because the software (broadcast signal), while still backward compatible with your current sets, will be horribly constrained in comparison to its digital decendent. These indirect marketing effects only happen when truly compelling improvements are made in one area that require an upgrade of related components and don't present any serious drawbacks. Video disks never really took off because while the quality was clearly superior to a VCR, the lack of a recording capability meant that people could not give up their VCR, and most people aren't willing to carry two variants of the same software (a problem Mac enthusiasts, or worse, Amiga enthusiasts, will fully appreciate.) An analogy might be that you are a great fan of ObjectAda for Windows (blush!), and even though you think MacOS or OS/2 are superior to Windows 95, you aren't willing to change your OS because you can't bear to live without your ObjectAda. Hey, it could happen. -- Dave Wood -- Product Manager, ObjectAda for Windows -- Aonix - "Ada with an Attitude" -- http://www.aonix.com