[REBOL] Re: Cross-platform
From: rebologue:yaho:o at: 8-Aug-2002 17:36
Atruter said:
[cross-platform code] just doesn't make commercial
sense in many cases... remember that these tools are
designed to make things easier for the *developer* not
the end user.
I have to agree with Ashley here, at least in the
context of client apps. Commercial success in this
space is a difficult balance of technology, marketing,
service, support and usability. Oh, and luck.
While I agree with Joel that a developer's burden
often translate into user woes, that statement is hard
for anyone to disagree with. Now cross-platform code
doesn't exactly address that problem, right?
It's likely that Joel was referring to server-based
apps. The cross-platform feature is much more
prominent issue there. To please the market for
server-based apps and CGI, a product usually needs:
* reliability
* speed
* scalability
* acceptable security
* cross-platform support
* support for standard integration interfaces
(protocols, security, etc.)
With client apps, the list of priorities is much
different:
* familiarity (native look & feel)
* responsiveness (speed)
* functionality (features)
* usability
* interoperability (integrates with platform and plays
well with other apps)
On Windows, a technology that fails to address each of
these points might be better off as shareware or open
source. An exception to this rule could be made for
killer-apps such Netscape or Napster (and were boosted
by the fact that they were also free).
>From a business and user perspective, many proprietary
platform features add value. Such as the ability to
display a spreadsheet inside a word-processing
document, or drag a file icon from the desktop into
another app. The evil side of that is lock-in, but
that's a fundamental business reality and hollerin'
won't make it any less so.
So what now? Give developers the tools that give users
the no-compromise client-experience they expect. At
the same time, eliminate the developer headaches and
bloat required by other tools to achieve that same
high-quality experience. Offer me that and you've got
something **most** developers would willing to pay
serious money for. No other company has really
delivered on this yet, which is why it remains an
opportunity.
Hey, I've got the perfect product to sell in the US,
but it requires Americans to switch to the metric
system, lose weight and drive electric cars... I'm
betting this will be the next big thing... ;^)
// Ed
