On May 8, 5:58=A0pm, "shady lady" <n...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > but given the number of times I have had to relearn SW, this steeper
> > learning curve doesn't look as bad as it once did.
>
> One those things you just can't see unless you're looking back.
Peter Drucker: =93To be prepared for change ... work on the most
expensive of resources - TIME ...=94
"Looking back": Interesting words, as they illustrate how major
decisions executed from fear can adversely affect products.
1. Windows: 1990s promises by Gates for "Industrial Strength"
operating system. What came out was not Industrial Strength, and
indeed MS was never an expert at operating systems, but just cobbled
things together, and arguably could have done far better given the
demonstrated success of UNIX and other stable OS's on mainframes
(which was needed by SolidWorks users)..
2. Legacy Code: Windows continued to try to be "all things to all
prior OS versions", creating memory, registry, dll, and other issues
causing crap and corruption (not needed by SolidWorks users).
3. Unsecure "Features": To help their OEM customers & developers
implement their own form of adware on low cost beige box systems.
4. Programming environment: Various coders have made notes about the
lack of top notch tools and consistency.
5. New Revolutionary OS: Longhorn pared down and back and years
late, and not anything like was promised.
As a counterpoint Steve Jobs realized the need for a whole, high
quality networked OS system based on a stable, maintained kernel to
which a user interface could be added along with top notch programming
tools, update system via a network and that core OS was UNIX. Steve
did that decision based on what was already obvious to someone
watching networking in the 80s as networked offices & the Internet was
approaching.
Microsoft could just as easily have picked UNIX, but they didn't want
anyone "copying", like they did starting with the CPM ****t which
became DOS that MS bought. Microsoft could just as easily pick UNIX
today. Instead we are left with XP Pro or Vista and stripping them
down to work as good as possible for SolidWorks. The counterpoint to
that? Steve Jobs realized that the Unix OS kernel was NOT where all
the proprietary advantages lay, but that the programming systems and
user interface were where all the customer value resided.
Microsoft has missed the boat, thinking they have to "do it all" on
the OS. MS could also easily have picked a Unix kernel and moved
ahead solidly like Apple (& lots of other companies that use Unix).
What does that give SolidWorks Cor****ation? An unstable programming
environment on somewhat sensitive (unstable?) hardware that runs
Windows.
What does that give SolidWorks users? Software and hardware that is a
bit unstable and not easy to debug or make stable.
Ballmer is strictly a salesman oriented manager, and attempting to
keep the OS & Office & Server monopoly he controls. Can Ballmer turn
Windows into a 21st Century OS. I think he could, but do not think he
will.
So where will SolidWorks go in 5 years? Maybe where Unigraphics and
others already operate, in Unix?
Where will SolidWorks users go in 5 years? If MS fails to deliver, I
personally will probably move to UG. That means I am likely not to be
alone in these thoughts.
Peter Drucker noted that in a knowledge society that the most
im****tant thing you can do is do things which stop wasting time,
picking paths which cease to waste the efforts of your most valuable
people, knowledge workers. He wrote this starting in the 60s, and
followed it up with over 3 dozen books on management and the future of
business.
Peter Drucker (who died last year at about 96) would have no trouble
seeing the problems with computers and software systems that waste
incredible amounts of programmer, user and cor****ate time, just
because the OS and its programming tools are poorly designed.
SolidWorks is going to face a big challenge, and I don't know if
hanging onto Windows will serve it well. In the end, I care only that
I don't waste my time, as once gone, I can never recover lost time.
SolidWorks must become more efficient for me or I will naturally
migrate to systems that don't waste my time.
All Bo's BS above? Take it as you like it or not. I do think I can
see trends, however, and it is plainly visible.
Bo
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