[softwarelist] Re: O-Pro's future

  • From: Robert Greenfield <monster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: davidpilling@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:11:16 +1200

On 24 Jun, David Pilling <flist@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> The problem is that there is no single improvement which would make the 
> program instantly viable.

Instant, complete solutions are hard to find!
I am not sure that I would consider OvPro unviable, in that I think it is
very competent at what it does. I am still finding very useful things that
it can do (latest one was leading chars in TABs).

> My current disillusion with Windows is due to the realisation that years 
> of work are now needed just to add the basic requirements.

What are you comparing OvPro to for these 'basic requirements', and what
audience would require these 'basic requirements'?

> Often in the past people have said "add feature A and I will buy it", 
> having added A they then turn around and say "do you seriously expect me 
> to use a program that lacks feature B".

That is pretty rubbish of them.

> >Why not make DDL standard OvPro format and leave the binary one for
> >loading legacy documents?

> Because for most users this would make no difference.

Right now no, but what of the future? Isn't DDL a more robust format?
I am aware from discussions that some information isn't currently saved in
DDL.
I can imagine that DDL will be far easier to export to other apps &
platforms than a binary format. It must be more future-proof.

> >- I'd like a 'screen redraw' button to clear the occasional detritus
> >left by processes.

> I'd like to see the bugs that cause this fixed.

Longer term, yes, but an easy, short-term, temporary fix.

> >Let schools/teachers know that they can still use their old Impression
> >files even though they now use Windows.

> One interesting aspect of the demise of Acorn was how many documents 
> must have been dumped along with all the computers in schools. This 
> discussion began with me talking about getting someone's book from 
> Impression to Word format. It is hard to believe that no one wrote a 
> Word translator in about 1995. It is perhaps a bit late now.

Possibly, however a year or so ago I was emailed by a school who were
still using some RO2 library app on (what I can gather) was an A310. Other
schools gave their RiscPCs to teachers who wanted them.
There are inexpensive/free ways of letting people know about the service
that your software can provide.

regards,

-- 
Robert Greenfield

via RISC OS
<monster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>  -  http://www.webmonster.co.nz/
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