Hi Al

>Thanks for the kind words. I fully agree that if you want to remove possible network infrastructure problems from the equation, then a TS/Citrix-type solution is the way to go. If everything is on one high-performance server then there is no network traffic generated by VFP itself, everything is local to the server box. The only network traffic is that to-and-from the remote client - and that traffic is efficient and fault-tolerant, specifically designed to work well on "iffy" networks - low bandwidth, high latency.

Yupp - and vfp's small runtime footprint (compared to todays other runtime anvironments<bg>) helps as well. And MSTSC works fime across VPN - two days per week for me.

>Isn't it amazing how much this model looks like the old mainframe/terminals environment? < g >
Yes, but I enjoy the freedom not to fight for measely amounts of diskspace as I had to do very early in the eighties.

>Do I recall correctly that you work in environments with various "big iron"? Have you encountered any i-Series or AS/400?

I haven't been admitted offical access to big iron for 12 years, but I am still tweaking some data marts via file transfer. Good old Foxpro can make sense out of mountains of data if properly prepared<g>. Before that I was developing statistical and price data models running from PC up to larger Unix based machines with ModulaII, C++ and informix and in these times sometimes had contact with an AS/400 when trouble interfacing to pc's cropped up (the AS/400 was housed mostly biz data). Before that I was a backup Admin/DBA for a small bank in Frankfurt - Best job I ever had, as I never calls except to test my availability. Mobile Phones were not THAT common back then, and the front DBA man was a freelancer as well, earning a nice sum every time he showed up.<g>.

So I am not afraid of big iron but I like pc's a lot more. Especially as developer groups "over there" are still herded over like sheep - no cowboys allowed unless the need is dire.

regards

thomas