Malcolm,

Sounds like you have a challenge ahead. There is a product called PowerNet Airlinc that can cut the RF application time significantly. This tool is written is VFP and runs on PowerNet NT by Connect Inc. There is a thin client that is loaded onto the your RF terminal once (Symbol,Intermec,Percon...) and that's it. All programming is done through Airlinc on the NT Server or NT workstation and changes are real-time. Your NT box runs PowerNet as a service and it controls all RF communications. It is realy easy and fast to develop with especially if you have VFP experience. It may be worth checking out at www.connectrf.com. My $0.02.

>John & Ed:
>
>Thanks for the input. All I wanted was, if I should use VFP or VB or a combination thereof. Now I'm worried thinking that I'm not qualified for this job, not really <s>, but I am a little insecure now ... :o(
>
>Actually, what I first posted is my game plan, no hardware monies invested as yet. From what you both are saying, it doesn't seem like a good game plan. However, I only know how to work in a Windows/NT/NT Server environment. Linus, Unix, and CE are all foreigh to me.
>
>My Windows98/NT/NT Server solution is like this. I will have a NT server with SQL Server installed as my database. The main POS application will run hardwired on a workstation - which is also the cash register. The handhelds will most likely be a Pentium I (no II's or III's that I know of). The handhelds will be wireless connected to the server via access points. I'm looking at Citrix Winframe to run the handheld applications. I think Winframe will allow me to run the applciation off the server and the handheld will act like display(graphics)only dumb terminals.
>
>The handhelds are for the sales data collection only. Finalizing a sale will be done on the hardwired(ethernet) cash register workstation - along with the beginning/end of day reconciliation. As mentioned in my first post, the cash register will use a sales number generated by the handheld (or application running on the server) to bring up the sales information to finalization.
>
>In both your opinions, I am still looking at that much trouble down the line?
>
>Thanks for your time,
>
>Mal
>
>P.S. Forgot the mentioned, the handhelds will have bar code scanners *gulp*.