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R.i.p. V.F.P.
Message
From
31/10/2003 13:32:18
 
 
To
31/10/2003 13:17:13
General information
Forum:
Visual FoxPro
Category:
Other
Title:
Miscellaneous
Thread ID:
00843655
Message ID:
00845128
Views:
44
Tracy, that's very much like the original argument I used. My contention was that MS was trying to move people to MSDN so that VFP could get lost in the mix and MS could say that in truth, nobody is buying VFP any more, so it's time to let it die.

I was assured that this was not the case. That (and I'm probably paraphrasing Ken a bit here, but I think I'm close) the best thing VFP developers can do for VFP is to buy MSDN subscriptions.

He said that a portion of all MSDN subscriptions are attributed to VFP. Of course, my next question was about subscription renewals. I mean is VFP going to get a piece of the action ad infinitum? To that question, I never did get what I thought was a decent answer.

In any event, I felt the whole premise was fairly insulting to our collective intelligence. ...but I mean that in the nicest way. ;)

Alan

>What if (hope I'm wrong) MSFT is pushing MSDN sales for VFP developers not only for the $ but also so that when they drop VFP they can say most VFP developers already have .NET and most have been experimenting if not using it so movement from VFP to .NET is a natural transition with the tools already at their fingertips. (OK, I didn't want to jump on the negativity bandwagon but that possibility is staring us in the face)
>
>
>>Yeah. And I finally did get the MSDN (universal). I don't know if you recall that whole thread, but now, of course, I have to wonder if I've helped VFP's sales figures as we were led to believe, or helped to kill it.
>>
>>You think maybe that getting the MSDN will also help to show MS that nobody is buying visual studio either? Gee, if VFP and VS.net both go, we'll all have to move to Delphi.
>>
>>Alan
>>
>>>Get the MSDN subscription! It helps increase Visual Studio .NET sales also! :)
>>>
>>>
>>>>VFP8 sales may well be poor, but the reasons for it may bear a bit more analysis.
>>>>
>>>>I had a 'discussion' a long time ago with Ken here on the UT. He was telling us that the best thing a VFP programmer could do for VFP was to buy into MSDN. My question at the time was about how MS would know that I was buying the MSDN mainly from a VFP standpoint - in other words that VFP was an important part of the MSDN for me. I don't actually recall getting a satisfactory explanation, but apparently there is some magic that shows that VFP sales are not as bad as they appear because people are buying an MSDN subscription.
>>>>
>>>>Bottom line is this. Is the line about VFP sales figures being enhanced through MSDN subscriptions bogus? Are pure VFP8 sales figures the final word?
>>>>
>>>>As an aside, none of this is to say that I'm not spending some time trying to get up to speed with C# and the .NET framework (which I am, since refusing to do so out of spite for lack of VFP support from MS would, imho, be stupid).
>>>>
>>>>Alan
>>>>
>>>>>Interesting point. It is similar to the point I called Craig on - basically making an assertion with no factual basis to make that assertion.
>>>>>
>>>>>But is it similar????
>>>>>
>>>>>There is a lot of acecdotal/circumstantal evidence to allow one to draw the conclusion that the market for VFP is shrinking. Time and time again, when MS has been asked why they don't invest in Fox - the answer is that the market served by Fox is declining, has no upside, and as a result - does not warrant investment. Clearly, the focus is on the type of computing ala .NET, Longhorn, etc.
>>>>>
>>>>>For a while, Ken was up here practically begging people to upgrade to the next version (7 at the time). For whatever reason - 7 upgrades fell short of expectations. There is no evidence to indicate that 8 sales made up for - and surpassed what 7 was supposed to do.
>>>>>
>>>>>There is more than enough info out there - in spite of not having hard numbers - to conclude that 8 sales are poor. You can say they are good since the market continues to decline - can you???
>>>>>
>>>>>< JVP >
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>I agree that some of his observations he stated in this thread are accurate. However, he also claimed that VFP 8 sales are poor. That is what I challenged him on. He has little or no way of knowing this.
>>>>>>
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