Aaron,

If you'd like some info on rich-client vs thin-client (browser) based apps, here's a few links:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/using/building/windows/analystreports/smartclient.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnanchor/html/Anch_EntDevAppArch.asp

Actually, I just happened to have those two bookmarked, but if you do a search on msdn online for "smart client" you'll find a lot of other stuff to read ... cheaper than books ... <g>

~~Bonnie



>Bonnie,
>
>Thanks, it is certainly worth exploring as the idea of a richer client UI is appealing without any problems talking to local hardware, etc. A key factor in the process will be the need to ensure that it isn't possible to "re-direct" the client to point at a datastore not under our control, but I guess that is something that can be sorted out with multiple layers.
>
>I guess I am off to Amazon to search out some books<g>
>
>Thanks again.
>
>Aaron
>
>>Aaron,
>
>>Your other option may be to keep your application as client/server using .NET WinForms, WebServices and back-end data and application servers. This gives you a nicer, rich-client UI, but still allows you to access your data remotely. Seems to be the best of both worlds. <g> Installation on the client-side won't be as easy as it would be for ASP.NET (which wouldn't require any additional client-side stuff), but there are ways to auto-deploy WinForm applications which simplify the process to some degree. You'd then be able to do COM Port stuff (although don't ask me how, I don't have a clue which API's you might need to do this ... but the point is that it *would* be do-able).
>
>~~Bonnie
>
>>>Sorry, I didn't explain myself correctly. I didn't mean we were moving from ASP to ASP.NET, rather we are moving from a conventional VFP / SQL Server application to ASP.NET. We have many reasons to do this, but one minor reason is that it will allow us to host the data in a single location which will ease installation, configuration and support - rather than having separate SQL Servers and VFP applications installed locally in different countries.
>>>
>>>That is the target but we have to retain hardware device comms at the client. There is always something that gets in the way <g>.
>>>
>>>Regards,
>>>
>>>Aaron
>>>
>>>I'm not sure I'm following you. What difference does ASP vs. ASP.Net make? >This is a client side issue that is independent of server software used...
>>>
>>>+++ Rick ---
>>>
>>>>>Thanks Rick for the response.
>>>>>
>>>>>Sadly this is what I feared. One of the reasons we are switching to ASP is to reduce installation problems as we will have 5k+ clients. I guess we are going to have to try and find the best "bad" solution we can come up with.
>>>>>
>>>>>Anyway, it was worth a shot in the dark.
>>>>>
>>>>>Thanks again.
>>>>>
>>>>>Aaron