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From: ralph@svnet.UUCP (Ralph Barker)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Database for IBM PC (adaptable to mailorder business)?
Summary: consider user/support base
Message-ID: <2468@svnet.UUCP>
Date: 19 Aug 90 15:35:32 GMT
References: <1990Aug1.053314.1946@cbnewsi.att.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: SVNet, San Jose, CA 95128
Lines: 50

In article <1990Aug1.053314.1946@cbnewsi.att.com>, rw@cbnewsi.att.com (robert.h.wentworth) writes:
> This is an elementary survey question regarding data base programs for
> IBM PC compatibles.  I'd like to know what major products are available
> that might suit our purposes, and what the general merits of each are...
> 
> Our application:
> 
> An uncle of mine runs a small mail-order plant
> nursery.  He needs software to ... ...

After subtracting the religious issues (my database has a bigger .*
than yours), there are, I think, a couple of "basic" issues for him
to consider.  (1) the existing user base from which he can draw
support, both friendly (free) and professional (consultants, $$), and
(2) ease of programming.  

The installed user base for PCs is still dominated by dBase and
compatibles.  This, in my view, provides a potential wealth of support
and potential adaptable applications.  Software is typically priced
reasonably, and is broadly available.  From my experience, basic stuff
is fairly easy to do, but more complex reports etc. are a bit tricky
or downright difficult to achieve with the core dBase product and 
associated utilities.  (I haven't received dBIV.1 yet, so I can't
comment on its features and/or solutions to prior problems)

As an alternative, he might want to look at the PC implementations
of SQL/4GL products such as Informix, Oracle, etc.  My sense is that
the programming environment provided by these products is substantially
better than that of dBase and clones.  A number of companies are
doing development with Informix 4GL for accounting and business 
applications.  These may be directly useful for him, depending on the
features he needs, and provide a migration path to the UNIX environment,
should his business expand.  They do, however, tend to be a bit
more pricey than dBase-at-a-discount.  

The real bottom line is probably a balance between what he is willing
to spend for the database software itself, how much time he is
willing to invest, and how much weight to give to future considerations.
Off-the-shelf mail order packages are designed to handle the issues
involved in running that type of business.  Like any "vertical" 
package, the market is fairly limited, so the prices tend to be
more substantial than "horizontal" software.  Here, the real
question is whether he is likely to invest $30K of his own time
in developing his own software, and what effect the investment of
time will have on his REAL business.  
-- 
Ralph Barker:                SVNet, 640 So Winchester Blvd, San Jose,CA 95128
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