Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!van-bc!mdavcr!ewm From: ewm@mdavcr.UUCP (Eric W. Mitchell) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system Subject: Re: It's off until first half of '91 Message-ID: <1034@mdavcr.UUCP> Date: 4 Oct 90 21:04:34 GMT References: <0093D408.262D5B40@uclapp.physics.ucla.edu> <1542@camex.COM> Organization: MacDonald Dettwiler, 13800 Commerce Parkway, Richmond, BC, Canada V6V 2J3 Lines: 45 In article <1542@camex.COM> kent@camex.com (Kent Borg) writes: >Have you never noticed that it is hard to know when software will be >finished? They probably estimated when they honestly thought it would >be, then tossed in some fudge, and told us the adjusted date. That >date was wrong. > >The problem is that you don't know exactly what your software looks >like until you finish it. You don't know how long it will take to >write until you finish it. You don't know how fast it will run, nor >how much memory it will use, until you finish it. > >One can estimate and guess about these things, but one will be wrong. Many software projects are run with poor methodology. Hardware projects tend to be a little better planned. Unfortunately, most software people have very little experience or interest in doing a proper design and analysis. They tend to blue sky the project objectives and fall far short. There is risk in any project, but I don't believe that the industry has to be as bad as it is. Many systems houses produce one-off, very large systems on time and on budget, even when there is little initial experience in the product. In my experience here at MDA, I have seen highly technical software projects involving hundreds of thousands of lines of code. The complexity of these systems makes System 7.0 look like Tonka Toys. It is the livelyhood of MDA to make these things come out on time and budget. Our industry is very competitive and does not allow for huge profit margins to cushion bad planning. As such, MDA has an established methodology department to help direct projects. Development is done with considerable emphasis on the engineering. I am not trying to blow MDA's horn here - there are many systems houses that achieve comparable results. Therefore, I do not think it is unreasonable to ask for more accurate release dates from vendors. Eric disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply. All non-standard disclaimers apply. All truly bizarre disclaimers apply.