Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!emory!ogicse!cs.uoregon.edu!akm
From: akm@cs.uoregon.edu (Anant Kartik Mithal)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: ObjectVision - a warning
Summary: *My* opinion: Buy Actor!!
Keywords: Borland ObjectVision vs Actor
Message-ID: <1991Mar13.011157.14572@cs.uoregon.edu>
Date: 13 Mar 91 01:11:57 GMT
References: <12810@ntrlink.hq.interlink.com>
Sender: news@cs.uoregon.edu (Netnews Owner)
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Oregon
Lines: 46

In comparing Actor to ObjectVision:

In article <12810@ntrlink.hq.interlink.com> davidf@ntrlink.hq.interlink.com (David Foster) writes:
>Just a word of warning to would-be objectvision users. I am a Borland
>fan, so when I saw a stack of objectvision boxes in my local pc store
>I dived in with my $99.99 and bought it. Great, I love it, a forms based
>constructor kit for windows !!! But what are these references in the
>manual to the "objectvision runtime" to distribute an application ? A
>quick call to Borland solved that one. Yes, you can distribute applications
>but the runtime version (!) of objectvision wil cost you $495 !!!!!!

Actor will let you create runtime applications (a process called
'sealing off') that does not require a run time version. The 'final'
Actor program is a two file set that contains everything that your
application needs to run. No runtime fee, which I also believe is true
of Smalltalk V/Windows.

>So, netlanders, what other tools has anyone had experience of that provide
>functionality like objectvision, basically a toolkit for creating data entry
>forms. Input would be greatly appreciated, as always. 

>p.s. Would the $99 ACTOR solution provide similar functionality ?

I don't actually think that Actor does the same thing that
ObjectVision does. Actor is a C-like implementation of Smalltalk
(complete with browsers, debuggers, inspectors etc.) It is 'truly'
object oriented (if you believe that Smalltalk is...). It is *not*
C++, which someone thought it was. So, Actor is a smalltalk-like
programming environment with the ability to build stand alone
applications. I like it, but then I am sold on Smalltalk.... At $99, I
think it is well worth it, and is the only reason (main?) that I
didn't upgrade to Digitalk's Smalltalk V/Windows, which they were
offering for $299 (or $249, I can't remember which...).

kartik

Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with Whitewater group (authors of
Actor), apart from being a resonably satisfied customer. As for my
university, well, at this point, my thesis committee might be a bit
surprised to find that I have an opinion...

--
Anant Kartik Mithal                                     akm@cs.uoregon.edu
Research Assistant, 					(503)346-4408 (msgs)
Department of Computer Science,                         (503)346-3989 (direct)
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1202