[ale] Re: [ale-unemployed] Where we stand 2/8/02

[Irv Mullins]

On Saturday 09 February 2002 07:09 pm, LANCE CROCKER wrote:
>
> I think what businesses need is a software(OS or app.) that will do exactly
> what they need (databasing, backup, financial stuff, etc.) that is very
> small ( so that it will run on very slow machines), very inexspensive (so
> that they can affort to implement it), very user friendly ( so that thier
> employees can actually operate it), and finally, very effective (it does
> what it was designed to do - without all of the bugs or sec. holes).

I'm not sure that small is all that important. I don't see many really old 
pc's in offices anymore, now that new ones are so cheap. 
(They'd be even cheaper if you didn't have to buy Windows with them)

Also, in today's world, "user friendly" equates to "GUI point and click".  
That's just the way it is, and it's probably a good thing. It's easier 
(cheaper) to train someone to use an intuitive point and click interface than 
a text-based one, and a well-written GUI program is easier to protect against 
catastrophic mistakes.

That said, price is a major factor in decisions. The accounting software I've 
found so far for Linux has mostly been in the $6,000 range. My guess is it's 
converted from mainframe Unix code, and I'm also guessing it would be 
a bear to set up. For a 5 ~ 20 person business, this is just too much money 
and trouble. Cheaper to buy another computer and download some DOS or Windows 
softrware for the accounting job.

Somewhere between $100 and $500 would be much more acceptable.
An example from the M$ world might be in order: a fellow named Medlin 
has sold accounting programs for years, and has made a good living doing so.
His programs sell for $35 per module (A/R, A/P, etc) and I know of several 
businesses using them successfully. It's a long way from ERP, but small 
businesses that bill a milliion or two per year seem to be doing just fine 
using his software. 

> If the businesses found something like this then they would be hesitant at
> first (too good to be true - must not be) but then they would start
> implementing it (after all of their competitors have it) and notice that
> you really dont need M$ ( and all of their blue screens).

That's where a professional organization comes in. You (or I) as consultants 
can recommend a solution that we believe will work, but it really helps if we 
have a list of people who have implemented similar things to call on.
That eliminates the "too good to be true" argument.
It also helps to have people with complementary skills to call upon, allowing 
us to take on jobs that might be beyond our capabilities if we were acting 
alone.

Regards,
Irv



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