From: garyrich@qdeck.com (Gary Rich)
Subject: Re: Future of DV-X?????
Organization: Quarterdeck Office Systems, Santa Monica CA
Distribution: comp
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1992 22:59:22 GMT

In article <1992Jul20.120242.13852@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> x5iy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes:
>I have to wonder about the future of DV-X!  The strength that DV-X offers
>is the socketing for X-Windows, right?  Okay, what's the strength of X-window?
>I'd say its the availability of source code and ease of use for development.
>Okay, who's doing most of this development?  (Sure, there are major companies
>doing some...) But, many, many, MANY application are developed by individuals
>and university organizations!  These are the very organizations that could
>very ill afford high priced development tools! 
>
We are making the developers tools available in three different packages
at three different price points.  These are described elsewhere so I won't 
go into them again.  Those "Major Companies" that you seem to write off have
legitimate needs that can't possibly be addressed in a $200 developers kit.
They need a lot of support, very fast turn around on questions, etc.  They
also need a development understructure that is bulletproof, well tested, and 
will be around in the future.  That means things like Metaware/ MSC compiler
support, Adobe fonts, and a solid commercially available DOS extender (like
DOS4/GX) without redistribution fees.  They are happy to pay for what they know
that they need.  Universities have a different set of needs.  University 
students have a VERY different set of needs.  This is where things like Gnu C a
nd it's DOS extender come into play.  That's why we will be providing the lower levels of the toolkits.  These toolkits will still be fully functional.  They don't
tell me such things, but I really doubt that we are making a fortune on these
$200 toolkits.

>Perhaps Quarterdeck believes that DV-X will "DRIVE THE INDUSTRY" to create
>X-windows support on a DOS platform!  I think this will not be the case.
>One only has to look at who has created Desqview applications (I would believe
>its the small guys and individuals, not the Microsoft's Lotus's etc of the 
>software world).  Look the big guys are going for with MS-Windows, but many
>of us prefer to avoid windows and see Desqview-X as the answer to our dreams.
>Imagine a whole network of individuals developing (and easily and affodable)
>porting many existing X-Windows applications.  HEY, this would provide many
>users with similiar tools across different platforms!!  QUATERDECK, WAKE
>UP, THIS IS YOUR MARKET FOR DV-X!!  It is through the devoted and inventive
>memberrs of the Desqview subculture that will promote (Quarterdeck, read the
>word 'promote' as 'SELL') the Desqview-X software.  It's a great tool, let
>it blossom!!
>

Let me make this perfectly clear...I WANT THESE APPS TOO!  We are very aware
of the loyal cadre of DV programmers, both the "Big Guys" and the "Little Guys"
We want them to be as excited about DVX as we are.  And once the X programers
out there realize how painless it is to port apps from workstations to DOS
with DVX, this will be one exicting part of the industry!T

>Let us not forget that there is a movement among many '386 users to go straight
>to a UNIX environment that will run true X-windows for FREE.  Take a look at
>what's going on with LINUX (see banjo.concert.net) which runs GCC2.2.2 and
>X11.  The goal of X-windows on a PC is here, but will it be Quarterdeck's DV-X?
>

I think you may be mixing apples and oranges here....

>PLEA:  I've bought Desqview-X.  I like it.  I'd like to see it stick around
>for a while!  Let the developement kits become affordable, this is the only
>way Desqview-X will catch on.  Remember, Desqview is no longer the 'only 
>multitasking game in town'.  There's MS-Windows, OS/2 (sure I don't like these
>systems) which have many applications being developed.  I just don't see much
>happening with DV-X.  Is it doomed to be a 'pretty face'?  Just look at the
>PD1:<MSDOS.DV-X> on wsmr-simtel20.army.mil ( a huge archive!!) and you'll see
>how 'empty' the future of DV-X appears.
>
It won't be empty for long, if I have anything to do with it!

>Thanks for listening to my ranting, (but Quarterdeck, have you hear the
>message?)
>
We hear!! 

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