<Kinda OT> Appgen software

[Ben Duncan]

Ok, Harry G sent me this and I feel compelled that the whole world
really knows the truth:

 >but I just wanted to ask a question or two before I commited my new small
 >business to MyBooks.

 >I see they have made some marketing changes, and I have had a hard time
 >reaching a human by phone.  The questions are:
 >
 >1.	Is the company stable?
 >
 >2.	What is your opinion of MyBooks?
 >
 >3.	Is there a user group for MyBooks?
 >
 >I have used NetSuite in the past, but they are just too expensive.  Any
 >comments would be appreciated and kept completely confidential.


1. No, over the past 3 years the company has been thru at least
    3 hands. Seems a company in Denver has taken over the marketing
    for it and the IP is now wholly owned by InSynq, but was owned by Aptus before
    that, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of InSynq. Aptus bought
    the IP rights in 2003 from the original Appgen Corp.

2. All the applications are nicely integrated, well thought out and have
    25+ years of experience going into them and their maturation. Great
    historical information is kept thru out the system. MyBooks IS THE SAME
    as the $20,000 or so, Appgen Custom Suite application, just packaged a
    little different and can be had for $900 for a 10 user license.

    Bad side is the run time has had NO updating since 1998, nor has the
    database engine (Current philosophy is that if it worked 10 years ago,
    it's good enuff for today). The GUI (Java based) is a PIG and the ONLY
    single way to describe it putting LIPSTICK on that PIG. It crashes, leaves
    zombie processes running and has to be updated both server and client side
    if you make changes. The JAVA GUI and necessary JAVA GUI runtime changes
    were simply  slapped UPON the original Appgen runtime and never really
    fully debugged, which has lead to all sorts of headaches, memory leaks
    and runtime issues.
    --
    THE good news to that BAD news, is you can run it in with a terminal emulator
    using the "CURSES" based interface and all the GUI problems go away!!!
    In fact, some of the LARGE Appgen installations, of
    which there are still more than a few around, use the original GUI called
    Power Windows, which was a COSTAR terminal emulator that allowed you to
    use GUI overlays on Window Clients.

    The reason those large installations have kept AppGen is BECAUSE of the
    maturity and integration of the applications. And most of them have
    grizzled old AppGen programmers like me around, who know how to work
    around the problems.

    I Like the applications, integration and packaging. I don't' like the
    memory leaks, strange runtime problems and no support and the
    "head in the sand" attitude on all of it from InSynq.

    There is some pressure from the former VAR channel, remaining VAR's and
    users to do some sort of open source on AppGen runtime /development.

    In truth, the guy who OWNS InSynq is seemingly an asshole, and if he can
    squeeze a few dollars out of AppGen, would continue to do so indefinitely.
    Example being before AppGen was sold, the VAR channel cost was $2,000.00,
    $3,000.00 and $4,000.00 per year (Low level. mid level and high level support).
    When InSynq/Aptus bought it out, all contracts were canceled, no refunds given,
    (I had JUST paid my $2,000 2 months earlier) and if you wanted to stay a VAR
    the cost was NOW $1,000.00 per month ....
    But where that stands, I do not know.

3: Yes, there is a list server where grizzled old Appgen programmers/Users
    hang out: appgen-dev at mirror.org

Now on the bright side, several remaining VARS are pushing to keep Appgen alive.
The C# project is something I am working on with one right now that involves
AppGen and extending it.

One the other side of the coin, MY SLAG project was designed to re-enginner the
Appgen runtime and re-source the AppGen applications using Open Source technology.
However, making a living has gotten in the way of that project for the time being.
The MONEY is NOT in the runtime / developer tools, but the business applications
and business logic themselves as well as the support of these things, IMHO.

I do have some good working prototype of various development tools and menu/screen
functions for my SLAG (S-Lang application Generator) system. I Have even gotten as far
as a lot of stuff done on the embedded Multi Value / Multi Key ISAM engine for it, but
have gotten held up by having to put food on the table.


Would I run Mybooks today? Sure, as long As I would not be required to use
that JAVA based GUI $hit ....

Enuff said ...


-- 
Ben Duncan   - Business Network Solutions, Inc. 336 Elton Road  Jackson MS, 39212
"Never attribute to malice, that which can be adequately explained by stupidity"
        - Hanlon's Razor