dgg@ksr.com (David Grubbs) (01/20/91)
A couple years ago I let my desire for a relational database for my Amiga get
the better of me. After canvassing the various computers stores, I discovered
that you could purchase Oracle or Informix for the MS-DOS machines for about
$500, but Unix versions were outlandishly expensive ($20K range) and Amiga
implementations were non-existent.
So I purchased (for $300) a thing called "Acquisition". The store owner
(someone I had thought to be reliable for a year or so) and the cover blurbs
assured me that it would more than cover my data storage and retrieval needs.
I am still amazed at how far from correct they were. I produced a 10-page
list of the bugs and misfeatures (everything from system crashes to assuming
that a person's name began with a capital letter, followed only by lower case
letters -- MacDougal and O'Brien lost big), sent the creators (an English
company named "Taurus") a nasty note and found the local distributor
("Haifex"), who gave me a sob story along the lines of, "Those losers? We got
screwed -- they won't support it."
The only answer I got from the people who wrote Acquisition was the snottiest
letter I have ever heard of, let alone received. It concluded that I was
obviously not 'superior' enough to be a customer of theirs and I should take
my business elsewhere. They didn't offer to return my money. It's amazing
they ever made any. I threw the manual in the trash can and recycled the disk.
Anyway, I'd like to know two things:
1. Despite reading a half-dozen Amiga-oriented magazines per month, I still
don't see any kind of professional relational database for the Amiga.
This group (and its predecessors) occasionally collect a plaintive "Where
is SQL?" message, but I never see an informed response.
2. Does anyone know what the real story is with Acquisition? I still see
their name occasionally. I can't believe they can stay in business with
their miserable attitude and completely unusable product.
--
David G. Grubbs Kendall Square Research Corp.
{harvard,uunet,world}!ksr!dgg dgg@ksr.cometxtomp@eos.ericsson.se (Tommy Petersson) (01/21/91)
In article <DGG.91Jan19145520@kaos.ksr.com> dgg@ksr.com (David Grubbs) writes: > Lots deleted... >1. Despite reading a half-dozen Amiga-oriented magazines per month, I still > don't see any kind of professional relational database for the Amiga. > This group (and its predecessors) occasionally collect a plaintive "Where > is SQL?" message, but I never see an informed response. I think SuperBase Professional is the only thing that perhaps could qualify here. DBMan is perhaps professional enough, but not that relational... I wonder if development/support for SuperBase still is on for the Amiga (I beleive so), or if the company is completely lost to MS-DOS SuperBase? Tommy Petersson etxtomp@eos.ericsson.se
davidm@uunet.UU.NET (David S. Masterson) (01/22/91)
>>>>> On 19 Jan 91 19:55:20 GMT, dgg@ksr.com (David Grubbs) said:
David> 1. Despite reading a half-dozen Amiga-oriented magazines per month, I
David> still don't see any kind of professional relational database for the
David> Amiga. This group (and its predecessors) occasionally collect a
David> plaintive "Where is SQL?" message, but I never see an informed
David> response.
At this point, I know of only two "relational" database systems supporting the
Amiga market (Superbase and Microfiche Filer). I am unfamiliar with the
capabilities of MF. SBPro, however, seems quite powerful in its latest
incarnation and has fairly good support (which seems to depend on the time of
year or some such). While not "fully" relational, it does include a
programming language (Basic-like), Arexx support, external (memo-type) fields
that handle graphics and sound, user-definable forms and reports, etc. Where
it lacks in being fully relational is no multi-field keys, some constraint
checking (in the forms, though), and no data dictionary. I understand,
though, that they will be bringing out Superbase Pro 4.0 for the Amiga (to
bring it up to the level of their PC version) which will include support for
remotely accessed databases. I don't know what the current state of that is.
--
====================================================================
David Masterson Consilium, Inc.
(415) 691-6311 640 Clyde Ct.
uunet!cimshop!davidm Mtn. View, CA 94043
====================================================================
"If someone thinks they know what I said, then I didn't say it!"mwm@pa.dec.com (Mike (My Watch Has Windows) Meyer) (01/23/91)
At this point, I know of only two "relational" database systems supporting the Amiga market (Superbase and Microfiche Filer). I am unfamiliar with the capabilities of MF. I'm familiar with MFF. MFF (and MFF+) isn't really suited for professional use. The biggest problem is that it keeps all it's data in memory. Given that, that it doesn't use keys isn't a problem - any data query happens in memory anyway. It's a wonderfull product for personal use (address lists, cookbooks, the Fish disk listings, videotape libraries, etc, etc...). If anyone is interested in a more detailed description, I'll be glad to provide it. The other problem is that there's no active development going on. The author has dropped out of the Amiga market. He still sells it and provides technical support, but isn't doing Amiga work. He's interested in selling the product in toto. If anyone's interested in acquiring a product for sale (with a person to do support, if needed), send me email. <mike -- Round about, round about, in a fair ring-a. Mike Meyer Thus we dance, thus we dance, and thus we sing-a. mwm@pa.dec.com Trip and go, to and fro, over this green-a. decwrl!mwm All about, in and out, over this green-a.
stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) (01/24/91)
In article <DGG.91Jan19145520@kaos.ksr.com> dgg@ksr.com (David Grubbs) writes: >A couple years ago I let my desire for a relational database for my Amiga get >the better of me. After canvassing the various computers stores, I discovered >that you could purchase Oracle or Informix for the MS-DOS machines for about >$500, but Unix versions were outlandishly expensive ($20K range) and Amiga >implementations were non-existent. Were the $500 versions a full development version or somewhat scaled down? In any case we won't be seeing any of the big Relation Databases on the Amiga, because the costs of release and support would never be recouped. The PC versions are the first part of a distributed computing solution for businesses that will be buying IBM compatible PCs (MSDOS or OS/2). Those machines are the standard and that isn't going to change. What this means is that a relational database solution of real power is unlikely for the amiga UNLESS it is a public domain thing that initially has no intuition interface. I think that the most we can hope for is indexed files (ala superbase) with a nice interface or a pd solution with a lousy interface. -- Stewart Winter Cognos Incorporated S-mail: P.O. Box 9707 VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x3830 FAX: (613) 738-0002 3755 Riverside Drive UUCP: stewartw%cognos.uucp@ccs.carleton.ca Ottawa, Ontario The bird of the day is .... Meyer's Parrot CANADA K1G 3Z4
stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) (01/24/91)
In article <CIMSHOP!DAVIDM.91Jan21162338@uunet.UU.NET> cimshop!davidm@uunet.UU.NET (David S. Masterson) writes: >At this point, I know of only two "relational" database systems supporting the >Amiga market (Superbase and Microfiche Filer). Neither one is really a relational database. Really just indexed file systems with a programming and reporting language/interface which can perform some basic relation-type joins. >capabilities of MF. SBPro, however, seems quite powerful in its latest >incarnation and has fairly good support (which seems to depend on the time of >year or some such). While not "fully" relational, it does include a >programming language (Basic-like), Arexx support, external (memo-type) fields >that handle graphics and sound, user-definable forms and reports, etc. You can do lots of good programming without a relational database provided you have a competent programming language sitting above a basic file system. SBPro takes this approach, and I think that it is a reasonable one for the amiga. > Where >it lacks in being fully relational is no multi-field keys, some constraint >checking (in the forms, though), and no data dictionary. Well, they lack more than that. A good transaction model which can span multiple files, 2-phase commit support, business rules in the database, etc. It's not that I expect this stuff in an amiga product, but they are not selling a relational database ... more of 4GL. Stewart -- Stewart Winter Cognos Incorporated S-mail: P.O. Box 9707 VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x3830 FAX: (613) 738-0002 3755 Riverside Drive UUCP: stewartw%cognos.uucp@ccs.carleton.ca Ottawa, Ontario The bird of the day is .... Meyer's Parrot CANADA K1G 3Z4