Thank you Alf for your kind remarks. A couple of notes, which I will
purposefully top post for reasons explained in the notes below.
1. I am not a Microsoftie. The only "tie" I have is receiving an award for
answering questions in peer-to-peer support venues, like this one. They
pay me nothing and I do this primarily out of habit, at least for the time
being. Admitedly, Microsoft has been good to MVPs with software, but I
would do it regardless.
2. I prefer to top post unless it makes sense to add inline comments.
Inline comments are best used when someone has something intelligent to
say about a particular item posted and are most useful when they contain
detail to back up the assertions made. If you are simply adding "crap",
for instance, I do not think you are adding anything useful and simply
writing crap as an answer to the post is more appropriate (it saves
bandwidth too).
3. I agree with Keith on most of his items, but I do not concur with this:
Keith is asking for a _non enterprise_ version.
My reason for disagreement is his statement.
lets me write an installer for it. Nice to modularize the system, but
when
MS chose the categories, they made them very rigid with some odd overlaps
(and lack thereofs); it's like a newly expanded menu that only has combo
meals, but no combo like *I* want.
Sounds like he wants a "make your own" combo, which I completely agree
would be a wonderful idea. I am in total agreement, also, that Microsoft
should explore this, as I, too, feel the offerings are a bit too stilted.
4. The point behind the signature is none of us can completely escape the
box. That is the reason it says "think outside the box!" in a box.
--
Gregory A. Beamer
MVP; MCP: +I, SE, SD, DBA
***********************************************
Think Outside the Box!
***********************************************
Alf P. Steinbach said:
* Cowboy (Gregory A. Beamer):
[of course he's top-posting, Microsoftie]
message
It would be less confusing if MS wouldn't take the middle road on
customization. Either offer small, medium, large versions of VS or
let
me pick and choose which individual features I want; this stuff with
"If
you have *this* version, you get Team System, but this one gets you
Visual SourceSafe; this one gets you Visio, this one gets you
Whitehorse;
This one lets you write full applications but only deploy them one
way
while this one lets me write an installer for it. Nice to modularize
the
system, but when MS chose the categories, they made them very rigid
with
some odd overlaps (and lack thereofs); it's like a newly expanded
menu
that only has combo meals, but no combo like *I* want.
Agreed. Each edition of Visual Studio is too broad for my needs, but I
don't get to the advanced features I want in my limited scope till I
get
to the most expensive bundles in the hierarchy, at which point I'm
paying
hundreds of pounds for features I'll never use.
Why can't I just buy Visual C++, without a "streamlined" user
experience
(I think - no idea what that's supposed to mean, and I've used all the
beta editions!), without web or mobile development targets, no
database or
XML stuff, but with full macro and addin support, source control
integration (but not necessarily coming with SourceSafe), a 64-bit C++
compiler, and with decent profiling tools including PGO?
***********************************************
Think Outside the Box!
***********************************************
You don't.
I understand this, as well, as it would be nice to have a full cafeteria
plan of products.
That's crap.
Keith is asking for a _non enterprise_ version.
That does not exist.
I do not, however, believe this is fully realistic in the
first iteration, esp. when the product is part of a long line of
products
(evolution, not revolution).
Crap.
Visual Studio has been around a long time and has gotten more flexible.
Crap.
It is not quite ready for a mold your own version.
Crap, nobody asked for that.
I am not sure the software
industry, outside of open source, is ready for a piecemeal, build your
own,
type of model.
Crap.
It will likely get there some day, but it will only continue
if it is cost effective, which means enough people will have to support
the
model. If it simply becomes an easier way to P&P pirate software, it
will
die out.
Crap.
--
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is it such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?
