When open source goes bad...

[JD Austin]

Lyndon Tiu wrote:

>On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 18:24:36 -0700 plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us wrote:
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>>I have a client that wants to build a large database application 
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>Large database application? Usually with these things, you build a front-end web-based app with a SQL based RDBMS backend. Usually using something like Java/JSP or PHP or ASP (old style or .Net).
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>You could also do the old style Oracle Forms and Reports(expensive!) or the old style VB desktop based front-end or Java Swing based desktop app with a db backend but these are not as common as web-based apps these days.
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Yes I've done most those :)  The client cant afford the time it would 
take. 
The can't afford Oracle either :)  I was going to use Access and migrate 
the database to Mysql or Postgress when I remembered the Rekall 
project.  I decided to try building it using Postgresql and Rekall. 
I haven't built anything 'production' with Rekall yet but it seems to be 
about 80% there to being a replacement for Access.
It has all of the critical items built in, still figuring out how to do 
certain things with forms/etc.

Download the 30 day trial from http://www.totalrekall.co.uk/ or compile 
it from http://rekallrevealed.org and give it a try.

>>on a shoestring budget 
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>Was your time part of the shoestring budget?
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Yes ;)

>>so I thought I could give Rekall a try
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>Just curious, how much was the cost of the orginal Rekall purchase from theKompany?
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For the full version and runtime it was $220.  Not a lot but I don't 
take being cheated lightly.
Since http://www.totalrekall.co.uk/ is giving away the versions 
theKompany sells for free it isn't worth anything.

>>since I heard about it from the teacher in the access class I took last 
>>year. 
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><just my thoughts> 
>Usually, if you have a large database application, you do not use Access. Reading theKompany's Rekall website, it looks to me it's an Access equivalent.
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The limiter for access is the database it uses.  Rekall doesn't use it's 
own databse it uses Mysql, Postgress, Odbc, or Xbase.

>What you went through just sucks. Buying a piece of software that does not work is frustrating. It be best to learn from this experience. Perhaps you can tell us what you would do differently if you were given another chance to do everything all over again?
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I suppose I'd spend more than an hour looking around on the internet 
before buying it from them, ask their refund policy, find at least one 
person recommending them :)   I generally do that but I already knew the 
theKompany sold it, buyer beware :)

I'm seeing if my bank will charge it back.

JD

-- 
JD Austin
Twin Geckos Technology Services LLC
email: jd at twingeckos.com
http://www.twingeckos.com
phone/fax: 480.288.8195