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Thank you Jolyon. I've always appreciated your point of view. For
me in the US the decision to upgrade is either a $500 or $800
decision until 12/31. Since I don't have any "programming" income to
offset that $$ it's a tough call especially if I have to also pay
for one or more of the options you mention below.<br>
Sure wish some decisions, at least, were easy.<br>
Thanks,<br>
Charlie<br>
<br>
On 11/14/2011 2:08 PM, Jolyon Smith wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:CALXexOoA5NjQwrORNAcb2EEZ1xDrXfnaHkjRfpSKpOtvRoeDGg@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">Yes, and yes. :)<br>
<br>
I had been off the upgrade train since D7 but XE2 prompted me to
get back into the harness (to mix some metaphors).<br>
<br>
My primary interest was in the iOS and (future) Android support
with only passing interest in OS X development, but - and read
into this what you will - I have since downloaded and installed X
Code for iOS/OS X and Eclipse and the Android SDK.
<div>
<br>
</div>
<div>Delphi + VCL is still unbeatable when it comes to Win32 (and
now Win64) development, but for OS X, iOS and Android, I am
increasingly convinced that "FireMonkey" was a mistake and that
a core cross-platform VCL supported by platform native
extensions for the visual part of the VCL (along with language
extensions if required - a la the FPC approach to OS X, for
example. The same approach taken with Windows support in Delphi
originally of course, with the declarative approach to Windows
message handling and the "automated" keyword (albeit that is now
deprecated)) would have been the right way to go.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>So I'd say yes - if you want to stay current with Delphi
there is value in doing so, and for some things you may find
FireMonkey is a viable solution, but for iOS / Android
development my own view is that the native tool sets for those
respective platforms currently - sadly - represent the most
viable long term choices until a real contender for the title of
"Delphi for iOS/Android" comes along.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Being able to coax the likes of Prism and Delphi into
emitting code that happily runs on iOS/Android may make for some
interesting technical challenges and some sideshow fun projects,
but those approaches are destined to forever be on the fringes
and the margins of those platforms, imho.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Some would say that Delphi too exists on the fringes of the
Windows eco system, although it found itself drifting there
rather than coming in at the fringes from the outset. And this
too may become more of an issue with the apparent ground-shift
coming in Windows 8, but the extent of that on the likes of
"traditional" WinXX development tools is still largely yet to be
seen.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>+0.02<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 15 November 2011 01:55, Charlie <span
dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:kerscher@bellsouth.net">kerscher@bellsouth.net</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt
0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);
padding-left: 1ex;">
First thanks for the suggestions for webhosting.<br>
Secondly, I haven't updated Delphi since RAD Studio 2007 and
so if I<br>
don't update by 12/31 and want the current version
afterwards I won't be<br>
eligible for an update. The only customer that I had has
just gone out<br>
of business. I really like Delphi. I really don't know if
I'll ever have<br>
another customer. I've always wanted to be a "programmer"
but became a<br>
jack of all trades in order to satisfy the needs of my
customers.<br>
It seems to me that the future is iPhones, iPads and such.
So is<br>
updating Delphi prudent? Or is now the time to persue other
options?<br>
Thank you,<br>
<font color="#888888">Charlie<br>
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