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Re: IDL UNIX->PC code compatability [message #9348 is a reply to message #9345]

Fri, 20 June 1997 00:00

Bill Sawchuck
Messages: 3
Registered: June 1997

Junior Member

Scott Gennari writes:
> It's just too bad an IDL/ENVI license will cost more than the PC. That
> seems warped to me.
>

David Fanning replies:
> Even a 266 MHz PII is just a doorstop without software. Seems to
> me that a large part of the value of any system is the software
> you put on it. The question is, do you save $1500 of time and
> effort using IDL as opposed to doing whatever it is you do some
> other way. Maybe you could write C programs. How much time and
> effort do you think it would take you to learn to write your
> programs in Visual C++? In my situation, I would probably starve
> before I figured it out. Makes IDL look like a bargain, at least
> to me.

Let's not forget about RSI's maintenance policy. Ten percent of the
current s/w price per year assures that you will always have the latest
version on hand as soon as it is released. Once you've made the initial
investment in the software, the maintenance is a breeze. Currently for a
PC based license that comes out to $12.50 per month. Considering what you
get for this, I consider IDL the software bargain of the decade. We need
to keep in mind that IDL just doesn't have the broad market base that other
languages such as Visual C++ enjoy. What do you think Microsoft would
charge for IDL if it was marketed by them? Perhaps they could take some of
their best developers and produce a product similar to IDL at a lower
price. I think not. This issue of a small market base is exactly why
Microsoft has recently decided to dump their development efforts on Fortran
(user support and all!).

Bill Sawchuck
Space Telescope Science Institute
3700 San Martin Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218
sawchuck@stsci.edu

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[Message index]

		Re: IDL UNIX->PC code compatability By: mgs on Fri, 20 June 1997 00:00
		Re: IDL UNIX->PC code compatability By: pit on Fri, 20 June 1997 00:00
		Re: IDL UNIX->PC code compatability By: Bill Sawchuck on Fri, 20 June 1997 00:00
		Re: IDL UNIX->PC code compatability By: davidf on Thu, 19 June 1997 00:00

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