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In lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto, Derek Raycraft wrote:
> Calum Tsang wrote:
> > Just don't complain to me you're not supported like those other Lugnet weirdos.
> > The only whiners I hate more than Mac users are Linux users.
>
> I have every right to complain if I'm not support. Given that I'm well
> aware of how easy it can be to create cross platform software.
It's easy to create software, it's hard to support it ongoing. Both from a
development standpoint as well as actual product support. I've seen it from
personal experience.
Two architectures is not just the obvious stuff like CPU and OS but issues that
really there's no cross platform abstraction for.
First, there's the easy stuff: Like that Java timer you wrote that wouldn't run
on my two laptops, but would on your desktop. That's just simple stuff like
driving a serial device. And that was between two Win32 machines!
But then there's items that will really screw you: Infrastructure that plain
doesn't exist between systems. Like video device support: There's no capture
infrastructure on QuickTime on PC at all, it's all Video for Windows. And
similarly, if you align to Windows, there's no capture infrastructure on the
Mac. So, the core part of a product like VisionCommand is going to be
completely different between the Macintosh and the PC.
Or on a video game, where all your stuff is in DirectX, because OpenGL is ages
behind DX.
Sure there's some porting tools out there, but it's by no means easy. You may
have automated SCM tools to help you make multiple platform builds. But it
means every new feature has to be checked against each platform before it's
developed. And of course, that means even more variants for your test team to
verify.
Then you've got to support the thing once it hits market. Which means call
centers which have Mac AND PC experience. Maintaining a pool of Macintosh
support operators with additional training.
All this for 5% of the market? That makes no business sense at all.
Calum
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: iMac
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| (...) I've also seen it from personal experience. We support software on not 1 or 2 different platforms, but 10-15 different platforms. (...) There are fewer and fewer of this difference these days. It's aways getting better. (...) None of those (...) (20 years ago, 20-Oct-04, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: iMac
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| (...) I have every right to complain if I'm not support. Given that I'm well aware of how easy it can be to create cross platform software. However I won't be wining about it. Derek (20 years ago, 19-Oct-04, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)
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