A Little Disappointed
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I worked for a small software company for over 12 years, developing Windows-based estate planning software using C++/MFC, and a bigger company bought us out in 1998. When they decided to move development of the software from San Diego to Idaho (in 2000), I quit, and moved to Texas because I've been to Idaho, and I wasn't impressed. Out of curiosity, I googled to see if the software was still being sold. It is, but it still looks like it did back in the mid-90's. The forms have been updated to reflect new features, the company is still using screen shots that were made back when Windows XP was still popular, and they still talk about faxing stuff to your clients (I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home). The price of the software has also almost tripled since this company bought the company I worked for. Every year, they have to update the code to reflect tax law changes (both federal and state-by-state), and it looks like that's all they've been doing for the last 15 years. There was at one point almost a million lines of code in this app. I'm kinda surprised the software is still being sold, but I'm disappointed they haven't kept up with more modern platforms.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
I worked for a small software company for over 12 years, developing Windows-based estate planning software using C++/MFC, and a bigger company bought us out in 1998. When they decided to move development of the software from San Diego to Idaho (in 2000), I quit, and moved to Texas because I've been to Idaho, and I wasn't impressed. Out of curiosity, I googled to see if the software was still being sold. It is, but it still looks like it did back in the mid-90's. The forms have been updated to reflect new features, the company is still using screen shots that were made back when Windows XP was still popular, and they still talk about faxing stuff to your clients (I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home). The price of the software has also almost tripled since this company bought the company I worked for. Every year, they have to update the code to reflect tax law changes (both federal and state-by-state), and it looks like that's all they've been doing for the last 15 years. There was at one point almost a million lines of code in this app. I'm kinda surprised the software is still being sold, but I'm disappointed they haven't kept up with more modern platforms.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home
My Epson printer (BX305FW) has fax built in. Never connected it to a phone line though! :laugh: It's possibly not that the software hasn't been updated to modern platforms, but that the software stopped selling so they didn't update it. Then just kept in on the website to add to the portfolio. Costs nothing to keep an old page live... Plus, isn't Idaho about ten years behind the rest of 'Murica anyway? :laugh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt -
I worked for a small software company for over 12 years, developing Windows-based estate planning software using C++/MFC, and a bigger company bought us out in 1998. When they decided to move development of the software from San Diego to Idaho (in 2000), I quit, and moved to Texas because I've been to Idaho, and I wasn't impressed. Out of curiosity, I googled to see if the software was still being sold. It is, but it still looks like it did back in the mid-90's. The forms have been updated to reflect new features, the company is still using screen shots that were made back when Windows XP was still popular, and they still talk about faxing stuff to your clients (I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home). The price of the software has also almost tripled since this company bought the company I worked for. Every year, they have to update the code to reflect tax law changes (both federal and state-by-state), and it looks like that's all they've been doing for the last 15 years. There was at one point almost a million lines of code in this app. I'm kinda surprised the software is still being sold, but I'm disappointed they haven't kept up with more modern platforms.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013Nice to see you on today. I have had similar experiences with software companies/products not really changing over the years (for the better). I think for some, it is par for the course. :sigh:
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home
My Epson printer (BX305FW) has fax built in. Never connected it to a phone line though! :laugh: It's possibly not that the software hasn't been updated to modern platforms, but that the software stopped selling so they didn't update it. Then just kept in on the website to add to the portfolio. Costs nothing to keep an old page live... Plus, isn't Idaho about ten years behind the rest of 'Murica anyway? :laugh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
No, they're still selling it. I saw some articles about it form this year, and it's still listed on their web site.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
Nice to see you on today. I have had similar experiences with software companies/products not really changing over the years (for the better). I think for some, it is par for the course. :sigh:
And then you get some companies (don't know why the word "Corel" leaps to mind here) who stand still - if you are lucky - by adding sufficient bugs to balance out the new features... :sigh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Nice to see you on today. I have had similar experiences with software companies/products not really changing over the years (for the better). I think for some, it is par for the course. :sigh:
I was sitting here wondering how it could be improved with WPF/C#, and started looking to see what it's current status was. If they did it right, it only takes them a month or so to update it for the new tax laws, so I'm willing to bet that they don't have more than one or two permanent programmers working on it. When I was there, we had three guys. Whey they bought it, they had 4 guys in Idaho, and kept the three we already had (counting me). I guess when their four guys were comfortable with the code, the decided to cut the original developers loose (I was the only one given the option to move to Idaho, because I had the most tribal knowledge). :|
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home
My Epson printer (BX305FW) has fax built in. Never connected it to a phone line though! :laugh: It's possibly not that the software hasn't been updated to modern platforms, but that the software stopped selling so they didn't update it. Then just kept in on the website to add to the portfolio. Costs nothing to keep an old page live... Plus, isn't Idaho about ten years behind the rest of 'Murica anyway? :laugh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
OriginalGriff wrote:
Idaho
Idaho is awesome. No traffic, no crowds, beautiful landscape. Not much warm weather though. And all the potatoes you could ever want.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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OriginalGriff wrote:
Idaho
Idaho is awesome. No traffic, no crowds, beautiful landscape. Not much warm weather though. And all the potatoes you could ever want.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
RyanDev wrote:
And all the potatoes you could ever want.
As long as you're not picky about their quality. An acquaintance of mine who left the state recently said one of the best things about moving was that he could actually get good potatoes again; all that was available locally were QC rejects that weren't sellable anywhere else.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt
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OriginalGriff wrote:
Idaho
Idaho is awesome. No traffic, no crowds, beautiful landscape. Not much warm weather though. And all the potatoes you could ever want.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
RyanDev wrote:
all the potatoes you could ever want.
That is a much smaller number than you might think! :laugh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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RyanDev wrote:
And all the potatoes you could ever want.
As long as you're not picky about their quality. An acquaintance of mine who left the state recently said one of the best things about moving was that he could actually get good potatoes again; all that was available locally were QC rejects that weren't sellable anywhere else.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt
Dan Neely wrote:
all that was available locally were QC rejects that weren't sellable anywhere else.
:laugh: That's what I found when I lived in Mexico. The worst looking tomato in the supermarket of America is better than the best looking tomato in Mexico's stores. They said it was because they sent all their good stuff to America. That's one reason they don't like America much. :sigh:
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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RyanDev wrote:
all the potatoes you could ever want.
That is a much smaller number than you might think! :laugh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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RyanDev wrote:
all the potatoes you could ever want.
That is a much smaller number than you might think! :laugh:
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
OriginalGriff wrote:
That is a much smaller number than you might think!
Agreed... I am NOT a meat and potatoes fan; meat, yes, potatoes.. rather have rice.
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I worked for a small software company for over 12 years, developing Windows-based estate planning software using C++/MFC, and a bigger company bought us out in 1998. When they decided to move development of the software from San Diego to Idaho (in 2000), I quit, and moved to Texas because I've been to Idaho, and I wasn't impressed. Out of curiosity, I googled to see if the software was still being sold. It is, but it still looks like it did back in the mid-90's. The forms have been updated to reflect new features, the company is still using screen shots that were made back when Windows XP was still popular, and they still talk about faxing stuff to your clients (I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home). The price of the software has also almost tripled since this company bought the company I worked for. Every year, they have to update the code to reflect tax law changes (both federal and state-by-state), and it looks like that's all they've been doing for the last 15 years. There was at one point almost a million lines of code in this app. I'm kinda surprised the software is still being sold, but I'm disappointed they haven't kept up with more modern platforms.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
I worked for a small software company for over 12 years, developing Windows-based estate planning software using C++/MFC, and a bigger company bought us out in 1998. When they decided to move development of the software from San Diego to Idaho (in 2000), I quit, and moved to Texas because I've been to Idaho, and I wasn't impressed. Out of curiosity, I googled to see if the software was still being sold. It is, but it still looks like it did back in the mid-90's. The forms have been updated to reflect new features, the company is still using screen shots that were made back when Windows XP was still popular, and they still talk about faxing stuff to your clients (I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home). The price of the software has also almost tripled since this company bought the company I worked for. Every year, they have to update the code to reflect tax law changes (both federal and state-by-state), and it looks like that's all they've been doing for the last 15 years. There was at one point almost a million lines of code in this app. I'm kinda surprised the software is still being sold, but I'm disappointed they haven't kept up with more modern platforms.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
I worked for a small software company for over 12 years, developing Windows-based estate planning software using C++/MFC, and a bigger company bought us out in 1998. When they decided to move development of the software from San Diego to Idaho (in 2000), I quit, and moved to Texas because I've been to Idaho, and I wasn't impressed. Out of curiosity, I googled to see if the software was still being sold. It is, but it still looks like it did back in the mid-90's. The forms have been updated to reflect new features, the company is still using screen shots that were made back when Windows XP was still popular, and they still talk about faxing stuff to your clients (I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home). The price of the software has also almost tripled since this company bought the company I worked for. Every year, they have to update the code to reflect tax law changes (both federal and state-by-state), and it looks like that's all they've been doing for the last 15 years. There was at one point almost a million lines of code in this app. I'm kinda surprised the software is still being sold, but I'm disappointed they haven't kept up with more modern platforms.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
I'm disappointed they haven't kept up with more modern platforms.
In my experience, this is common with financial software, especially products that perform tax calculations. The fear of regression failures enountered when moving to a newer platform usually overshadows common sense that could lead to a well planned and well architected migration. /ravi
My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com
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I worked for a small software company for over 12 years, developing Windows-based estate planning software using C++/MFC, and a bigger company bought us out in 1998. When they decided to move development of the software from San Diego to Idaho (in 2000), I quit, and moved to Texas because I've been to Idaho, and I wasn't impressed. Out of curiosity, I googled to see if the software was still being sold. It is, but it still looks like it did back in the mid-90's. The forms have been updated to reflect new features, the company is still using screen shots that were made back when Windows XP was still popular, and they still talk about faxing stuff to your clients (I don't know anyone that even has fax capabilities in their home). The price of the software has also almost tripled since this company bought the company I worked for. Every year, they have to update the code to reflect tax law changes (both federal and state-by-state), and it looks like that's all they've been doing for the last 15 years. There was at one point almost a million lines of code in this app. I'm kinda surprised the software is still being sold, but I'm disappointed they haven't kept up with more modern platforms.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
OriginalGriff wrote:
That is a much smaller number than you might think!
Agreed... I am NOT a meat and potatoes fan; meat, yes, potatoes.. rather have rice.
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Dan Neely wrote:
all that was available locally were QC rejects that weren't sellable anywhere else.
:laugh: That's what I found when I lived in Mexico. The worst looking tomato in the supermarket of America is better than the best looking tomato in Mexico's stores. They said it was because they sent all their good stuff to America. That's one reason they don't like America much. :sigh:
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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RyanDev wrote:
That's one reason they don't like America much.
Then stop doing it. It's not rocket science.
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OriginalGriff wrote:
That is a much smaller number than you might think!
Agreed... I am NOT a meat and potatoes fan; meat, yes, potatoes.. rather have rice.
I love rice, but alas, I am diabetic and if I have to have starch then the 'tatoes are better than rice for sugar spikes.
