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The Alpha Software Forum Participation Guidelines

The Alpha Software Forum is a free forum created for Alpha Software Developer Community to ask for help, exchange ideas, and share solutions. Alpha Software strives to create an environment where all members of the community can feel safe to participate. In order to ensure the Alpha Software Forum is a place where all feel welcome, forum participants are expected to behave as follows:
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marketing question

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    #16
    RE: marketing question

    I find one of the most important advantages to Alpha is the Message Board. Numerous time I have been in need of some help on a particular programming problem, posted it on the message board, and had numerous answers within a very short time. Access does not provide this type of help, nor any other similar product as far as I know.

    Comment


      #17
      RE: marketing question

      Two thoughts follow:

      1. Build on your rapid appliation/ prototying power. If A5 could generate discrete visual basic or access code it could prove a spring board into the Microsoft world.

      Around 1980 when most shops were IBM mainframe based, Wang Laboratories succeeded in installing their minicomputers in several shops who used the Wang machines to generate interactive COBOL applications much more rapidly than IBM's own hardware would permit. After development, the COBOL was loaded on the IBM from the Wang.

      I happen to have started my database experience on A5 v.3 and was foolish enough to use the first Windows release.

      A client forced me to learn Access (last year). Terribly frustrating, but after much effort, not unworkable. As you no doubt know, there are many similarities between these relational database products. ANd each has some plusses and minuses.

      While I lack the technical expertise, I believe that the "brains" behind A5 could build a translator that would translate the X-Basic to Access. Then, I could have used A5 to generate screens, reports, perhaps tables and queries, and then "translate" the A5 X-Basic to Visual Basic/Access. It's my belief that in such a situation everyone would win.

      My client would wind up with the security blanket feeling of a Microsoft Access application; the developer would be able to move forward much more rapidly by developing in A5; and AlphaSoftware would both sell more copies and infiltrate the Microsoft market via this backdoor Trojan horse approach.

      2. Change your market mix. If most of your sales now are to individuals or networked users of say less than 10, keep that market intact but use a "give-away" to capture larger sites.

      Offer an A5 "Enterprise" system with 25 to 100 (or even 1000) keys for an unbelievably low price - to new users. (Say the same as an A5 license for 10 users). Perhaps the excess keys would expire after 18 months. This would give the large shop a chance to develop - test - prove out, an A5 solution at low software cost. If it works as well as you know it will, they can convert their expiring keys to permanent ones for a fair upgrade price. If not, they can stay with or go back to Access (or its successor product).

      Say that this giveaway got you into 100 large shops that you wouldn't have gotten into before. Now, with some leverage and large shop credibility, you could start to raise the price of the "Enterprise" version.

      Good luck, and please do all that you can in your own way to give database users an alternative to MS Access.

      Comment


        #18
        RE: marketing question

        marinas mostly require addon interest in doing daily business and alpha at this writing has no way to do that. addon to apr, future value and other functions for finance contracting is VERY limited.
        Dave Mason
        [email protected]
        Skype is dave.mason46

        Comment


          #19
          RE: marketing question

          1, Home individuals ( address books etc)
          2, Small business that need a small to medium solution
          3, Microsoft Haters
          4, report writing for businesses with larger programs ( less expensive than Crystal reports )
          5, Programmers use Alpha to plan their larger projects ( alpha is faster setting up and planning )


          I suggest:

          1. Give or almost give it to the schools ( McDonalds made it with the kids that way)

          2. BOOKS for documentation

          3. Better financial functions ( I do weekly/biweekly/semimonthly payments, I work with add on rate and conversion to apr, I have varying days to first payment and sometimes have to charge interest by the day for that) try to do that with alpha. try a term of 36.3856 to get a payment

          4. REAL network capability without license I have that in vb and NO royalties.

          5. very few use .BMP files for pictures ( GIF and JPG )

          6. There is no way to solidly lock a form size or have a small popup form on a full sized form. ( wanna really get into the programming world? get it so I dont have to use vb)

          Hope you yake all this as constructive - - I will buy ver 5

          Dave Mason

          email me at [email protected]


          Dave Mason
          [email protected]
          Skype is dave.mason46

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