Lpc2000

I'm more curious why companies target the Windows market so heavily.  I've 
been a Windows user for years.  I never liked IDEs, as most IDEs made me use 
thier editor instead of my editor (yours may be different, but thing like 
CodeVision were exceptionally annoying in that regard).  I use ImageCrafts 
AVR C compiler, and I prefer it because it's command line invokable.

	I would think that considering the cost of a company installing a Linux 
system (cost of hardware + cost of a slightly less then brain-dead IT person) 
vs. the cost of a Windows seat (cost of hardware + cost of brain-dead IT 
person with $5000 MS certs + cost of license), that most companies would 
choose to use Linux, especially if the programmer supports his own machine 
(very common in development environments).

	Yes, the Linux windowing isn't quite as polished as Windows (I still prefer 
the look and feel of Windows over KDE), but I'm fed up with being locked into 
Windows registry garbage, the time cost of the inevitable system rebuild (be 
it Windows lunching itself, or the HD failing), and the inexorable trend 
towards Bill Gates dynamic licensing.

	Linux gives you windowing, it gives you a *real* command line development 
environment (4DOS and Cygwin get close, but not close enough), and it gives 
the average user far more stability.

	My personal feeling is that the majority of companies that only develop for 
Windows do so for one major reason: Copy protection.  I seriously doubt it's 
a learning issue.  If you can write Windows code, you can write Qt and Tk.  
But if you charge a *reasonable* price for tools (and maybe yours are, I 
don't know.  But I sure as hell know that IAR charges too much for far too 
little), people will buy them, even if they can steal them for free.  And the 
people that are going to steal them are going to do so regardless.  

	In fact, if I'm forced to use Window software and I purchase it, I look for 
cracks for it.  Primarily so that when my HD crashes in the middle of the 
night, or I am forced to migrate to another machine unexpectedly, I'm not at 
some companies mercy.  If I can't find a crack for a package, I won't buy it, 
and I won't use it.  And just because I posses a crack for it doesn't mean 
all my friends get copies.  I'm willing to pay for it, but on my terms, which 
means moving when I need to.

	So, as a company, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts, and as a developer 
and user, I encourage you to support non-Windows environments (because if you 
support one *nix, you've got them all, with just the slightest changes.).

	--jc


On Thursday 20 November 2003 00:55 am, Clyde Stubbs wrote:
>  Just a small correction:
>
>  On Wed, Nov 19, 2003 at 09:21:24PM -0000, Leon Heller wrote:
>  > Like all their tools, the ARM software is DOS-based
>
>  All the code is Win32 - you CAN run the tools from the command
>  line, a feature appreciated by many of our customers, but it won't
>  run under DOS.
>
>  Feedback is always welcome, especially when it's specific and accurate.
>
>  Cheers, Clyde
>
>
>  --
>  Clyde Stubbs                     |            HI-TECH Software
>  Email: clyde@htsoft.com          |          Phone            Fax
>  WWW:   http://www.htsoft.com/    | USA: (408) 490 2885  (408) 490 2885
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> 
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> HI-TECH C: compiling the real world.