SBPro 4
25 messages in this thread
Michael,
I just caught the tail end. From what I understand, you will be releasing
SBPro 4 for the Amiga? Do you have any idea of pricing for upgrades? (I
have SB Personal, I don't use it because I'm too spoiled by Paradox 3.0 at
work)
— Jane H. (Writing, it's easier read than done.)
Yes, there is a rumor of SBPro 4 to hit real soon now. It is much more akin
to Pdx than SBPersonal by far, and will be fully file-compatible with our
MS Windows version so you can cross-develop apps for either environment.
Don't know the upgrade policies as yet, but do know the retail price will
be going up (to …?). Since SBPersonal is an $80 list price program, the
upgrade to this may be about the same or even higher than just getting the
package brand new from mailorder or your favorite dealer.
We will be announcing this new product within the next few weeks, and will
post the announcement in the data lib (DL/13) here as soon as the time
comes. Release date is not far off, tho' that depends upon the success of
the testing phase which is already underway.
Wish I could be more forthcoming at this point, but….
Dear Duke,
I've had Superbase Pro for a few years. Everytime I try to sit down and
learn it I am so rapidly intimidated that I can't seem to even start to set
up a form. Do you have any suggestions as to what the best way is to get
past this block? I've heard so many wonderful things about the program for
so long and keep thinking of all the uses I have for it. I mean some
serious uses! Is there maybe a newer version thats a little easier? I have
the original version. (1987) My registration # is o4481
The new 4.0 version will be much simplified in the form designer. Maybe it
would help if someone near you (wherever that is) who has some experience
doing this showed you once, after which it'd be a breeze. Take it from one
who learned the exact same way, and who is likewise not a programmer by any
stretch of the imagination…. There are later versions past '87, but I
wouldn't bother with these since a '91 version is due real soon.
I'll keep checking around town. I've been told that there is a man in
Buffalo that has his whole store run with SBPro. Since thats about 70
miles, I'll keep looking here. Can I upgrade or do I have to purchase?
BTW, I,m in Rochester, NY. Thanks for the reply, Jacquie
I have an Amiga 2500/30 at work, with an AT Bridge which is (on the AT
side) hooked into a Novell net.
On the AT side I use Paradox (the standard desktop database here). While I
have lots of spread sheet, DTP, image processing and wordprocessing
software on the Amiga side that I can interchange data with on the AT side
(and through the net), I'm pretty much stuck at an early version of
DataRetrieve on the Amiga side for data bases.
Will SBPro 4, for the Amiga, be able to interchange data with Paradox?
(Maybe through import/export facilities for 1-2-3, DBase and/or delimited
ASCII?)
I thought you had disappeared!! It is good to see you back. I trust that
all is well with you?
Everything is great here. How are you doing?
I'm fine. Good to see you.
Hi Betty!
Haven't disappeared, just been VERY busy.
Between Thanksgiving and now, I've worked on one side or the other of
around 10 corporate takeover attempts, and have at least three more in the
hopper at the moment.
But I've tried to "lurk" a lot. Reading 750 messages at a time can get
tiring, tho!
Well, Ray – I've missed you and your contributions. hope you can be back
in active participation soon.
Superbase (Personal 2, Pro, and the coming 4) all have import/export
facilities which are quite powerful. You can import/export ASCII delimited,
ASCII fixed length, dBase II, dBase III, Lotus 1-2-3, Superplan (Logistix),
and DIF files. I'm sure you could get SB and Paradox talking to each other.
Any word on when the "estimated" arrive time of version 4 for the Amiga
will be? I've been waiting for ever it seems for the new version.
I use Superbase IV on the IBM under Windows almost exclusively developing a
(almost complete) Legal case management system – and I would love to be
able to run that application on my Amiga at home, and even do some develop
ment work on my Amiga! (I'm also curious as to how it will run compared to
the IBM version. My amiga is a 25-mhz 68030, 25mhz 882, and lots of 32-bit
RAM; whereas, my IBM is a 386SX with 4 megs of RAM. )
I'm not sure when Superbase Pro version 4 is coming out. It's being tested.
As for compared to SB 4 Windows, it's the same program. It sounds like your
Amiga will run it faster than your SX, though. 🙂
I'm curious about something. Doesn't Superbase 4 for IBM use the SQL
language? I thought I heard that somewhere…
How will my old applications stand on SB4 for amiga? Will they have to be
rewritten or is SB4 upwards compatible?
Considering SB4 is/has been available for IBM and the Amiga SB4 is "the
same", could you post some advantages SB4 has over SB3 and what some of the
differences are between SB3 and SB4? I have never seen SB4 on the IBM and
I'm sure I'm not alone…
SB4 Windows v1.3, which was just announced yesterday, has SQL support.
Your old SBPer, SBPer2, or SBPro applications will run fine on SBPro v4.0.
SB4 has many new features, not the least of which are many new DML
commands.
I'm not sure, but I think there is a text file in this forum that list
all the new features of SB4 for the Amiga.
RE: Uploading you Apps. I think one of the problems why there aren't any
apps. in the Libs here – is that Precision has to activate them, once a
user uploads them. And Precision as not activated many. I'm not sure as
to the reason for this, but have read a message or two from people
wondering were the files are. Maybe now that we have a regular support
person here (And I wish he would put his name in his ID#) once again, more
files will get activated.
One way to get around this is to upload the file to the AmigaUser Libs.
and let the sysop's activate the files.
And speaking of Applications. I'm working on one of my own (have been
for almost 2 years now – but have kind of put it on hold til SB4's release)
and I'm having problems with printing invoices. I to would like to see
other's applications so I can learn from them. Please do upload your file,
you'll have at least two downloaders.
Great!
I'll keep my eyes out for the SBPro 4 announcement.
Paradox is very easy to use, and quite powerful. But it runs like a pig on
a 1 meg AT clone (aka a Bridgeboard). Probably due to MSDOS limitations.
I'd love to be able to swap files in and out from an equallyr (or more)
powerful and (I hope) easy to use relational data base running on the 5
meg, 25 mhz 68030 Amiga side!
You can interchange data between SB4 Amiga and Pdx via 1-2-3, dBase and
ASCII fixed or delimited; Pdx import/export may be a future feature(?). You
can also interchange data between SB4 Amiga and SB4 Windows without ANY
import/export….
–DUKE
Hi Duke
Great to hear that a new (enhanced) version of SBPro is underway. I'm still
working a lot with SBPro 3. But will 4.0 have full SQL? Actually, i'm
working a DEC WS 3100 with Oracle. Could I take over forms from there on
the AMIGA SBPro 4? What's about upgrading SBPro here in Europe, especially
here in Switzerland, where I'm living (you know, this tiny, little piece of
junk in the heart of the ol' continent, where everybody brings their
money.. 😉 )
Hope you can help me
Bye
Mike
For European upgrades, call our UK office on +44 (0)81-330-7166, or our BRD
(do they still call it that anymore?) in Munchen (don't know number).
I don't anticipate SB4A to have SQL yet only due to the Amiga's inability
(? correct me if I'm wrong) to access a proper network to get to Oracle
etc. The PC version 1.3 does, however, and it's possible if not likely that
the next release of SB4A will have SQL since it'll run properly on a
network.
–Duke
Duke,
I think you'll find that the Amiga can now access just about any of the
networks through either Commodore boards or third party boards. Several
different ones are available.
you really ought to get yourself an Amiga, Duke. You're letting Tim have
ALL the fun!
Betty
The only problem is that we are committed to supporting the Commodore NOS
(Network Operating System), which is based around the Novell system as I
understand it. That *boards* can be supported is not the issue, but the NOS
itself: in the PC world, almost *any* network can use any given board, but
that doesn't make the software (SB) compatible with the NOS. 3Com, Novell,
LAN Manager, UB Net, etc, are sufficiently different — and so I must
presume that various CBM nets are — that to write with the available ones
in mind does not guarantee compatibility with CBM Net. That compatibility
is the bottom line.
Also, in light of this and since it cannot be accurately estimated what
network sales of SB4 can be on the Amiga (or overall Amiga Net usage is,
database or no) makes it difficult to commit resources to development of
something which may not sell any units, or sell a few or …? It's too much
of an unknown to gamble on.
This, by the way, is my personal estimation, and not necessarily the
position of the company, which is that we will support CBM Net when it
becomes available, and there are no plans at this point to produce versions
for any other NOS.
It should also be pointed out that SB4A will be able to run (as far as I
know) from an Amiga server to other machines, but this is not recommended
(nor is it legal insofar as the license agreement is concerned) as there
are no considerations for maintaining data integrity such as file and
record locks in the single user version. It is such that we would probably
void any warranty and/or support if the single-user product is used on a
network. This is conjecture, but not necessarily unlikely, even if only
considering the license agreement.
As for me getting an Amiga, as soon as their OS supports keyboard
equivalents to get to the menu, and they come up with a standard Enhanced
Keyboard, then maybe I'll consider it. But until then, I'm happy with my
386/33 at home….
–Duke
Duke
Thank you for your reply. Well BRD (FRG) is still the right name (but for
how long anymore ….. they calling themselves the United Germany).
The AMIGA can do networking (AppleTalk, TCP/IP, E-Net…) but prices are
still in the (to) expensive ranges.
Ok, I will call them in UK or FRG.
Thank you again
Mike