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SIMPOL is here!

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CodeTRUCKER:
CodeTRUCKER: wasn't being suspicious of you, sorry if it came out that way.

And yes, the post came out a bit harsh, but really - you go to their site, and all you see is a lot of superlatives a bout a product that isn't available yet, and not much to back up the claims. I always get suspicious when I see a frankenbasic, especially when it's payware and closed-source... I couldn't imagine locking my code to a platform that proprietary. And I also get suspicious of the somewhat dumbing-down they've got going - "you're probably too dumb to use C/Java, but you can sure use our product" >_<.

Perhaps I'm being a bit elitist here, but I wouldn't trust software by an author who feels java is too complicated. Especially not if that software has anything to do with billing, money, etc.

It might be that SIMPOL is the best thing since sliced bread for some_purpose, but imho they're not selling it very well, then. The name and website doesn't help much either :)
-f0dder (May 20, 2009, 05:55 PM)
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Thanks, but I was really covering the bases after I read some threads about spamming on DC.

As I said, I did have a mutual acquaintance and after being a trucker for some 35 years, he wrote a pretty all-in-one software package for recording and maintaining business records for owner-operators.  He originally wrote in Superbase.  He has been anticipating this release for about three years. I am confident he is ecstatic about SIMPOL for two reasons:

1. It will grant him some migration savings and give him significant ability to bring graphics to his program.

2.  He is 74 years-old now and by his own admission, he does not have a lot of extra time to mess around! 

I hope I am that prolific at 60! :)

40hz:
And I also get suspicious of the somewhat dumbing-down they've got going - "you're probably too dumb to use C/Java, but you can sure use our product" >_<.

Perhaps I'm being a bit elitist here, but I wouldn't trust software by an author who feels java is too complicated. Especially not if that software has anything to do with billing, money, etc.
-f0dder (May 20, 2009, 05:55 PM)
--- End quote ---

Good point.  :up:

But then again, weren't spreadsheet programs and their so-called "macro" and scripting features developed for business people who were "too dumb" to learn how to write financial programs using a "real" computer language like COBOL, FORTRAN, RPG III, or C? I remember being told that by my corporate IT guys when Lotus 1-2-3 first came out and I was on the steering committee that blessed-off on licensing and deploying it company-wide.

Seems the IT guys where I worked were getting worried about how the MBAs were now able to do their own financial modeling and analysis without having to petition the IT department for a programmer or mainframe time.

FWIW I don't think 'closed' or 'proprietary' should be automatic deal breakers for software intended for use in developing financial apps. There are few software products more proprietary or closed than spreadsheets. But that doesn't prevent a huge number of companies from depending on MS Excel for critical financial information and analysis.

Unfortunately (at least from my experience) a lot of financial people make the mistake of using a database when they should be using a spreadsheet; and a spreadsheet when they should be using a database. And then there are all those cases when you really need an app whose function lies somewhere in between.

I think SIMPOL is looking to fill the platform gap for business cases which can't be adequately handled by either a standalone spreadsheet or a small database app.


Just my 2¢

---

P.S. You are right about the product name, the website, and the overall marketing. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

CodeTRUCKER:
And I also get suspicious of the somewhat dumbing-down they've got going - "you're probably too dumb to use C/Java, but you can sure use our product" >_<.

Perhaps I'm being a bit elitist here, but I wouldn't trust software by an author who feels java is too complicated. Especially not if that software has anything to do with billing, money, etc.
-f0dder (May 20, 2009, 05:55 PM)
--- End quote ---

...

P.S. You are right about the product name, the website, and the overall marketing. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

-40hz (May 21, 2009, 11:28 AM)
--- End quote ---

Hmmm... when I looked at the website, I did not see deficiencies, but I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer either.  :-[

I wonder how they (SIMPOL) might consider that two "IT developers" evaluated their attempt at marketing (the website) and found it lacking and/or even counter-productive to their initiative?

Given that both of you have a professional perspective that is contrary to what they are trying to do, I think your critique would be beneficial to them, et.al. 

SIMPOL has been in development for two years.  I know if I was attempting to launch something like SIMPOL and the consumers were being "turned off" by my website I would sure want to know, IMHO.

Just a thought.

40hz:
I know if I was attempting to launch something like SIMPOL and the consumers were being "turned off" by my website I would sure want to know, IMHO.

Just a thought.
-CodeTRUCKER (May 21, 2009, 06:18 PM)
--- End quote ---

Oh, that's just me being a prick! ;D I once had career as an accountant, and (later) a corporate financial planner in a Fortune 500 company. I even have a piece of parchment with some beautifully engraved paragraphs in Latin attesting to a degree in the same - so I tend to get a mite opinionated and ornery when it comes to financial software.

I think the thing that bothered me was that the website wasn't really finished. When you are planning on releasing a product to the business community, you really can't afford to have links dead-ending, downloads not easily available, or confusing navigation. Far better to hold off until you're ready to roll.

And the amount of information required for registration is ridiculous, not to mention flying in the face of everything we've learned about how to conduct that sort of thing. In this day and age, site registrations should require little (if anything) more than a valid e-mail address.

If they're serious about this, they need to get familiar with the best practices of the software industry. Right now they're releasing a relatively unknown and somewhat unusual product in a crowded and mature market. If it were my product, I'd consider it time to be running in full evangelistic mode, whereby I'd be doing everything I could to get my product into as many hands as possible in order to create product awareness and some buzz in the press.

They need to provide easily obtainable downloads, minimal registration hassles, a newsletter chock full of useful information and case studies, and a ton of sample applications for people to look at and build on. In short, they need to come out with both guns blazing if they hope to be anything more than a niche product. Taking a high-brow marketing approach seldom works. One superb business application (Javelin Plus) made the mistake of doing that back in the days of DOS, and is now remembered as an interesting bit of software history rather than the application that perfected and ultimately replaced the ordinary spreadsheet.

FWIW, I did pop a few suggestions over to them. It will be interesting to see how they react.

I intend to give this little urchin of theirs a tryout, although I think their asking price of $499 for the "Pro" version is a little on the proud side. Be interesting to see how well that number works out for them.

Also, thanks for finding and sharing your find on the forum 'CT'. I sometimes wonder what's become of a few apps that seemed to have disappeared over the years. Superbase was one of them. :up:

 8)

CodeTRUCKER:
@40hz,

Thanks for the "How to Review a Website 101."  I do not mean that sarcastically, either.  Your laundry list will serve me well as I continue to develop my own attempt.

Hey, keep this thread handy and re-visit it with what you discover and how they respond.

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