Good Morning We currently have a 7.2 licence, and have lost track of where things are at. I keep revisiting DataEase site with the hope that the promise finally eventuates, and reading the content on this site at the moment, indeed the future looks promising... At the moment most of our "Manual Data Capture" work is carried out in 4.53 just because it's easy, quick & robust (17+ years and still looking for a windows equivelant), especially for text based work, but we also need to start bringing in graphics so we can capture data from images and so we find ourselves working between both products. So the LegEasy products have a great appeal, because we can operate in both worlds under the same product, I think? So in short, do we upgrade from 7.2 or is LegEasy 6 a totally different product from an upgrade/purchase point of view? Interestingly and ironically. 4.53 has enabled us to keep a competitive edge, because our competitors are stuck with "hip" higher demanding database products. So even though I feel we as a business are market leaders in the data capture industry. I feel like a mad scientist who then attempts to explain the products we use and how we work. So it's now a discussion I avoid, and just pat the "smart database people" on their head. Am I alone in this seemingly impossible search? I'm hoping DE finally delivers... Regards David

Hi David. Glad I caught you. LegEasy is basically a "group name" or product line, for products that we make to help customers that are "stuck" in older versions of DataEase. I am an old DFD "dog" myself and for us it is easy to forget/believe that DataEase didn't only leave people behind in DFD, they have constantly managed to repeat the success. I write "they" here, but I should of course write "we". I just need to distance myself from this reality to keep my sanity. I worked for DataEase up to 1994 when DFW first came out (beta and was then called DataEase for Windows 2.0). As much as I loved DFD and had grown accepting of Express, I found 2.0 "horrible". The big news was supposed to be that DQL was finally implemented, but not anything close to the DQL that I had grown to love. It was illogical, difficult, buggy beyond belief and completely inconsistent with any DataEASE idea. I left DataEase, set up my own company and lived happily ever after, or at least till I sold my company. Suddenly I had some spare money and decided to waste it on something to improve human life... Bill Gates had already done Africa, so I decided to up his game and do DataEase. Sorry for detouring, just thought you should know a little about the driving forces... To make a long story short; 1. We have DFD users stuck in DFD because then never got a proper migration path. 2. We have 6.x users stuck because DataEase did a lot of structural changes in 7.x that causes insurmountable problems for 6.x users without really giving any real benefits. That in 7.0 and 7.1. DataEase reversed to the quality that was only bested by DFW 5.14 (First DFW version released) didn't really help. So we have two main groups of DataEase users left behind that needs a way forward, and that is what the LegEasy program is for. The route for DFD users is LegEasy DOS - DataEase Old Style which is the version I think you are interested in. The route for DFW 6.x users is at the moment LegEasy 6 Windows and then either DataEase 8 or/and DG3. LegEasy 6 Windows was really just created to help them stay in 6.x until they could safely move forward. The got an added problem (ahead of you guys) that 6.x didn't work in Windows 7. Almost by magic DFD has worked up till now, but with x64 it has come to the end of the line. I completely understand what you say when you say that DFD give you a competitive edge over other companies, because it does. In my company we used DFD for "everything" until we had recruited to many young people and they couldn't get their head around using their fingers and shortcuts, and finally I caved in and changed to a "state of the art" system. It messed up the entire business. But again back to the issues at hand... LegEasy 6 Windows - the one for sale now is a "downgrade" from 7.2 so you should forget about that one. That is the "waiting" version for people that are still stuck in DFW 5.x and 6.x If you are actively using DataEase 7.2, you should look at DataEase 8 to "fulfil" your DFW needs. DataEase 8 is still DFW, but it is a much improved and expanded version. I wouldn't go as far as calling a proper DataEase, but I can actually use it myself without getting a full blown migrain. That is as long as you stay away from DQL printing etc. I wanted to just "kill it", but someone reminded me that we needed to keep it in for backwards compatibility (I can't believe that anyone actually ever managed to use it for anything useful), but i DataEase 8 we will release a Add On product called DataEase 8 Reporter which is basically DQL and QuickReports "DFD" style for DFW. It is obviously a modern product, but in essence it is interactive DQL and QuickReports from DFD but in a modern guise and with modern features. That said....if you are a traditionalist, you can do Courier fixed font lists like in DFD. For you DFD needs, you will have to wait a little longer till we manage to get LegEasy 6 DOS released. DataEase 8 Reporter is basically half of LegEasy DOS, and the other part is the forms etc. It might also please you to know that DataEase 8 Reporter is also the DQL/Reporting module (integrated) in DG3. LegEasy 6 DOS is basically a "shell" on top of DG3 that allow you to run a DFD app "as is" and even change it/develop it "old style", but it is in reality just to prove that we can do it. We don't expect anyone to stay Retro, but in our head the proof of the pudding is in the eating... For such a long time DataEase users (especially those that migrated to DFW) have focused on stabilising their applications and get them back up to the functional level they had in DFD, so they have spent no time looking forward. We want that to stop. DFW in fact is not a bad product when judge on its own merits, the problem is that it never was. It was a bad DFD and when sold to existing DFD users, that is where the focus was. So my recommendation is: 1. If your DFD system works, leave it for now. LegEasy DOS will sort that for you, and you will move ahead of the queue. 2. For all your other DataEase take a look at DataEase 8, but focus on everything that is not DFD. Use it to its strengths and forget that it is related to DFD ;-) http://www.dataease.com/static/files/DataEaseFull-8.0.0.1152.exe http://www.dataease.com/static/files/SimpleFunctionTest.zip The SimpleFunctionTest is getting on and every time I send it to someone I think that we need to get some proper sample apps soon....we do! But it will show you a little of what is new in DataEase 8. You can have a look here on what is new in DataEase 8 http://www.dataease.com/DG3_BlogSearch/ Just for fun. I always thought it was something wrong with me, because I "so got" DFD, but couldn't really get my head around Access/Powerbuilder/Dbase/Foxbase etc. They all seemed illogical to me. When you try to "re-establish" DataEase you need to be a little humble and approach it like they have gotten something I haven't.... But I still don't get it. Read here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Can-anyone-suggest-small-offline-45183.S.177970290?qid=88ca9b4d-b6be-411a-b5ab-b43da282c49c&trk=group_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=.smg_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1_*1.gmp_45183 This say DATAEASE to me, but people suggest completely awkward and impossible things that you have to have post-doctoral degree from MIT to take on.... I need to know...am I wrong or are they wrong?

I concur. 4.53 still can be very competitive you need things done in a fast way. In my company I am using DE since 1987 (yep Datamaster you recall) We even went up to the Datamaster UK headquarters in the old days to convince there were some calculation errors under some routines / conditions in Datamaster. You know, in the old days you could get things done in a fast way (for sure under 4.53) very complex matters we did in MS Access, but only with half of the fun as we had under 4.53. Its like in the arly days when you developed websites under MS Frontpage, in 3 hours you had a decent website up and running now with MS Expression 4 it's more robust and in line with all current web protocols but only half the fun as we had with Frontpage. I do sincerely hope that with DE 8 the "instant gratification/fun of creating a database application with real productivity gains fast" will return big time! You know the 7.2 interface(despite the great work underneath the hood) looks so .... sad (no offense).

Dear DataEase, I too would very much like to be involved in DataEase LegEasy for Dos and DG3. I have been in previous communication with Ulrik about our site and my 25 years experience of DataEase as a programmer and IT Support person. I've used DataEase since the days of DataEase 2.52 and DataMaster ! I've developed systems in Versions 2.52, 2.53, Lan 1.12, DataEase 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.53 as well as 5.0, 5.12, 5.16 and 5.17. We still have a number of DataEase systems running in 5.16, recently moved to 5.17 and we are really eager and desperate ! to move ahead to DG3 and LegEasy for Dos. The systems we have are Legacy Systems which have been in place for over 15 years, i've supported them for the last 12 years ! and while we have looked at replacing that over the last 10 years, nothing has really come close to how we want things. I really would like to be able to view a demo or play with a demo of DG3 and Legeasy for Dos or at least be able to provide a demo or have some documentation i can show management to prove that its worth holding out for DG3 and Legeasy Dos and sticking with DataEase, as i do still very much believe in the product. Lee Oatway IT Officer Urban Vision Partnership Ltd