Today after more than 15 years, an old customer, comes to me asking support to change the original computer in his factory. These projects are started in 1992 and are controlling four machines in manufacturing process. Of course this is not notice!!, the new is in 2009 the application still running in Windows 3.11 and using DDE to exchange data with PLC (Programmable logic Controller) across serial port. This computer are linked to Novell Lan connecting with Server data bases (to interchange data from/to others department’s) using DB’s from computer associates format J and need Jet 1.0 (first version of access) to work in windows… my Got!

When the customer are explaining… “after all this good years, finally the computer are break!”, I’m thinking in how give a fast response to nonstop factory production… may be upgrading from Visual Basic 3.0 to VB 2010?

Noooooooooooo!

Just need find and install from floppy’s Jet DataBase Engine and run setup application (from old Visual Basic 3.0 project), the great news is that all is working with NO PROBLEMS in Vista Business 32 bits.! DDE Included!.

With no doubt this is a strange history. After this I have explain to customer: the gold years of Win311 and Dbase 3 is gone J, and may be a good idea invest thinking in the next 15 years!.

There are some who say “may be in 15 years more” change the old Novell land by Windows & SQL Server, but now in the fact, they have a new computer with Vista, this is a got first step to start the change. Finally I’m sure that the crisis comes with people like us, performing jobs with no caducity time, in the next project I write in splash windows “Best Before 2012” Jajajaja.

Regards,
Pep Lluis,

PS.  To unbelievers, I can send screenshots of Vista & VB3 APP running.