Newsletters and Articles

The Migration To Microsoft Windows,
Was It Worth The Trip?

By Don Frey

In 1995, Donald R Frey & Company faced the reality of the market and made the commitment to migrate its software from DOS and UNIX to a MS (Microsoft) Windows 95 GUI (Graphical User Interface). Requests for our applications running on UNIX and DOS systems were declining, while the demand for Windows and NT were on the rise. This commitment was a major decision for the company. It signaled the departure from our primary operating environment for the last twelve years. It also committed us to adapting the Microsoft graphical standard found in Windows. It was both a technical and cultural shock.

Today, it seems appropriate to look at the consequences of that decision and what impact it has had on our company and customers.

Before embarking on the migration, we carefully read Microsoft's books on Windows design guidelines and standards. As it turned out, this was a very important step for us because it enabled us to produce true Windows applications from the beginning.

In 1996, we released the CUBIC utility billing system. It offered great improvements, but there were rough spots. True Windows applications require a programming style different from that used for DOS and UNIX applications. It is event driven programming. Users can freely move around multiple screens in the program. This requires very extensive checking to assure all required information is properly entered and edited. This is why it takes so long for new Windows applications to stabilize. We released our last major application in 1999. The migration is now complete and running smoothly. What are the benefits?

Consistency is a big benefit, if the developer uses MS design guidelines. DOS, UNIX and other character applications had no design standards to follow. Every developer created their rules and styles. True Windows applications behave in a very predictable fashion. This makes them more user friendly. The F1 key always provides Help. Help is supplied in a standard format. The tab key moves you from field to field. The keyboard and mouse can be used interchangeably. Menu selections work in a similar manner. If you use products like EXCEL and WORD, you have an excellent basis for understanding how Frey applications behave. Today, most new computers come with these applications. Young users find UNIX and DOS to be foreign.

The comment I hear most often from current and prospective clients is the software is much easier to use than the DOS and UNIX programs. You don’t have to get out of one program and into another to get things done. If you are entering an invoice and need to enter a new vendor, you just do it. There is no need to exit Invoice Entry, and start Vendor Maintenance. If you don’t know a code, you touch a button and a search command is at your fingertips.

A negative comment is that Windows applications use more computer power than UNIX and DOS. That is true because they are graphical and more intelligent programs. Computer power is a non-issue today because the cost of hardware has dropped so dramatically.

Another argument is that data entry is not as fast in Windows as in UNIX and DOS. This is true, if you measure productivity by counting keystrokes. However, it is much easier to change functions in Windows, nullifying much of the keystroke advantage. Other productivity tools, more plentiful with Windows applications, are eliminating much of the keyboarding argument. In utility billing, meter reading entry is eliminated by downloading readings from hand held devices. Payments are scanned rather than keyed. Operators today are managing information rather than just entering it.

Some critics contend that Windows LANs (local area networks) are slower than UNIX and DOS. I agree with that to a limited extent. Data entry and inquiries run at about the same speed on all systems. If you are data mining, such as preparing reports, LANs may run slower because of network traffic. Tools, like Terminal Server, are now available that allow you to run these programs on the server, eliminating network traffic. This is called thin client processing. Thin clients eliminate this performance argument.

Many organizations are still running DOS, UNIX and other non-graphical systems like Pick. The main argument for not changing is everyone is used to it, it works, etc.... Maybe, the real reason is fear of change! Some vendors have produced programs that run in a window but are actually character-based programs. They do not begin to meet Microsoft Windows standards. I call these products Fake GUIs. Stay away from them!

To respond to the question, "The Migration to Microsoft Windows, Was It Worth The Trip?" the answer is a resounding yes! Things are easier and more pleasant to use, once you have learned the Windows style of operation. Is it perfect? No, there is always room for improvement. However, we are a lot better off than we were in the character based DOS and UNIX era, where there were no interface standards.