MacBook Air 15" M3 in a month ? Probably if it does not cost a leg. 
The problem with capitalism is that it must always keep selling stuff, always increasing profits, no matter what. But when it comes to software, and sometimes hardware, there is no real need to upgrade for some or even most user’s actual use cases. This is why software subscription models have become popular, effectively rolling maintenance and new features into one ill-defined ball, and why they are trying to push people toward hardware subscriptions (effectively renting rather than owning equipment). There’s no actual additional value in many cases, but it preserves the revenue stream.
In fact everyone is being pushed toward rentals vs ownership, even when it comes to things like housing. You can expect to see less and less value for more and more money in almost every realm of life. This is known as “oligarchy”.
3 Likes
In case of Software Development it is so that you can develop with Open Source tools like Jetbrains IntelliJ CE or Netbeans IDE. At no cost at all. And the OpenJDK allows the use without any license, the most libraries around are also open Source. That means: writing Software can be there for 0,- Bucks.
That is important for me cause as OpenSource fanboy I am really in love with this products. That makes for me the development not only more transparent but also the security that a company can’t switch the light off. Eben in case of the JDK it is so, even if Oracle would stop to develop Java. No matters.
Companies like MS or also Apple are dangerous friends. Also Xojo is a dangerous friend. While there is also another small problem. Looking on Visual basic for example. Product ended. That’s it. Java has no end. And Xojo? Who knows. What will come after the CEO was retiring or, god beware that it will not be happened, he dies? Or the company becomes bancrupt? That would be the immediately upcoming end of all developments while no license Server means also: development will run until you need a new Harddisk or a new computer.
So no chance for using it after. Things like that are possible. And so I decided long time ago: I don’t want in that situation. Even I got into it cause of a customer. Today I know: he did not saved money with his decision while it was happened what I saw in front: the Software needs Re-Development on another platform. That’s it. Investment passed by.
So I have more secusrity not to count on closed Source.
3 Likes
For sure.
FileMaker made it unusable via price hikes and other actions like disallowing shared servers.
Xojo make it unusable via not fixing bugs and killing off Web 2.0.
When you use closed source, you are risking your livelyhood on other people. Open source, in the case of php, is practically bug free and has a low cost to boot.
I’ll be hesitant to use another closed source dev environment again due to FileMaker and Xojo actions.
2 Likes
What definitely causes stress is cognitive dissonance. Xojo Inc touts their care for quality and at the same time do the opposite in operations.
The improper use of a bot for auto-closing unresolved issues was already flagged in 2021. They still do it:
bot auto closing issues that HAVE been responded to
This is a major fault for which Xojo the company and Xojo the product cannot be trusted.
3 Likes
You know, we do not always agree with each other, but this time I completely agree with you!
I never taught about it the way you wrote it, but you are true. Xojo inc is indeed saving money but the customer pay the price. In other words, the customer gets the wrap.
Can I ask you a question? I like to replace Xojo with applications running in the browser. I intend to use JavaScript for that together with HTML5 and CSS3. In your opinion, as an PHP expert, do I make the right choice or do I need PHP for some things?
I will appreciate your opinion very much. If you feel I am completely wrong, just tell me.
Thank you so much in advance.
Chris
It depends. If you were writing a calculator app or something that doesn’t need access to data, then you can do it entirely in the browser with static files hosted just about anywhere. Even if you need data from third party API’s, this would still work. But once you need some of your own data, you’ll need your own API, and that would need something that executes on the server, such as PHP.
Do you mean to run on a web server, that a customer accesses from their device, or do you mean to build the app in HTML & Javascript and then use a wrapper, like Electron or Tauri so it runs locally on the customers computer?
@thommcgrath and @samRowlands ,
Thank you for your reply. It is more for internal use, so I can login at every computer and use it. I was thinking on bookkeeping, time management/registration.
However, my problem is writing/reading locally because it is not allowed. I know applications doing it, but it is beyond my knowledge.
I was also thinking on using Python to replace Xojo which is also a good candidate. It is also a useful language for the Web. And it is a kind of best of both worlds. A point against Python for me is the implicit variable declaration. For me, I want to declare variables explicit.
I can live with Xojo itself because the applications I develop are for internal use. They don’t need fancy UI whistles and bells. What I am very concerned about is like both of you perfectly stated, firstly the future of Xojo and how stable it is, secondly the bugs which doesn’t seem to get fixed.
To me the Xojo team while experienced, seems too small for maintaining all those platforms. At least they should have a compiler expert again. It also seems to me that their codebase became bloated over time.
Finally, that let me decide to look elsewhere for our internal application which is kind of bookkeeping, HR, project management tool.
Thank you both again for your input, which I appreciate.
Chris
1 Like
PHP is also a dynamic language. Ime once you get used to duck typing you won’t want to go back.
It depends on what your app needs to accomplish. I think you’d be limited in what you can do without a accessing a server.
In my head, I write PHP which automates the writing of HTML/JS/CSS/etc. I write classes and function to make the browser code easier to write. Below is an a PHP function that creates a Bootstrap Card with a Note TextArea.
So you can abstract or not. It’s all your choice. 
public function cardRecordNotes( \xan\recs $recsDetail, \xan\response $resp ): void {
// Card
$cardID = $this->getCardID( __FUNCTION__ );
$cardHeaderContent = \xan\fontIcon( 'fas fa-file-alt' ) . HTM_NBSP . 'Notes';
$card = new \xan\eleCard( $cardID, '', CARD_WIDTH_0100, $resp->cardHeight, false );
// Table
$table = new \xan\eleTable();
$rowIndex = -1;
// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
$colName = 'Notes';
$table->cellSet( ++$rowIndex, 0, \xan\get::TAGS_CELL_LT( '', '100%' ), $this->getCol_Note( $recsDetail, $colName, $resp->cardHeight ) );
// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
// Card Append
$resp->contentAreaA[] = $card->renderCardWithDiv( $cardHeaderContent, $table->render() );
}
2 Likes
Also check out Web Studio. It is an interesting web page designer which is open sourced.
webstudio.is
I checked Fundy around 4 years back. And it was build in Xojo using plethora of third party libs/plugins.
I think Fundy Designer is making a ton of money.
You should check out low-code tools that are open sourced like Lowcoder, NoodlApp, Plasmic, etc.
These tools are powered by NodeJS so you will be up and running if you know JavaScript. There is not need to learn any other language.
If you like Py or considering it, then check out Frappe Framework. We use it rampantly for building in-house apps.
1 Like
Ton of money? Na. It’s not a affinity designer. Far away from it. A million dollar software should do something others can’t. This one is a real niche. But slow. Really slow. But closes a leak in a market. So you have one. Now compare it to java, c++ or electron, that’s it. One makes money. Millions making money with java. So simple.
Just want to say hi.
Found this site while investigating how to continue a Xojo Web project for a follow-up order seven years after making a Web app (Support for CM4 - #8 by Ivan_Tellez - Raspberry Pi - Xojo Programming Forum)
Been a long time Xojo user but moved over to PHP/JavaScript solutions several years ago, but old projects in Xojo die hard.
3 Likes
You may consider a rewrite with PHP and JavaScript or, if not otherwise possible, with Java and JSP or with Vaadin. Xojo by self is no option anymore I think. Especially while the risk of another paradigm change is extremely high.
1 Like
Can you tell more about your project? Does it need to be a Web app?
With my home automation software, I chose to use a secure Pub/Sub server to deliver messages between the user interface and the controller. Controller software publishes topics for every measurement and for every control. Status is published periodically for every five seconds or when some event happens. User interface program simply subscribes into topics and everything just works! UI program could be a Web app but I have my own UI that works on desktop and mobile platforms. When running on Linux, it does not need X or Wayland.
Don’t want to derail this thread so I continue here - Porting Xojo WebApp 1.0 to ... what?
Did you roll your own php/js or use a framework?