[AccessD] OT:Old Dog, New Tricks - Ferrari's ?

I would pay $40 to have that as a real machine (in metal) just as a conversation piece.  As a LEGO 
it would be too fragile.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com

On 1/14/2011 12:09 PM, Jim Lawrence wrote:
> Impressive.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Gustav Brock
> Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 1:01 PM
> To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT:Old Dog, New Tricks - Ferrari's ?
>
> Hi Drew et all
>
> How to assemble 110 gears - including differential gears - to a meaningful
> machine - in LEGO:
>
> Lego Antikythera Mechanism
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLPVCJjTNgk
>
> Watch in HD and full screen.
>
> /gustav
>
>
>>>> DWUTKA at marlow.com 12-01-2011 21:27>>>
> Actually Mark, I think a better analogy would be to say that Access is
> like Legos, and .Net (or any other actual true programming language) is
> like a full blown machine shop.
>
> First, inexperienced users can use legos, but what they make will
> usually be a disaster (plus they tend to put the little pieces in their
> mouth and choke on them), where as an inexperienced user would give up
> in a machine shop, or just be too scared to walk in it.  Experienced and
> skilled pros can make works of art with both legos and in a full blown
> machine shop.... however the skill sets do vary between the two.
>
> Second, with legos, a lot of the 'tricky' parts are already molded and
> ready to go (like Jet, DAO, Reports, etc).  With legos, you don't have
> to build a tree out of tiny pieces, you can just use the preformed tree
> pieces, yet you can still build the tree from scratch if you want too
> (bound/unbound).  With a machine shop, you have lots of tools, tools
> that allow you to build pretty much anything you want, but you don't
> have a lot of 'pre-formed' pieces, so you have to build them from
> scratch.  (Of course, like a good machine shop, when you build a custom
> tool, you can easily use that same tool in another project, so you
> really only have to do something super useful once, then re-use it).
>
> Third, legos aren't suited for all environments. If you need to build
> something that'll hold up to 300 degree temps (or run across a VPN
> connection), legos might work, but probably not too well.  To improve
> them, you have to go outside of the lego world, and use some special
> coating (scrap jet for a SQL Server backend). With a machine shop, you
> can build the tool/project to suit the environment.
>
> Fourth, let's face it, how many engineers or mechanics didn't bite their
> teeth on legos as a kid.  They make a great starting point for people
> new to the field.  Where as walking into a machine shop on the first day
> of kindergarten.... you'll hurt yourself.
>
> Fifth, legos have a public perception of being a toy, but people who are
> damn good at what they do have created wondrous creations using that
> 'toy' that wouldn't have been the same using any other medium, and
> fulfill their purpose to the Tee.  Along these same lines, there are
> people skilled enough to use a machine shop, who probably laugh at
> someone using legos, but who still produce garbage, that won't hold up
> to a skilled lego project.
>
> Sixth, the Legos Group continues to sell and market their product to
> people they expect to use it as a toy (nice little dig to M$ ;)).
>
> Seventh, and most importantly, the only thing legos and a machine shop
> have in common is that they can produce things.  Neither of them are
> designed for all projects.  The true skill is to know what project
> should use which environment.
>
> Drew
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Mark Simms
> Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 11:10 AM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT:Old Dog, New Tricks - Ferrari's ?
>
> While there is no question that John needed dot-net due to a multi-threading
> requirement, before making the commitment, you've got to ask yourself:
> How many Ferrari's are you asked to build ?
>
> Dot-net is a Ferrari-building tool. It takes a lot longer to build anything
> with a complex toolset.
> I think Access builds Chevy's very fine and very quickly.
>
> But if you need to build a Ferrari, by all means move up to dot-net.
> Super-fancy GUI ? Access can't do it. Multi-threading ? Access can't do
> it.
>
> Note: since no one understands the software business, so I'm stuck on using
> these analogies to explain things to end-users. Sorry, didn't mean to offend
> anyone.
>
>