Bob:
Good points, but perhaps my previous message on the demise of PdoxDOS did not
make it onto the echo last week.  (There have been problems with the board
that I normally use, so I have temporarily switched to another local board
that carries the Paradox echo.)
What follows is the contents of the RESPONSE.ZIP file available on the
PDOXDOS forum on CI$, in Lib 1.  It is the official word from BI that there
will be no further development of Paradox for DOS beyond version 4.5, the
world's fastest PC database software.
This does not bode well for Borland's future as the leader in PC database
software, especially in view of the resignation of Phillipe Kahn as CEO on
11 January 1995 and the announcement of the layoffs of another 900 employees
at BI on 18 January 1995.
I am not at all happy about the PdoxDOS decision and neither are very many
other people, judging from the responses on the CI$ forum.  I invite you and
all other members of the Paradox echo to send me your thoughts, either for
or against, for inclusion in a petetion.  My intent is to forward a list of
names of echo members, stating our combined membership's stand on the
decision taken by BI.
My hope is that the majority of our echo's membership is opposed to this
action and that we can speak louder to BI as a multitude.  Perhaps we might
even be heard.
Please let me and the rest of the echo know how you feel!
Torre Foote
Moderator, Paradox
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Response #1
Subj:  Bye Bye DOS, Paradox		Section: Non-Tech General
  To:  Steve Green, 71543,2577		Monday, 09 January, 1995 3:19:23 PM
From:  Sean Schnoor, 75300,2536		#311176
Steve,
I noticed your post in the PDOXDOS forum and I wanted to provide you with
Borland's position on the Paradox DOS product line.
Borland has recognized the need to focus on key platforms. Borland believes
that Windows 95 will be a growth market for databases and we see tremendous
potential in allocating resources to delivering a Windows 95 product.
The Paradox team is targeting to ship a product within 90 days of the Windows
95 first customer shipment.
In light of our commitment to the Windows 95 platform,  we will continue to
sell and support Paradox for DOS but at this time we have no plans to deliver
a new version of the Paradox DOS product.  Paradox 4.5 for DOS is an award
winning product that has been well received by the industry and is very
stable. Paradox 4.5 for DOS will continue to serve the needs of DOS
database customers and will continue to be available direct from Borland and
through our retail channels.
As with all Borland products, we will continue to offer free support on
installation and configuration for the life of the product.  Support for
Paradox DOS will continue via Borlands paid telephone support services,
fax back services and CompuServe and BIX on-line forms.
Sean Schnoor
Paradox Product Marketing Manager
---------------------------------------
Response #2
Subj:  What? No More PdoxDOS?		Section: Non-Tech General
  To:  Ray Birks, 71231,3002		Monday, 09 January, 1995 2:26:29 PM
From:  Keith Bigelow [Borland], 75300,2527#311171
Ray,
You are correct, Borland will not be delivering a future version of PDOXDOS.
This decision is obviously not an especially popular one, but it reflects
our need [Borland's need] to focus on products which return the highest
yield.  The DOS market for new product sales has dropped off over the last
two years as people have moved to the Windows platform, and the result is
that large companies like Borland [and MS] are winding down DOS development.
The fact that we are discontinuing development does not negate the fact that
PDOXDOS is a very strong product, but rather that we perceive the market to
be diminishing at such a rate that new versions don't provide the ROI we
need.
This decision is very hard on my developers, because the market for DOS
vertical market apps has not yet evaporated [but the market for building
the tools that produce those apps has].  I will be working very hard to make
as much information as I can available to our developers in the following
months.
Best Regards,
Keith Bigelow
Paradox Developer Relations
Borland Int'l
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