🚀 go-pugleaf

thierry@ozrout.uucp (Thierry Daigneault) writes:

>  Just wondering if anybody here went to the launching of the Server and 4D
>3.0 last week in France? How was it? Any interesting info we should know
>about?

    Here is the piece on the new 4D and Server from this weeks issue of
TidBITS:

TidBITS#142/14-Sep-92
=====================

[Archived as /info-mac/digest/tb/tidbits-142.etx; 28K]

4D Goes Server
--------------
  by Jean-Philippe G. Nicaise -- nicky@etca.fr

  For a change the hot news comes from France. The first
  International Development Conference of ACI (known in the US as
  ACIUS) held in Paris provided the (final?) announcement of the
  next version of 4th Dimension and of the long-awaited 4D Server.

  Warning: US and International 4D version numbers are two less than
  the French one. So 4D version 5 in France equals 4D version 3 for
  the US and International markets. Sorry for the confusion - blame
  ACI (ACIUS).

  After seven years ACI has outfitted itself with new clothes in the
  form of a new company logo (it looks like an "ex-libris," an old
  seal of a 12th century publisher), a new 4D logo (no more
  impossible 4, sigh), and new boxes.

  On to the technical stuff. 4D Server is a normal application that
  runs on a dedicated Macintosh and serves data to 4D Client
  applications located on other Macs in your network. No more file
  sharing! And it looks fast - 15 clients is a piece of cake, even
  with a LocalTalk network. Check your favorite Mac magazine for
  benchmarks in a few months - I'm sure they will have them soon.

  4D Server can also serve structures and modules, which means that
  multiple people can modify the structure of the database while
  other people use it. If you use modules such as 4D-Write or 4D-
  Calc the server will transfer them to the client's RAM, presumably
  speeding execution and reducing network traffic. The client is
  intelligent enough to keep the module in memory in case you need
  it later, further increasing speed and reducing traffic.

  4D Server handles multiprocessing so what you did with 4D before
  can be considered as one process. One (and only one) window is
  attached to a process, but you can have as many processes as you
  want. This enables you, for instance, to build floating windows.

  With 4D Backup you gain access to better security. 4D Server
  creates a log file containing all modifications of your database.
  If your data file crashes, if you accidentally delete 10,000
  records, or if your dog unplugs your server, the log file will
  save your life. Security maniacs will be able to feed another Mac
  server with the log file every hour (or even more often) to keep a
  complete logical mirror of the database. They can use that backup
  immediately if something happens to the main server.

  4D version 5 includes all the features of 4D Server (speed
  increases, multiprocessing capabilities, and the security log
  file) but is only single-user. New versions of 4D Compiler, 4D-
  XREF, and 4D Mover are also available.

  ACI has copy-protected 4D Server with an ADB dongle on the Mac
  server. Three clients means three simultaneous people working on
  the server, but you can have more than three Macs which holds the
  client application. 4D version 5 asks for the key disk only at
  installation, so PowerBook users can now travel without their 4D
  key disks.

  ACI will release 4D version 5 by the end of September and the
  Server by mid-October. Here's a rundown of the pricing:


4D Server prices
     3 clients     9 000 FF (French Francs) $1,495 US
     6 clients    15 000 FF  (2 000 x 3)    $2,495 US
    10 clients    21 000 FF  (1 500 x 4)    $3,495 US
    15 clients    27 000 FF  (1 200 x 5)    $4,495 US
    20 clients    33 000 FF  (1 200 x 5)    $5,495 US
    50 clients    69 000 FF                $11,495 US
    unlimited     75 000 FF                $15,000 US


Upgrades from 4D version 4 to 4D Server:
    4D v4 to 4D Server:         4D Server, 3 clients, 50% discount
    4D v4 Runtime to 4D Server: 4D Server, n clients, 50% discount


Single-user prices
    4D v5 new          6 200 FF       $895 US
    upgrade            1 400 FF       $195 US

    Compiler v2        6 000 FF     $1,000 US

    4D v5 Runtime      1 200 FF       $195 US
    Runtime x 4        3 600 FF       $595 US
    upgrade              150 FF        $25 US

  Information from:
    ACI propaganda
    Golden (French Mac magazine), #7 -- Oct/Nov-92


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