Re: 64-Bit Compiler Would Help Sell More 32-Bit Compilers

From: Will DeWitt Jr. (edge_at_NOSPAM.icehouse.net)
Date: 02/07/05 

Date: 6 Feb 2005 18:59:50 -0800

Larry Drews wrote:

> And what I am asserting is that "right now" means for the next 2-3
> years. After we have the dominant market handled, and if 64-bit
> platforms have fulfilled their promise, then it would make sense for
> Borland to get started on a native 64-bit Delphi. But not before
> then, IMO. I don't think by any stretch of the imagination that
> Borland is in danger of going out of business or even losing market
> share if it focuses on .Net for the 2-3 years and then turns its
> attention to other market opportunities.

In order to be ready in 2-3 years development would have to begin now
or in the very near future. In order to keep people from moving in
droves to Visual C++ 2005, such a move would, at the minimum, need to
be announced so developers would know Borland hadn't abandoned them.

> And from other reports on this newsgroup, it would seem that Delphi
> is enjoying a resurgence in market share over the last year. I would
> assert that at least part of that is because of its .Net offerings.
> Certainly it cannot be attributed to 64-bit stuff since that doesn't
> exist. So, would you have Borland change from what appears to be a
> successful effort to increase market share to pursue what, at this
> point, is an unproven business path? And take us all down with you?

I've not seen these reports. What I've seen and heard is that each
version of Delphi has outsold the last version. Now, dodgy maths aside,
this doesn't mean much if your competitor is outstripping your gains
(in other words, while your unit sales may increase, your portion of
the market would still be declining).

I'd also hardly call it an "unproven business path". Obviously Intel,
AMD and Microsoft feel this is a very lucrative path for businesses or
they wouldn't be promoting it so much. In Microsoft's case they've gone
out of their way with Visual Studio 2005 to offer *native* support for
64-bit platforms (not just AMD64/EM64T but also IA64). There was no
real reason to do this other than to show support for native code still
exists. Some have said they'd have had to have made their own C/C++
compiler to handle kernel driver development-- but this /has/ existed
since the Windows Server 2003 DDK. I have Microsoft's command line C++
x64 compiler right now. I've had their IA-64 C++ compiler for even
longer. They didn't ship that with Visual Studio .NET 2002 or 2003, so
that they're now jumping to include it with 2005 tells me they see
customers who still want to do native development as a big business for
them.

There's no reason Borland can't capture some of that business (and
especially the VB crowd which Microsoft has herded into .NET-- I'm
certain there are some who'd rather have a native solution).

Will 

-- 
Want native support in Delphi for AMD64/EM64T?  Vote here--
http://qc.borland.com/wc/qcmain.aspx?d=7324

Relevant Pages

  • Delphi - does catastrophe loom ? (long)
    ... I've been buying and using Delphi since Turbo Pascal 5, and think that it is the ... However, I am beginning to think that Borland has made a major mistake going down the .NET path, and that Microsoft will be the beneficiary. ... however, when a 64-bit compiler was first mentioned at Borcon 2002 in Australia, it was targetted solely at Itanium. ... What Borland Marketing does not seem to comprehend is that while the market for an IA-64 compiler was probably several tens or even hundred of units, the market for an AMD64 compiler is in the range 10^4-10^5 units. ...
    (borland.public.delphi.non-technical)
  • Re: My Migrations
    ... particular model with "Windows, Linux, or BeOS" they lose a million ... If a competitor looks like gaining market share they simply buy them, ... MS wanted a share of the entertainment business, ... monopolies. ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)
  • Re: On Topic Sorta - Attending Trade Shows Frugally?
    ... anyone who thinks print media will give their show or ... business or whatever more coverage than a long lasting, ... key issue that determines it is your current market share; ... with them, at least, in industry. ...
    (rec.crafts.metalworking)
  • Ebooks Forum
    ... The Implications of Market Integration for R & D- ... Internationalization of U.S. Manufacturing: Causes and Consequences ... International Business: Adjusting to New Challenges and Opportunities ... Managing Relationship for Teamwork and ...
    (sci.med.nutrition)
  • Re: D64, or Why Borland Ought to NOT Work on a 64-bit Version of DelphiRight Now
    ... > hardware sales in a linear relationship. ... > the 64bit software market, ... > Borland needs expectation of enough sales that would not otherwise occur to ... > more than justify the cost of the compiler. ...
    (borland.public.delphi.non-technical)