Random Comments About Software & The "cloud"

[Dale Smalley]

I am for cloud based appraisal software. I transfer files to my mobile app via the cloud. So instead of the back and forth from the cloud to the PC just working off the cloud would be ok ( Until you have no internet) I keep backups there with the vault so corelogic can control that too. i use several cloud base software services, Google,Zoho, Carbonite, Dropbox etc. all work well. We are behind the times in the appraisal biz

 

[QWERTY Pi]

I personally have very mixed thoughts on 'the cloud'. I agree with everything the OP said. However, I also have much dislike for Windows. (The software itself as well as the company behind it.) It infuriates me that one company controls the operating system that underlies 85% of all desktop computers. It bothers me so much that I left Windows 6 years ago and moved to Linux... Or at least I tried. Due to their monopoly and control of the OS, I am still stuck using Windows inside a virtual machine on my Linux box to run my appraisal software. The 'cloud' is my only ticket out. I would prefer to use software that installed directly in Linux, but I don't see that happening any time soon. Not until Linux has 20%+ of the market share will we see software written for cross platform solutions. That market share won't happen until there is a disruptive technology that breaks Microsofts monopoly on the OS. The cloud is that disruptive technology.

Is it really that big of a deal that MS controls 85% the desktop market, you may ask? Well, maybe not. But now that I have a good taste of Linux and how great it is to have an operating system that I control, and not a system that controls me, I simply can't go back to Windows. I prefer Linux so much more that I am willing to deal with a ton of other headaches in order to use the operating system I prefer.

My hope is that with the use of cloud software we will see more people turn to Linux or Apple computers once they are free from software that requires MS Windows. Then I hope that companies will realize there is a bigger market share for other operating systems and they will write software that is cross platform compatible. Then I hope we can get rid of all this cloud non-sense and get back to real software that runs on my own hardware where I can store all my data locally.

So for me I see the whole 'cloud' thing as a stop gap providing the way to OS independence.

Here here! Linux distro market shares will be on the rise once win7 support is fully discontinued, guaranteed. Have you tried running Wine? It runs on most Linux distros (I ise it on Mint w/o a problem -you may have to tweak some reverse engineered Windows dlls and run in a 32bit Compatibility mode (but most Windose applications I have to run work without a glitch). It beats running a VM or a dual boot, imho.

Clouds? Loathe them. I run bi-weekly back-ups to a 2TB external and store it in a fire safe box. Speaking of clouds, page #1 from this week’s hackernews (all about the very recent Western Digital Cloud hack). https://thehackernews.com/2018/09/wd-my-cloud-nas-hacking.html?m=1

 

[residentialguy]

Have you tried running Wine? It runs on most Linux distros

Where do you pour it in?

Never mind. I found where to pour it. You're right, it did make work more enjoyable.

 

[Fargo1]

Here here! Linux distro market shares will be on the rise once win7 support is fully discontinued, guaranteed. Have you tried running Wine? It runs on most Linux distros (I ise it on Mint w/o a problem -you may have to tweak some reverse engineered Windows dlls and run in a 32bit Compatibility mode (but most Windose applications I have to run work without a glitch). It beats running a VM or a dual boot, imho.

Clouds? Loathe them. I run bi-weekly back-ups to a 2TB external and store it in a fire safe box. Speaking of clouds, page #1 from this week’s hackernews (all about the very recent Western Digital Cloud hack). https://thehackernews.com/2018/09/wd-my-cloud-nas-hacking.html?m=1

Have you run any appraisal software in WINE. Which one works for you? I would prefer to not be in the cloud as well, but I have never been successful in getting wine to work with my appraisal software. So I am stuck between a rock (Windows in VM) and a hard place (cloud) for my appraisal software options.

 

[QWERTY Pi]

Have you run any appraisal software in WINE. Which one works for you? I would prefer to not be in the cloud as well, but I have never been successful in getting wine to work with my appraisal software. So I am stuck between a rock (Windows in VM) and a hard place (cloud) for my appraisal software options.

I posted this in a similar thread “anyone using Linux distro”, or something like that.

“It took some tweaking, but back when Inwas writing appraisals I managed to get Wine and ACI to jive. I had to do a makeshift compatibility mode (via Wine reverse dll configs to run in 32bit). Wine is a work in progress (and it takes a lot of work sometimes, but when or if you can get a Win App to work, it beats the he77 out of VMs or dual boot).”

There was another post within the thread I mentioned above about a diff Win App for Linux that may work more smoothly than Wine. Never tried it though. Ive used Wine for a long time now so I like it bc I know it, can tweak it and troubleshoot w/o much effort, et. Open source rules. F Windose

 

[QWERTY Pi]

Have you run any appraisal software in WINE. Which one works for you? I would prefer to not be in the cloud as well, but I have never been successful in getting wine to work with my appraisal software. So I am stuck between a rock (Windows in VM) and a hard place (cloud) for my appraisal software options.

Forgot to note, “ACI” (standard version -which you can still request vs. ACI One).

 

[Fargo1]

I posted this in a similar thread “anyone using Linux distro”, or something like that.

“It took some tweaking, but back when Inwas writing appraisals I managed to get Wine and ACI to jive. I had to do a makeshift compatibility mode (via Wine reverse dll configs to run in 32bit). Wine is a work in progress (and it takes a lot of work sometimes, but when or if you can get a Win App to work, it beats the he77 out of VMs or dual boot).”

There was another post within the thread I mentioned above about a diff Win App for Linux that may work more smoothly than Wine. Never tried it though. Ive used Wine for a long time now so I like it bc I know it, can tweak it and troubleshoot w/o much effort, et. Open source rules. F Windose

I saw the other thread. I've been trying CrossOver Office for years, but just didn't know how to tweak the dlls or anything to get things to work. I wanted to just install it and go. In that sense it never worked. At least not for me. At one time I was in communication with a software developer at Clickforms. He was able to install Clickforms with wine right out of the box with his Ubuntu install, while I was never able to get it to work. I never figured out if it was due to slight differences between Ubuntu and the distro I was using or what it was. But I always knew there was a way to do it. I just never found it.

After 15+/- years of using Linux and evangelizing the benefits of open source, I am starting to get really tired and almost ready to go back to Windows. It seems people are more interested in simply complaining about how bad Windows is than they are to actually take a step away from Window to learn something better. But I finally can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Linux is better than ever and Windows is getting worse and worse. I only need a way for my appraisal and accounting software to be freed from Windows and I am Windows free.

I fear the cloud is a really bad option, but alas, its our only option. My hope is that by moving to the cloud, people will be free from Windows and will see the benefit of an open source OS. Then once they see how insecure their data is on the cloud, they will move back to using PCs, but this time they will be looking to Linux instead of Windows. At least thats my hope for the cloud. But until then, at least the cloud will allow us to us any OS we want.

 

[QWERTY Pi]

After 15+/- years of using Linux and evangelizing the benefits of open source, I am starting to get really tired and almost ready to go back to Windows. It seems people are more interested in simply complaining about how bad Windows is than they are to actually take a step away from Window to learn something better. But I finally can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Linux is better than ever and Windows is getting worse and worse. I only need a way for my appraisal and accounting software to be freed from Windows and I am Windows free.

You are in too deep to go back to the Microshaft dark side! Linux is lightweight, no bloat, fast (fast w/ the exception of the learning curve). Using Linux you're also advancing your tech skills every time you use your machine, write an appraisal, e.t.

I hope Microsoft's laughable Win10 will be the beginning to their end, but that's a whole new thread.

 

[Fargo1]

You are in too deep to go back to the Microshaft dark side! Linux is lightweight, no bloat, fast (fast w/ the exception of the learning curve). Using Linux you're also advancing your tech skills every time you use your machine, write an appraisal, e.t.

I hope Microsoft's laughable Win10 will be the beginning to their end, but that's a whole new thread.

Yeah, I could never go back. I just get frustrated that none of the appraisal software vendors makes cross platform software. I understand that from a companies stand point, its easier and cheaper to only support one system, but what ever happened to customer choice. All these companies are doing software re-writes and yet none of them have bothered to look at Java, Mono, Qt or other crossplatform options available that would give them the ability to use their new software on Mac, Linux, or Windows. It always just Windows only. I think once their software hits the cloud, these companies are going to be amazed at how many people would rather use Mac or Linux. Then when they look in hindsight they will see they missed a huge opportunity by not being the only company offering something cross platform.

 

[QWERTY Pi]

Hot off the press. Topical bc of cloud, and open source news. Windows is an old dog and times are changing (IBM is gambling on it)

https://thehackernews.com/2018/10/ibm-redhat-tech-acquisition.html