FMP6 End of Life

[Doug Leib]

I just spied the quote below on the FileMaker website. Seems kinda fast... what do you all think? I'm already rewriting but I can easily imagine that some users will not be able to convert by September 17.

Are you excited about the new FileMaker 7 product line but not yet running Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Mac OS X? We know some customers need time to plan the transition to FileMaker 7. That's why we're making the FileMaker 6 product line available until September 17, 2004. Continue to enjoy the benefits of FileMaker, get to know FileMaker 7 and plan your upgrade.

FileMaker Version: Dev 7

Platform: Mac OS X Panther

[rogermax]

I would like to see the choice of buying either 6 or 7 even if 6 will no longer be supported. Mainly because many user's hardware won't support 7. This will have the effect of putting many in a tight spot as developers, even selling "boxed" solutions into networked environments where server5.5 and pro6 would be needed. (not to mention the ugly font issue... I know whaaah)

[falkaholic]

Well, by September, I hope no one will be still making new systems in FM6, if your going to start something, it would be silly to create it in FM6 just because of hardware concerns. The benefits of FM7 is worth more then hardware IMHO. Users the already have FM6, can continue to use their copies until they are upgraded to FM7.

[-Queue-]

So it's not silly to force a company to spend money upgrading their comps, OSes, and all applications necessary just so you can create a new FM7 system for them? You either must be joking or work only for large organizations with excellent cash flow. This idea is worse IMHO than just upgrading an OS because, now that it's finally stable, a company no longer supports it.

You can deal with the inevitable plethora of bugs that will plague users during the first (at least) year of the product after they've shelled out the big bucks just to get it running and I'll continue to develop in 5.5 or 6 until this brand new program has been beaten up and patched sufficiently before even suggesting an upgrade. It would be silly not to.

[rogermax]

I'll continue to develop in 5.5 or 6 until this brand new program has been beaten up and patched sufficiently before even suggesting an upgrade. It would be silly not to.

Got That right!

The issue in my mind is not even developing new solutions...I was refering to shrink wrapped solutions. Because of hardware concerns I will have to maintain earlier (v6) solutions to accomodate potential buyers that are still running pre win2k OS's. I can't force them to upgrade everything else to buy my stuff! I just want to be able to buy v6 to handle those installations.

FileMaker Version: Dev 7

Platform: Windows XP

[BrentHedden]

I agree with Queue. I've been asking for a newer computer from my employer for months now, with no effect. I'm betting that more than half of our clients won't have the hardware necessary to run at the requirements necessary. It would be crazy at best to expect clients to conform to this requirement just because we wanted to put in a few extra features that most won't use. We would be outta business pretty quick. I'm suppose that the runtime(s) created under Developer 7 will need the same hardware requirements as the "full flavored", right? If I'm wrong, please correct me.

[Ender]

BrentHedden said:

It would be crazy at best to expect clients to conform to this requirement just because we wanted to put in a few extra features that most won't use.

You should look carefully at the what FM7 offers. If you can find features and improvements that can significantly improve your current system, then you can use them as selling points for your client. Businesses understand that upgrades are inevitable, but they what to know what they're getting for their money.

For my school, WAN speed and security improvements are a driving force for this migration.

[mf]

I was quite pleased with previous versions of FM (5, 5.5 and 6). I have downloaded the trial version and I can't wait to receive my own copy: the changes are awesome (save a few quirks like fuzzy screen and strange word-wrap).

I have purchased FM7 Developer but will have to install it on my personal laptop running XP because our company is not planning to upgrade our OS until next year. So yes, September is too soon for us but I am taking the next few months to have a hard look and possibly recommend that we upgrade to 7 but wait to install until our environment is ready. If there is some serious problems with FM7 (I trust that the fuzzy screen and word-wrap problems are minor enough that solutions will be released soon), then I will decide if upgrading our versions 5 and 5.5 to 6 is the best choice. Up to now upgrading to version 6 was not compelling enough to justify the cost, but it seems that version 7 is worth the effort and money.

I have loved working with FM and it has performed so well for us. The FM community has been very helpful, thanks to boards like this one. I can't imagine that this revamped FM will be anything but another great step forward!

[DanBrill]

This is way too soon. I'm just finishing a solution that's taken me 18 months to perfect in FM 6. I have 30-some organizations looking to start using the solution. Some just went out and bought half a dozen copies of FM 6 to run the solution. Now I have to redo the whole thing in 7. A few bought 2 or 3 copies and planned to expand to more workstations over the next year. Now that's not an option for them. They are going to be truly pissed at me when I tell them that the $600 they just spend is for naught, or at least only partial payment toward and upgrade!

Moreover, since these are non-profits with no cash to spare, many are running windows 98. Their hardware might not handle an upgrade to XP.

All in all, I feel screwed by this decision.

Dan

[Will]

I'm not sure all is lost here. FileMaker will stop selling ver. 6 in September but if you need additional licenses for new users many vendors will allow you to purchase a license of their newest release to use with an older version -FileMaker seems to do this, at least in the scenario described at this link - http://www.filemaker.com/downloads/pdf/SBA_FSA.pdf

So now the question is support - I don't know where I saw it but somewhere on their site FileMaker claims they provide support for the newest version and one version back. So if you buy 6 you are safe until version 8 is released from a support perspective.

But sSupport may not be a big deal to many people anyway - they can solve their own problems without FileMaker's direct support - but there is one exception - security issues. FileMaker's latest Unlimited security issue is a big one. As you can see from the link if you own anything previous to version 6 Unlimited you are truely screwed. http://www.filemaker.com/ti/109010.html

So all in all I don't see any immediate need to scrap everyting done in a version prior to 7.

Will

[DanBrill]

Well, that's good news. It buys me some time and will save a bunch of money for my users.

Thanks,

Dan

[Oldfogey]

Most of us/you FMP users haver been spoilt! Very few suppliers keep supplying old versions. My usual grizzle is that they stop 'support' but FMI are offering 'support' for V6 until V8 appears, aren't they?

FMI are not going to listen to us, the great unwashed. They don't even listen to their Partners. So, we just have to get on with it.

It strikes me that it might be possible to pick up some cheap copies of V6 from retailers. Solves Dan's problem.

What really gets up my nose with this release is that, having released only its second major version change in its history, FMI seems to think it has re-invented IT. Just read half the posts in this forum nd it is obvious that FMI need to put out a V7.5. Will they? They have an oustanding record of putting out stable software; they have a stinking record of fixing (the very few) bugs. I've told all my clients not to touch V7 until V7.5 comes out.

[mgm75]

I was at the FileMaker Magnificent 7 Tour today and they said FM 6 will not be going away "in the forseeable future". If someone needs 6 they said they will get it to them.