Re: HP Software

[Max deLaubenfels <madness@u.washington.edu>]

	It is very interesting to hear about what others are doing for
inventory programs, and what sort's of safety program information they
keep track of on them.  Here at the UW we have used custom built database
programs for a long period of time, and are currently having a new one
built for us.  The UW's administration has been in support of mainframe
technology primarily and so we have not been in the market for Desktop
computer software.  Fortunately we are finally able to use a product that
can be used on a PC LAN.  For the past 17 years we've used 1022 on a VAX
mainframe, and we've been able to keep track of inventories, disposals,
film badge histories, personnel, authorizations, RAM use in labs, lab
survey results, and bioassay results.  It's a good system, but archaic,
and the VAX is about to die (there are no spare parts left).  We looked
around at various software products as replacements, and finally got a
consensus amongst the administration, purchasing, and computing
departments, and decided on a product called Magic.  Magic is a 4GL
programming database language that is menu driven and for which there is
no code -- it takes the concept of object programming to a healthy
extreme.  It was developed, I believe, in Israel for military purposes
originally, but was later adapted for domestic and business uses, or so
the story goes.  There is a US distributor now and for the past couple of
years the company has been trying to get it's name out there.  From what
I've seen so far it can do everything we have done in the past quite
satisfactorily, and there are two neat benefits: 1) it is very fast to
write applications in; and 2) because applications can be written quickly
the price turned out to be several times smaller than any other software
package we looked at.  Which was important, because, as I think everyone
has voiced so far, price is the deciding factor, next to functionality. 
Custom built software is generally more expensive than a ready made
package, but if the means are available I believe it is the way to go.  
That way you can adapt the software to whatever system you have been 
using, with whatever inherent quirks you decide are reasonable.  Just 
some thoughts on the subject -- good luck, all!

Max deLaubenfels
Radiation Safety
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195
(206) 543-6328
madness@u.washington.edu