AOPA Flight Planner - Microsoft only?

I tried to go to the AOPA Flight Planning web page today, and found that the
only option remaining is to download a Microsoft-only application. This
seems annoying.

Sure, I was able to go directly to the duat web site, and it was fine. But
I'm a member of AOPA, and they've eliminated a benefit from my use merely
because I prefer to use a more robust computing environment.

Especially given what's going on with viruses, worms, zombie machines, and
the like, requiring that AOPA members used one particular unsafe platform
to exercise an organization benefit seems foolish.

Has this issue been raised to AOPA and ignored? Is something in the works
for the rest of us? Anyone here know what's going on?

- Andrew

"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
gonline.com...
I tried to go to the AOPA Flight Planning web page today, and found that
the
only option remaining is to download a Microsoft-only application. This
seems annoying.

Has this issue been raised to AOPA and ignored? Is something in the works
for the rest of us? Anyone here know what's going on?

- Andrew

Who cares? You are a very small minority. (only half a grin, here)
--
Jim in NC


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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
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Morgans wrote:

Who cares? You are a very small minority. (only half a grin, here)

The question is: Does AOPA care (about the minority that doesn't spew
viruses at everyone {8^) ?

I am, after all, an AOPA member.

Seriously: I spend a nontrivial amount of effort selling people on
non-viral-farm solutions. Thanks to Apple's OSX, this is actually quite
feasible for the nontechnical today.

So what is AOPA saying about safe computing (and never mind monocultures) if
they ignore us?

- Andrew

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Morgans wrote:

"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
gonline.com...
I tried to go to the AOPA Flight Planning web page today, and found that
the
only option remaining is to download a Microsoft-only application. This
seems annoying.

Has this issue been raised to AOPA and ignored? Is something in the works
for the rest of us? Anyone here know what's going on?

- Andrew

Who cares? You are a very small minority. (only half a grin, here)

Minority or not, he has a very valid issue. We all aren't
forced to use an operating system from Micro$oft, so why should we be
forced to use a Micro$oft only-based application? There are those of us
who use linux, Macs, and otherwise. Making something that is 'only
viewed best with', or 'can only be used on XXX operating system' is
halving your user audience, and forcing them to spend money on products
they don't need, so they can conform to what the company (AOPA) wants.
If the AOPA wants to keep people around to use their product, they need
to make it available to all platforms. They are there for us, not us
there for them.

BL.
- --
Brad Littlejohn | Email:
Unix Systems Administrator, |
Web + NewsMaster, BOFH.. Smeghead! | http://www.sbcglobal.net/~tyketto
PGP: 1024D/E319F0BF 6980 AAD6 7329 E9E6 D569 F620 C819 199A E319 F0BF

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Halving your audience, I think your stats are off a little. But I agree,
why not make the tool web based.

"A Guy Called Tyketto

If the AOPA wants to keep people around to use their product, they need
to make it available to all platforms.

They created it FOR you to use, they don't WANT you to use it. Write a
version for them that will works for you, free of charge. It's all about
economics.

They are there for us, not us there for them.

Oh?
--
Jim in NC



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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
I tried to go to the AOPA Flight Planning web page today, and found that
the
only option remaining is to download a Microsoft-only application. This
seems annoying.

Why should AOPA devote substantial time and resources to develop something
that much less than 3% (the percentage of non-MS systems in homes out there)
of their readership would ever use?

I can think of a kajillion other things I'd want my dime spent on other than
designing an app to please almost none of their sponsorship.

On the other hand, I'm sure there are some enterprising pilot/developers out
there who would absolutely jump at the chance to devote a thousand hours
designing an app for the few hundred people in your same shoes. Why, I'd
bet you pay them ten pr perhaps even fifteen bucks for such a killer app,
right?

Resistance is futile.

--
Jim Fisher
(who loves a Mac and Linux but can't function in reality without Windoze)

Jim Fisher wrote:

(who loves a Mac and Linux but can't function in reality without Windoze)

The reason you cannot is because companies/groups like AOPA waste time and
money developing platform specific products because the programmers don't
know any better. Enough time and money is wasted on Microsoft viruses that
anyone interested in economy should at least permit, if not encourage,
migration to more robust - or at least more diverse - platforms.

I do that. When Apple finally joined the UNIX world, it became a *lot*
easier.

But here we find an organization of which I'm a member working in precisely
the opposite direction. Annoying.

- Andrew

In article ne.com,
The question is: Does AOPA care (about the minority that doesn't spew
viruses at everyone {8^) ?

I am, after all, an AOPA member.

Then if you haven't already you should contact AOPA and make your
concerns known. I think that the Cirrus software is windows only too.
Most programs are windows only. Sure pretty much every verison of windows
is unstable and the NT based ones have security holes in them, BUT 90%+ of
people use them.
AOPA might be able to get a mac verison (or Linux) but I would not
count on it. This might sound odd to you but for most people making a mac
verison just never occurs to them. Sure people own macs, but no one
except schools/university actually uses them right ?
So contact AOPA and ask, I'm sure if enough people contact them a mac
verison can be complied.

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 20:09:49 -0500, Andrew Gideon wrote:

Morgans wrote:

Who cares? You are a very small minority. (only half a grin, here)


Actually there might be more people that you would think.
I was about to write to AOPA and complain about the same thing.
It usually makes no difference, but if they hear it enough it
will put these issues on their radar.


The question is: Does AOPA care (about the minority that doesn't spew
viruses at everyone {8^) ?

I am, after all, an AOPA member.

Seriously: I spend a nontrivial amount of effort selling people on
non-viral-farm solutions. Thanks to Apple's OSX, this is actually quite
feasible for the nontechnical today.

So what is AOPA saying about safe computing (and never mind monocultures) if
they ignore us?

Nobody ever got fired for buying into microsoft, but maybe they
should have been.


--
Kristian G. Kvilekval
office805)893-4276 http://www.cs.ucsb.edu/~kris