Regarding Rodeo discussions

[Richard Gaskin]

Robert Mann wrote:

> To make the point, I was curious enough to go to the the runrev blog read
> the article on android. In the last paragraph, we learn that rev will see
> how it can basically step along the latest squeak inspired android
> development for dummies environment; And closes with "All in all very
> exciting times. Stay tuned for more on our Android strategy soon." That is
> all we got from runrev on the subject since 10th may. Exciting times?
> On its own its could be a great piece of news. But in the context, that is
> ALL the news we got! and that leaves me.. "floating in the air"

July 14:
<http://www.runrev.com/company/runrev-blog/>

After Apple's iOS SDK debacle, I think we can all appreciate the 
sensitivity to minimizing public commitments on products still in an 
early stage of development.


> - Id' really like to hear more from runrev here too... (volunteers for a
> community song "we love you too Kevin!" ??)   And particularly in the style
> of rodeo... things like
>
> "Hi folks, we listened to you! so we're putting up a running audio updating
> month. Volunteers welcomed for helping analyse problems, dervive solutions
> and test our implementations on all platforms as fast as possible..."

Volunteers are quite welcome.  I'm one of them.

Seen some of my recent posts?  While Kevin himself is a bit busy making 
the stuff that drives this list, on this user-to-user list I've taken up 
a modest role as a sort of liaison between the development team and the 
Linux fans here, working with others here to coordinate solutions as you 
describe, and posting updates about progress at RunRev Ltd. with Kevin's 
permission. My most recent one included screen shots fresh from the 
development team just yesterday morning.

Sure, there's a lot more to the Rev world than the desktop, but at the 
moment it's still the core product and the reason most of us are here.

Indeed, with more than a quarter million apps in Apple's App Store, even 
my modest Rev-based desktop apps bring in more revenue than all but the 
top 100 performers there, and I'm not alone in the Rev community on that.

Yes, mobile will be a big thing, and in some respects it is already. 
But Apple pulled the plug on Rev's significant progress with iOS, and 
Android is such a different beast that one can reasonably expect it to 
take a bit of time to start over with a focus on that platform.

In the meantime there remain at least a million untapped opportunities 
on the desktop, and the Rev engine we have in hand right now can help us 
exploit those.

Consider this:

    In 2008 there were 131 million smartphones sold worldwide.
    By 2013, the number of smartphones sold annually is expected
    to top 300 million.
<http://www.i4u.com/article25633.html>

    The number of installed PCs worldwide has surpassed 1 billion
    units, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner analysts estimate
    the worldwide installed base of PCs is growing just under 12
    percent annually. At that pace, it will surpass 2 billion
    units by early 2014.
<http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=703807>

And the average price of computer software is a bit higher than $0.99.

Opportunities abound, and will continue to for years to come, even as 
form factors diversify.  Better still, Rev will allow us to deploy to 
most of them regardless of form factor, just as we can now to the vast 
majority enjoying desktops, laptops, nettops, and netbooks.

Sure, it'd be nice if Kevin had more time to spend here, but with 
everything going on in their office I'm just as glad to see him focus on 
making new stuff for me. :)

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World
  Rev training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
  Webzine for Rev developers: http://www.revjournal.com
  revJournal blog: http://revjournal.com/blog.irv