The second full version Oracle Corp’s Visual Basic clone, Power Objects is in beta now and will finally be with us next quarter. It has been delayed somewhat – the web page still says it will be launched in April this year (CI No 2,875). It’s a fully 32-bit version to compete head-on with Visual Basic. This time Oracle is going after all those VB developers that don’t use other Oracle software, having had a lot of success primarily in Oracle accounts, according to Neil Morgan, Power Objects product marketing manager. This version will also add some mobile computing and internet capabilities, but not Java support as yet, and there’s no timetable for that. The internet stuff comprises Netscape Communications Corp and Microsoft Corp browser plug-ins to run a Power Objects application from a browser and web server combination, and in reverse, an ActiveX control to embed Oracle’s Power Browser into a Power Objects application, but everybody knows what browser are actually being used out there. Oracle licensed Crystal Reports v5 from Seagate Software Inc to include its reporting capabilities into Power Objects, as most of the target market is used to Crystal. On the mobile front, Oracle has licensed some ODBC drivers from Intersolv Inc for access to products such as FoxPro, Excel, Paradox and the like. Oracle’s small-footprint Personal Lite database is also included which can replicate to and from any Oracle 7.x server. Its also licensed some ActiveX controls from Crescent Software Inc, bought early last year by Progress Software Inc in the shape of its QuickPac VB toolset. Oracle’s also released a Power Objects API. There will be two versions, a professional and a client-server edition. There are no fixed prices yet, but the professional version will cost a few hundred dollars and the client-server will go for more than $1,000, according to Morgan. There’s no story at the moment on the integration with Designer/2000 development toolset, but that doesn’t say we won’t do that in the future, according to Morgan. Oracle adds Power Macintosh the list of platforms supported with this release.
