The NBS Software
system was started in 1982 by a team of programmers
managed by Mark Stuart, who was working for
a major firearms manufacturer. The program
was originally written on a CP/M platform.
The programming language was a beta version
of DBase, which had built-in networking capabilities.
What they intended to do on a PC level was
virtually unheard of in 1982, where mainframes
and minicomputers ruled. This beta version
of DBase never came to market, so the programmers
were left to start over. Mark Stuart looked
across the country to find a suitable replacement.
That replacement was found in the DataFlex
programming language, from Data
Access.
DataFlex had everything they were looking
for. It was fast, flexible, and had built-in
networking capabilities. Plus, it would
run on their Novell Server and an up and
coming operating system called MS-DOS.
Within a few years Mark had built this
system up to a point where it was receiving
national attention. Novell even did a
feature article on the system.
This was the basis for what the NBS system
has grown into today. NBS currently runs
on the DataFlex 3.1d engine. As of this
writing, it is the most current console
mode version of DataFlex.
What is console mode?
Console mode is often called text mode.
This means that while a mouse can be used
to navigate much of the menu system, NBS
doesn't run in a real GUI (graphical user
interface) mode. Many people make the
mistake of thinking the NBS system is
'DOS'. That is why we call it console
mode instead of text or DOS mode. A console
program is a true 32 bit Windows program.
It has limited access to the Windows API,
can print to Windows printers, etc. A
console mode program has the power of
32 bit Windows without the GUI overhead.
But what about DOS users?
The great thing about the DataFlex runtime
module is that there is a DOS (16 bit)
version and a Windows (32 bit) version
that look exactly the same, and can do
most of the same things (except for Windows
specific functions). You simply run the
version that is compatible with your platform,
using the same database.
We made a conscious decision to keep
the program in console mode. Why? Mostly
for consistency with all x86 platforms,
keeping with our low overhead promise.
Also, in a manufacturing environment,
most users do not need a $1000 Windows
machine sitting on every desk. They are
not writing letters, sending email, or
creating graphics of any kind. They just
need a simple computer in which to enter
their data. The NBS system accomplishes
this easily, quickly, and inexpensively.
For office employees who need to do other
functions, NBS runs very nicely in a Windows
console-mode window.
We are dedicated to adding new and useful
features to the NBS system. In doing so,
we will never compromise our dedication
to fast, reliable computing.
|
