Just curious, searched the forums and couldn’t find any similar question. DO features, customisation, etc is mind-blowing. I know it’s been developed over years but even still, I assume it takes a lot of time. I’m a paid up user and I needed something more than I could find in other file explorer/management apps but there’s no way I will ever use the majority of the features and I can’t learn them as I can’t justify the investment in time, and I’m fine with that. I’ve no idea how large the user base is. The potential population could be huge but many people won’t pay for any number of reasons. I myself only found out about DO a year or so ago.
So....does DO development pay for a decent living? Any insights you could offer would be fascinating: one of the most full featured apps I’ve come across with probably a specific, limited paying audience, and a reasonable price.
My two cents: Directory Opus has been around since the 90s, and possibly before - though I consider "DOpus proper" to start at 4 or 5. I was introduced to it with Magellan (DOpus 5.5) on the Amiga and immediately loved it.
Even in those days many people preferred DOpus 4, as it was more like a traditional file manager of the Midnight Commander mould (though DOpus 4 predates it and indeed MC probably copied DOpus). Many couldn't be bothered to configure DOpus 5, despite its incredible power even then. While I used it for practically everything you can think of, some people just wanted to copy files from one folder to another.
Once I gave up the Amiga, I knew DOpus was available for Windows, but I never gave it much thought until I bought version 11. You see, Amiga Workbench was very limited. Directory Opus gave it features that most people take for granted, basics like pattern select. Windows Explorer, I felt, was "good enough" otherwise, and I had no need for DOpus. Absolute idiocy on my part, in blunt hindsight.
Then two years ago, I had a job where I had to juggle a lot of different projects scattered all over a business intranet and in various numbered folders on a laptop hard drive. It was a nightmare. Then some random nostalgic thought came to me, "I wish I had Directory Opus like I did on the Amiga". So sure enough, I had a look again, and found it was even better than I remembered, and boy did those tabs and USB dongle mode look PERFECT. And indeed they were. I've never looked back. Even at home, I don't think I could ever go back to Explorer.
So yes, while I'd agree with you that DOpus' two real weaknesses are (and always have been) advertising it to people who have no idea what a real file manager can do, and convincing people to do more with a file manager than the basics, it has existed for a long time so it must be getting something right. And long may it continue.
LMFAO! I have wanted to say that for so many years but didn't want to risk it sounding like an insult!!! As a programmer myself, I know it's hard not to take it personally when someone says that kinda thing to me!
I've never wandered into this forum before... but I'm glad I did!
This is hilarious - I was, seriously, about to post saying "I'd like to have OS + DO + Text Editor = a civilized operating system"!!! ROFL! But on a serious note - file management is a fairly basic part of an operating system. I don't expect M$ to ship anything like DO - but I'd be happier if M$ would do more to SUPPORT apps developers (and I say that from my own direct experience, for all I know DO could have an inside track LOL, but my last company didn't and it hurt us).
And I also - would LOVE to be able to read some GPS/DO history!!!
I forget what version I started using DO but it was around v4-5 and I've never seen any published articles or interviews.
As for the OP - I don't know what the devs make, but it ain't enough. I've done support for apps I've written, and I can say this - the tech support GPS gives the DO community is without qualification the best support the software industry has EVER had and there's no amount of money you could pay me that would get me covering these forums and helping customers (even the cranky ones, like, eh, me LOL) so consistently and constantly as these guys do. And in 34 years as a developer, no exceptions, best support I've ever had. So I don't know about the money end, but I hope it's rewarding.
I realize the original question was about whether TeamOpus is able to earn a crust, but reading the question from a different angle, I believe that it would be very possible for third parties to make a good living off of DO.
Specifically, I see a good business selling Opus training (and licenses) to corporations. The pitch would have to make the productivity improvements jump out at you. For that reason I'd favor approaching companies with Opus already highly skinned, in a handful of targeted flavors, as opposed to 'raw'. But that part is a bit of a fixed idea with me and I could be completely wrong.
If I didn't already have my plate full and wanted to start a business, I'd definitely look into it. The worst that could happen to a 'hungry' young person is that knocking on doors would lead them to develop some valuable contacts.
I agree completely - offering services such as DO training for various user levels - helping people understand some of the incredible power under the hood that I suspect a lot of users miss out on - and YES being able to provide a "Client Branded" DO with their desired look/feel - would definitely be a nice little niche market for some young up-an-comer. From my own experience, writing law & accounting software for small firms that couldn't afford huge document management systems - straight forward windows file management was life or death for them. I ended up writing a document management module for my software (this was long before I found DO). But TODAY - I know all kinds of target businesses including some developers I contract out to - and who I have PREACHED DO to but if someone came on-site and showed them the POWER of the FORCE - LoL
One final note though.... in my $.015 opinion, any add-on services would have to include being able to provide the perfect look/feel that the client wanted.... I won't reuse the word "skin" but I would definitely say that the current view GPS has about customizing look/feel and stepping outside the boundaries of the Windows theme... would need to be changed quite a bit. These days most computer users really expect and demand to be able to tweak every-damn-thing they want to. Worse if they are programmers! LOL
We let you customize the look & feel of Opus to a huge degree. More than virtually any other software (which these days, at most, give you a choice of Dark and Light). We let you change the color of most lister elements, apply background images, choose between various visual styles...
To be blunt, that is a ridiculous statement. Making claims like that over and over, just because we don't (currently) let you customize one particular color independent of another color, is an overreaction. I doubt corporate clients are going to care what color something is, either.
The screenshot from your own post demonstrates we aren't forcing you to use the Windows theme:
None of those colors are part of the Windows theme!
What claims? I was giving my opinion, shit I even SAID FLAT OUT - "in my $.015 opinion"!
I dunno mate, throwing the word ridiculous - just because you don't like my opinion - which, oh yeah, I was sharing in response to ANOTHER USER - well that just seems....
Look if you want, I can dig thru the archives to show you what you've said directly to me that supports my opinion! But really, it's not much worth it.
I'd also be more than happy to point you to DOZENS of apps that provide much more in-depth UI customizing - and whose implementation is far cleaner than having to look under "Pane Borders" to change Column Headers and Scrollbars. I won't bother with the list - I've mentioned some of the apps before, and see some others post a few names here and there. I'm sure I've already pissed you off enough if you thought I was being ridiculous before.
As for posting my screenshot and point at it as PROOF that I was just spewing twaddle and shite.... I never said NOR implied that I hadn't found many workarounds to get closer to where I need to be. If you re-read my post that's got you so hot already - what I referenced was the "view GPS has about..." and do you know where THAT came from? How would I know those views Leo?
YOU YOURSELF TOLD ME!
So hey look mate - if sharing my .015 opinion with ANOTHER USER here on the forum - offends you that much, I will be happy to sign off.
I should not have made that sound so declarative, but more of an observation in my limited corner of the universe And you are definitely special - I won't forget the only person I have ever come across who kept the default appearance!!! If I may ask - what kinds of things do you use that computer for and how long do you use it in an average day or week? You can tell me to piss off of course! I'm just curious - my only frame of reference is a mix of hardcore developers and hardcore business users, both groups spend a shocking amount of time on their workstation or other computer and both of which are exceptionally picky and demanding - which I believe is where apps like Visual Code and the Electron framework were hatched!
I said we were waiting to see what Microsoft's dark theme was like in case it made sense to use that.
We later changed direction, as it wasn't looking good, and did the dark path field stuff ourselves. How do you think we added it in Opus before Explorer's dark theme existed?
Here is another Win2000 look veteran. If you have dozens of windows open and/or need to handle a lot of running applications, this dark-theme, dark-border thing, it does not work out (for me).
Look at this mess, quite hard to determine the window borders here (7 windows):
Now compare to this (8 windows and still much easier to distinguish. o)
GUI designers waste a lot of pixels for useless empty space these days. I bought bigger displays to get more useful things onto the screen, now it's all padding, headlines and buttons bigger than the palm of my hand. Even here in the forum, huge white useless borders on the left and right and the heading is taking 25% of the screen height.
Is this the "responsive design" they claim?
I only get empty space and melting windows borders with this. It needs to stop! o)
And you are definitely special - I won't forget the only person I have ever come across who kept the default appearance!!! If I may ask - what kinds of things do you use that computer for and how long do you use it in an average day or week? You can tell me to piss off of course! I'm just curious - my only frame of reference is a mix of hardcore developers and hardcore business users, both groups spend a shocking amount of time on their workstation or other computer and both of which are exceptionally picky and demanding - which I believe is where apps like Visual Code and the Electron framework were hatched!
