DEVCON 1995: Day 3 -- Tuesday, July 11.

Today's activities.

Today was the second "real" day of DEVCON, and the sessions continued while the vendor booths were open all day. Big changes affecting the Partners Program were revealed, but the main event was the Big Party at San Jose Live, a nearby sports bar.

The big news of the day:

Walt Nelson to depart ACI US.

This morning revealed the big news that Walt Nelson will soon step down from his position as Manager of ACI US Partner Services.

"I've been out of 4D development for nearly two years," Walt stated in an exclusive hallway interview, citing his desire not to lose touch with programming 4D as the main reason for his departure. Walt plans to update his books, improve his SQL connectivity skills, hold training seminars and specialize in troubleshooting and optimization. He also wants to write practical cross-platform databases. Walt stated that he didn't view this as leaving ACI US, but more like taking a sabbatical.

Regarding the day-to-day operation of the Partner Services program, Walt expressed great confidence in his assistants Liz and Doris. "They have basically finished everything I have started. They are my right and my left arm." When asked if he knew who would replace him, Walt stated that he did not know, but that "the administrative side will keep on rolling."

JPR Optimization Class to be held in October.

ACI US Training Manager Jeff Browning revealed to our interviewer that due to popular demand, the 4D Optimization Techniques class taught by JPR (ACI Trainer Jean-Pierre Ribreau) will be held in October of this year. The yet-unscheduled classes will be held on both coasts.

You didn't hear this from us:
Quotes, rumors, and just plain gossip.

We asked attendees for their best gossip and rumors, and where they thought 4th Dimension would be this time next year. Here are today's responses.

Motorola and ACI US will soon form a strategic alliance where Motorola's PowerPC-based Windows NT servers will run 4D as the standard desktop database application. Finally we will see a true test of the PowerPC chip vs. the Pentium chip: the same database on the same operating system will compete on different chips.

-- Anonymous Rumor

"This DEVCON was the best one I've ever been to!"

-- Anonymous Comment

"We should start a pool to see just how long Walt Nelson stays away."

-- Anonymous Comment

Next year's DEVCON will be in September in Orlando, Florida. Bring your Mickey Mouse ears.

-- Anonymous Rumor

"The only current platform that 4D Universal runs on is a slide projector."

-- Peter Schumacher, Wizard

"Being a Macintosh bigot, I wasn't expecting to be impressed with 4D for Windows. But I was! I was impressed with the ease with which 4D programs coeld be translated. I came with a chip on my shoulder and it was taken off gently."

-- Doug Blew, Friday Solutions

Next year's International DEVCON will be in Paris; the UK, Swedish, French and German DEVCONs will merge into one.

-- Anonymous Rumor