We need citizen devs, cries Microsoft – but pricey new licensing plans for PowerApps might put paid to that

Microsoft introduced new licensing plans for its PowerApps platform at the Inspire partner conference this week to accommodate the increasing capabilities available. Microsoft's PowerApps is growing apace, certainly in terms of the effort the company is putting into extending it. It is one of three components in what the …

[Anonymous Coward]

We are just not going to have professional developers to build these applications.

And that pretty much sums up Microsoft's attitude towards software engineers.

Hey, SatNad: would you go to a citizen-dentist for a root canal? My apartment building's Mr-Fixit has some power tools and drills in his toolbox. I'm sure he can help.

Oooooh, you won't go to a citizen-dentist for a root canal. Why not?

[Teiwaz]

Re: We are just not going to have professional developers to build these applications.

This 'dBase idea' for the non-programmer has been tried before.

Until you've got something like the Computer on the Enterprise D (and citizens used to the idea of challenging themselves rather than tromping through the motions they were taught on their first day on the job) not really very likely without some structured logical training at least.

[simonlb]

Re: We are just not going to have professional developers to build these applications.

I wonder if you could use it to build a decent looking and functional UI to nail onto Windows 10?

[jelabarre59]

Re: We are just not going to have professional developers to build these applications.

We've already got a decent looking and functional UI (Cinnamon Desktop). The trick is getting it to work as a MSWin shell. Was so much better with the MSWin 3.x versions where that was a fully-supported function (although through at least the MSWin 9x versions it could be made to work too).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: We are just not going to have professional developers to build these applications.

I wonder if you could use it to build a decent looking and functional UI to nail onto Windows 10?

That's about as impossible as retrofitting some security and respect for privacy to it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft championing compassionate, generous, enlightened developer relations?

If they actually do that, then I expect their next initiative will involve flying pigs. Or maybe they will outsource that one to Elon Musk.

[Steve Davies 3]

Microsoft: We need you

but we need your Money more! (says the most valuable company in the world by market cap)

No change there then!

MS BAU

[mics39]

Re: Microsoft: We need you

We need more cheap labour!

[JohnFen]

Microsoft's deal

We'll imprison you in our ecosystem and charge you plenty for the privilege! Now thank us, plebe.

[thondwe]

Excel

Citizen Developers use Excel don't they? And we all know how well that works?

[John70]

Re: Excel

Oh yes....

[David Lewis 2]

Re: Excel

Senior Citizen Developers use Access!

[jelabarre59]

Re: Excel

Senior Citizen Developers use Access!

UGH! I've seen some of those amateur-built Access projects. Why would ANYONE have thought welding together the UI and the data storage itself into the SAME file was ever a good idea?

[Captain Scarlet]

Re: Excel

To speed up database application development for simple applications.

[Captain Scarlet]

Re: Excel

Yup and my frankenstein access front ends from years ago keep going (Obviously data and stored procedures are run via sql hense pretty reliable).

[Anonymous Coward]

And while we're at it..

.. we'll keep an eye on you pesky lot via our spyware in case one of you comes up with a really good idea, which we will then "accidentally" develop an equivalent for.

What? Stac Electronics? But that's old, we are now a better company now, and we even support Linux. We're not running a triple licensing/spyware/IP theft scam now, honest.

Well, not right now.