They are if you are doing any of your research at work :-)
I started using Delphi for shareware/hobby products and while the
initial investment was higher, I reap the benefits of a huge third party
and open source component environment.
Lets see, say you need a syntax highlighting editor component for free,
delphi has you covered with Synedit http://synedit.sourceforge.net/, say
you want a very nice bocking TCP/IP client/server framework, again your
covered (Synapse http://www.ararat.cz/synapse/), say you want a nice XP
like tool bar component, Toolbar 2000 is there (www.jrsoftware.org)
along with Inno Setup (created with Delphi) and of course we can't
forget about Zeos http://www.zeoslib.net
I could go on and on....
You certainly don't need any staff behind you to use Delphi. I don't
have a staff....or a ton of spare cash....
I bought Delphi 2005 back in December and I just finished paying it off
a little each month, was it worth it? You better believe it...
Sounds like you invested in a Dell laptop or PC from prior posts, the
same can be said for a nice profesional RAD IDE.
You need to make an investment, you get what you pay for.
Find a copy of Delphi 5 pro on ebay or whatever for cheap, then use it
to get the upgrade.
>
We could go on and on about this, so this will be my last post on this
subject. If you do decide to go with Delphi let me know and I could
provide some examples.
>
> I should have made it clear that I am just a hobbyist teaching myself
> in my spare time, for fun. Tony Caduto is worried that some employer
> is losing money because I wont purchase Delphi. But thanks Tony, for
> your good advice. And it IS good advice for someone with money and
> staff behind them to take that advice and make something productive
> happen.
>