Proton+ and PicBasicpro

[mister_e]

pause 500
pauseus 500
lcdout $fe,1,"hello"

<img src=http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=731&d=1137325991>

[picnaut]

Hi,

Well, I guess this is a case of one person seeing the glass as half full and the other seeing it as half empty. I choose to see it as half full, but to each his own.

Check out this link:
http://www.melabs.com/support/upgrade.htm

Look at the list of fixes in version 2.46.
If I'm not mistaken, each PBP user needs to pay to get those fixes.
Proton users don't have to pay for bug fixes, nor added features.

When we DO notice a bug, it's generally taken care of in short order.
I, personally, would rather have that. That's just my opinion anyway.

Regards,

[mister_e]

Well, if we DO found a bug in PBP, it's working the same way... User post their question on the forum, some user may reply or not. In the worst case that nobody know why, the Melabs customer support is incredible fast too. Charles and/or Jeff will'nt charge for a single bug if it's related to the compiler itself AND the fixe will be include in the next release...

oh by the way, why we still talk about that? Let's shake our hands Picnaut and let's work with the product we choose.

BTW is it still cold and cloudy in Vancouver?

[picnaut]

Hello,

Although there is good information on this forum, I feel that, in order to get a more balanced view (i.e. the other side of the coin), Rob (the originator of this thread) should post his question on the Proton user site as well (if he hasn't done so already).

Click on this link:
http://www.picbasic.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=67

If I were you Rob, I would direct my question toward former (or even current) PBP users who are now using Proton primarily. Especially those who have converted large PBP programs to Proton. Find out what their experiences have been.

And Steve, as for the weather in Vancouver, we are on our way to a record of "consecutive days with measurable precipitation". Although yesterday was sunny and warm, it rained for a while in the early morning hours, so the record is still set to be broken.

[J. Mark Wolf]

If I were you Rob, I would direct my question toward former (or even current) PBP users who are now using Proton primarily. Especially those who have converted large PBP programs to Proton. Find out what their experiences have been.

I'm happy to relate my experiences with MBasic, PicBasicPro and Proton.

I had a large Basic Micro ATOM program that filled a PIC16F877. The BasicMicro tools had all the extensions and modifiers I needed but I had a lot more coding to do on my aviation related instrumentation project, and it did not support PIC 18F parts with the larger code space.

I bought PicBasicPro which does support the larger 18F devices, and ported the entire program over from MBasic in about 3 evenings, including the clumsy hoops I had to jump through to get PicBasicPro to handle the strings, 32-bit integer math, and byte arrays. I really didn't like the lack of 32-bit integer math, the poor string and array handling.

I stumbled on the Proton Development Studio website, downloaded and read the manual, haunted the Proton forum for a week, and decided to buy the PDS v3 package.

I had the entire PicBasicPro program, which originally filled a PIC18F877, completely ported over to Proton and running in 1.5 evenings. The excellent error handling made it a snap to spot the syntactical differences, and it even made altenative suggestions for command usage.

The Proton tool suite offers outstanding string handling, 32-bit math, and byte array handling, it offers much more than ALL the competition in the way of LCD and compact flash card extensions (just fer instance), and the standard manual BLOWS AWAY ALL the competition.

Don't look now BasicMicro and MELabs, but Crownhill Proton Development Suite is way out front. No, I don't work for Proton. I'm just happy that after spending the money I have on all 3 packages, that I finally have a tool that doesn't leave me wanting for more.

BasicMicro and MELabs have gotten "tired" and allowed the new "kid in town" to lap them. Congratulations to Proton and shame on BasicMicro and MELabs.

[picnaut]

Hi Mr. Wolf,

To avoid a "flame war", you may want to limit your "enthusiastic" comments to the Proton User site.

Just a suggestion.

Have a great day everyone.

Regards,

[mister_e]

Bah easy and/or faster way is still the only way to never learn and be scewed up if it doesn't work as you wish and it's not related to your own fault.

I tried PROTON too before AND became a BETA TESTER for them... and i returned to PBP ONLY. I guess nobody's working the same way.

Oh well, if i'd, and many others, never tried to learn something diging in datasheet, here and there.... .... .... to know how to make workable XYZ routine or hardware, i'd probably did the same thing myself too... but not my case, i still prefer to learn something.

I have no regrets in the cash investment, it's tax deductible anyway but not he time i lost playing with

[J. Mark Wolf]

Hi Mr. Wolf,

To avoid a "flame war", you may want to limit your "enthusiastic" comments to the Proton User site.

Point well taken.

Someone asked, so..., and I feel that paying customers are entitled to grumble a little bit. I got it out of my system now!