Why Kill Access?

Copper Contributor

Why do people want to kill Access? Press releases since the 1990s said MS will discontinue Access, and yet and lives on. I can only imagine how important it is to so many people and businesses. I also find people are always putting down Access, especially tech people that have never developed or implemented an Access app. It's laughable. I have over 50 mission critical apps I've been managing for 2 decades and I never have any problems. I rapidly continue development so quick and easy...and fun. Users love it because I can literally create anything they need. The apps quickly evolve and get better and better. I do things so quickly! I'm so happy I know the wonderful secret about how great Access is but concerned that no one else seems to understand how relevant it is. As I near retirement age I am concerned that we won't be able to find people that know Access. . Here's a good thread on the crazy topic of Access and it's imminent demise: Microsoft Access: Is it still relevant in 2022? - Explore Alternatives (comparitech.com)

2 Replies

@coskerk 

First, use of the term "Press releases..." implies something rather more substantial than what ACTUALLY happens. "Rumors are spread..." would be a more accurate description.  MS has never suggested anything close to a discontinuation of Access. These rumors are started by, and propagated by, generally uninformed, and all too often anonymous, entities. 

 

Fear not, although there are many detractors willing to repeat the rumors, they remain that, rumors.

 

Is Access going to survive for another 28 years? I don't know. Most people have an opinion, but not many of those opinions have a lot of facts behind them.

 

Computing in general is changing constantly. That's a good thing, for the most part. In my career I saw the first Windows 1.0 application installed on a DOS computer and was mildly amused by the clumsy way it worked. Then, not long after that, Windows 3.0 rolled out and everything changed.

 

I remember seeing people's heads popping up to look over their cubicle walls when the first modem in our department started pinging it's hello song. That pioneer was suddenly connected to "the World Wide Web" and over the next few months, the way we all worked changed completely.

 

And today? I can't even begin to describe the myriad options open to the people currently using computers. It's not surprising that many people anticipate the end of desktop applications like Access. It's almost inevitable. However, I can't see it happening until the last two person office in a remote corner of the world turns off the lasting working Windows computer and turns entirely to the internet.


Along in there somewhere Access will cease to be relevant. That day is not this day.

 

Hi George,

 

Even if it is a "press release", which is quite easy to do online today, there is often a lot of misinformation in it, like in the linked article, which contains several errors. e.g. regarding the relationship to FoxPro, compatibility, ODBC, O365 and AWA, and the mentioned alternatives as usual are none. But unfortunately the article keeps popping up as a reference in such discussions.

 

Servus
Karl
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