Over time, I’ve found that really good software - I don’t mean software that just does the job, but that does it simply and elegantly and looks gorgeous - is very often written using Borland Delphi.
Nevertheless, I was pretty amazed to find today that the Skype client for Windows is a Delphi application. I confirmed this fact using one of my favourite free utilities: Greatis WinDowse (also a Delphi application).
Using WinDowse, it’s often possible to establish, within a few seconds, which class or component libraries have been used to create an HMI. It turns out that large parts of the Skype UI appear to be built using the free Delphi Unicode Controls from a perhaps unlikely source: TntWare - a husband and wife team who create free software for missionary workers. And why not?
An idle thought - would Skype have become the same mammoth success story if the developers had opted to use .NET rather than Delphi? I rather think not.
1 response so far ↓
1 Simon Harriyott // Dec 2, 2005 at 10:17
That’s really interesting. I disagree with your conclusion though. The original Napster was the ugliest looking software I’ve ever seen, but it was also a huge success. The success of skype can be attributed to being one of the first services to offer free international phone calls. If it looked as bad as Napster, it still would have been successful, because people would rather get for free what they’re used to paying for.