For 7 or 8 years in the late 90's I owned a software
company with two programmers, two salesmen and two tech
support/trainers etc. We specialized in Dental Patient
Mgt and polished the programs development using FOXPRO.

We had 32 different relational database files with 106
prebuilt indexes and 103,000 lines of very high level code
code. This was DOS actually and it ran fantastically with
Novel or Lantastic for multi user environments up to
7 or 8 users. I had spent 75 thousand toward conversion
to OS.2 when IBM pulled the plug. The reason FoxPro was
used was because it was an integrated screen management
and relational database engine all wrapped up in one.
Really it is still better than anything else Microsoft
has ever come out with but they orphaned it somewhat
as it never fit in with their long term plans.

I had 46 installed systems ranging from single users
to 12 user systems. I could NEVER go the Windows route
and DOS was declared dead by my competitors and sales had
dried up so I sold my customer base to a competitor and assisted
in the development of data conversion routines to their
windows system. Basically I broke even on about 8 years
of effort. During development it was very easy to obtain
demo copies of prominent competitor systems to study
the user interfaces and functions.

I remember at the trade shows that there were two
UNIX system vendors with Dental packages for larger
clinics but cant recall their names.

Anyway, I am still friends with many of my former
Dentist clients and they are asking how to get away
from the Microsoft crap.

I know there are some strong databases for Linux like
Mysql or Postgresql, but I only know of them as used
in internet related work. Are there some good combinations
of Linux development packages for use in multiuser environments
such as a dental office with 3 or 4 front office assistants
and a terminal in 5 or 6 operatories as well as the
Dentist's office and consult room ?

I have an old High School buddy dentist friend
who would pay 5 or 6 thousand dollars for commercially
supported software using Linux/Unix that is proven
and stable and without the Microsoft crap.

To the guy who mentioned that he had seen a few
Linux based alternatives, can you please supply
some contact info for them?

Scott Perkins