I use MySql, and for a while now I've been using a very nice database utility called phpMyAdmin. It runs on PHP. It was created by someone in Italy, I think, and is available from www.phpwizard.net. It has worked great for my needs, providing a convenient web-based interface for creating, modifying, and dropping tables, inserting records, and running SQL queries.
At the moment, though, it is only available for MySql and PostgreSQL as far as I know. But since you it comes as PHP source code, and PHP supports Oracle, you should be able to get it to work without too much difficulty. Of course, you would need to write your own code to support the more advanced Oracle features (like foreign keys) that MySQL doesn't have. But if you do decide to build your own interface, I would recommend this as a good place to start.
Just wanted to post my two cents in one area that I don't think has been covered yet: application stability. Yes, Linux is a much more solid OS then windows. But Grampa is going to be spending much of his time with this computer surfing the Web, using a browser. On Linux of course that means Netscape. Even being an experienced computer user (I design web applications for a living) I have at times found myself frustrated and filled with rage as Netscape 4.x for Linux crashes yet again. It just isn't stable, and in my opinion a web browser that crashes unexpectedly and often is unacceptable. Grampa is going to be confused, or at least annoyed, and when all of a sudden his browser dissapears completely. Linux is great, but Netsape 4.x is not. I don't have any experience using Netscape on a Mac, but my experience in both Windows and Linux says that it crashes far to often. If it were my descision I would go with Windows and IE, just because of the browser stability. No, I don't like Microsoft, but in this case it's the best bet.
First of all, I think that you're completely right on. The old style keyboards were the best. Having come into Natural Keyboard land too late, however, I had to settle for an elite. (My boss has one of the old ones.)
There's probably an underground market for the old style keyboard
Does anyone know if there really is somewhere to get one?
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I use MySql, and for a while now I've been using a very nice database utility called phpMyAdmin. It runs on PHP. It was created by someone in Italy, I think, and is available from www.phpwizard.net. It has worked great for my needs, providing a convenient web-based interface for creating, modifying, and dropping tables, inserting records, and running SQL queries.
At the moment, though, it is only available for MySql and PostgreSQL as far as I know. But since you it comes as PHP source code, and PHP supports Oracle, you should be able to get it to work without too much difficulty. Of course, you would need to write your own code to support the more advanced Oracle features (like foreign keys) that MySQL doesn't have. But if you do decide to build your own interface, I would recommend this as a good place to start.
Just wanted to post my two cents in one area that I don't think has been covered yet: application stability. Yes, Linux is a much more solid OS then windows. But Grampa is going to be spending much of his time with this computer surfing the Web, using a browser. On Linux of course that means Netscape. Even being an experienced computer user (I design web applications for a living) I have at times found myself frustrated and filled with rage as Netscape 4.x for Linux crashes yet again. It just isn't stable, and in my opinion a web browser that crashes unexpectedly and often is unacceptable. Grampa is going to be confused, or at least annoyed, and when all of a sudden his browser dissapears completely. Linux is great, but Netsape 4.x is not. I don't have any experience using Netscape on a Mac, but my experience in both Windows and Linux says that it crashes far to often. If it were my descision I would go with Windows and IE, just because of the browser stability. No, I don't like Microsoft, but in this case it's the best bet.