Access is too good

Ok, I am a fan of Microsoft Access.  Like a lot of fans, I find it hard to understand why the world is not teeming with fans for the same things I am a fan of.

But in the case of Access, I have noticed some contradictions that I frankly can't understand.  Some of these contradictions were highlighted for me at a an all-day event I attended this week, a public training day put on by Microsoft.  This event was all about 2007 Office, and also Vista.

Don't get me wrong here...  This was an excellent event, well attended and well run, and I enjoyed it and got a lot out of it.

But where does Access fit in?  Why wasn't Access featured?  Here are some pertinent facts:

• Microsoft have invested huge resources into 2007 Access, multiple times more than they have in any previous version.
• The JET database engine has been significantly extended.
• The new features in 2007 Access that make it even more attractive, both to information workers and developers, are exciting and extensive.
• Microsoft at the product development end have clearly signalled an intention for Access to have a very bright and significant future.
• As a RAD tool for developing utilitarian database applications, nothing else comes anywhere remotely close to Access's abilities.
• Access newsgroups continue to be the most active of all the Office-related newsgroups.
• Microsoft continue to significantly increase the number of Access MVPs awarded.

I could go on and on.

So, how can this happen?  Microsoft has got a fantastic product with a fantastic future, but the evangelists act like they are not even aware of its existence.  Microsoft put on a large public function, with a focus on Office 2007, and there's apparently no intention of even mentioning the word Access even once.

(Well, as it happens, Access did get a small mention, in response to the input of a certain "community influencer" - but that's another story!)

One of the sessions at the conference was called "The 2007 Microsoft Office System: the next generation development platform".  This was very interesting, about using C# to make add-ins.  Fair enough.  I know there were a lot of Office developers in the room, already familiar with VBA, for whom any managed code demonstrations would have been more relatable in VB.Net as against C#, but that's beside the point.  As for Access developers, I would imagine that for the immediate future at least, VBA will continue to be the programming language of choice, and again, Microsoft seem to have committed to VBA's future.

But all that aside, this event was supposed to have a focus on 2007 Office products, and using them as a development platform.  Wouldn't you say, of all the Office products, there is more application development done in Access than any of the others?  Wouldn't you expect this to continue to be the case?  So wouldn't you expect Access to get a mention in this context?  We had examples of Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, but not Access...  Why?  Is it because Access as a product, and Access development, are too different, too unique, too many exceptional aspects, to be able to comfortably fit in?

Here are a few possible explanations I've thought of:

• Erik Rucker and Clint Covington are the front men for an intricate optical illusion hoax.  There will be no Access in retail Office 2007.
• We are onto a hidden clue to the secret of Microsoft's business success - spend 100 man-years (or whatever it is) building a product upgrade, and then don't tell anyone about it.
• Access is so good that it just sells itself, so no promotional effort is needed.

Can anyone think of a better explanation?

Tags: Microsoft+Access