Python executables?

[achrist at easystreet.com]

Catalin wrote:
> 
> And the programs also run much slower and become extremely big 
> compared to a normal C++ program for example. 
>

This is a funny thing.  IBM has done some studies that showed that
users do prefer faster programs, but only 25% faster.  If a program
runs more than 25% faster than what they are used to, users don't
like it.  I find that despite the interpreter and whatnot, my Python
code runs about 25% faster than what users are used to when loading
and running the humongous applications of the humongous vendors. 
Thus, Python is just perfect, if it was any faster, it would be
annoying.  

Since you are obviously having some interest in commercial pursuits,
consider that a similar heuristic probably works now wrt program size,
another one of your concerns, as well.  With big disks and CD-ROMs,
etc, program size is just about irrelevant as a practical matter
to everyone except the shareware developer who has to pay for 100
downloads per sale, but it is more important psychologically. (Even
the shareware guy doesn't really have much of a complaint, actually,
anymore. You can buy bandwidth for about $2/GB.  My programs, built
with the McMillan installer including lots and lots of screens and
libraries and all kinds of run-on code, only come out 3.5 MB when
compressed.  That's way under $0.01 per download at $2/GB.) 

Let's say that there are two boxes on the shelf at the software store.
They both have the same price, $100.  They both have the same feature
set. They both look ok.  One says, "Disk space required, 25 MB."  The
other one says, "Disk space required, 25 KB."  Which one would you buy?
You've got to give them something to make them think that they are
getting something.  It's a status thing, like silicone. How else can
the individual code writer keep up with the humongous applications
from the humongous software companies? Just like George Bush, jr, said
that the $1.6 trillion 2001 tax cut was 'just right', I think that the
3.5 MB program is 'just right'. 

Do whatever is 'just right' for you.


Al