Customer Reviews

COM and DCOM: Micrsoft's Vision for Distributed Objects

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

The book miraculously avoids going into technical stuff. So I would guess it was meant to be for managers, and dummy ones for that matter! I'm not here to say Microsoft does not have anything to offer; it sure does. But to get a handle on that, you will have to go somewhere else, e.g. on the technical side, books by Don BOX, as an introduction to COM 'Inside COM' by Dale ROGERSON, as an introduction to DCOM 'Inside DCOM' by Guy EDDON...

And for good measure, don't forget to listen to the other side of the story: read books on CORBA and JAVA, too!

The book has good information about using COM and Visual J++. However, using the chip on his shoulder and assuming the general public is not capable of comprehending COM and DCOM directly, Sessions viciously attacks technologies he doesn't like and over sugar coats the topic in a third grade like method using his gnome theme, making the first two chapters a brutal experience. Unless you are interested in learning more insite about Sessions himself, I don't recommend the book.

In a Session's-like summary, my brain, named Billy, working with my eys, Elen, and hands, Henry and Harry, attempted to interpret the speakings of the book, Bob. After a tremendous amount of negotiations between Billy and Elen, and numerous requests to Henry and Harry to ask Bob to back up and repeat himself, Elen and Billy finally got to the end of what Bob was attempting to say and agreed that Henry and Harry should issue a terminal close statement to Bob and find a new written topic object.

Sorry, but that's my impression.

The author presents himself as a visionary who can tell Bill Gates where Microsoft is heading. However, the so called "Microsoft's vision" apparently seems to exist only in the author's mind. I tried to find any independent proof of the fact that Microsoft sees Java/DCOM/VB as its long-term strategy, but could not. In fact, Java still is a Microsoft's stepson, and not the loved one. VB is very different from Java and both are syntaxically very different from COM/DCOM. Hard to imagine how such trinity can constitute a solid framework for enterprise development. If this is a Microsoft's vision of the future this is a gloomy future. I also got tired of constantly translating from gnomish to human (substituting gnomes for objects, rooms for address space, etc.). I believe, gnome analogy is a good analogy and could help a beginner programmer - but the book is obviously not for beginners. For professionals, gnomes only obscure the subject, and professionals don't have extra time to read gnome stories and translate them into professional language. They prefer straight talk on the subject.

This book put my boss and myself to sleep in no time!!! I wonder if the author is serious about delivering the concepts. He talks about Gnomes and other beings to present information- A style not appreciated by geeks like me. I like the facts straight.

I wanted to learn about COM and DCOM.

The back cover was completely misleading. Mr. Session's is extremely biased toward Microsoft. The organization of the book is maddening.

The author takes the approach of creating an analogy between COM/DCOM and furry little creatures called "gnomes". At first it was amusing. Eventually I felt as though I was reading a bad children's story.

I'm a technical person, and this book is not for the technical minded.

The book covers some interesting topics...unfortunately, it's padded with endless storytelling and lousy jokes. I'd look elsewhere - there must be other books out there that present the same topics more thoroughly with fewer pages.

Reading the various customer reviews, it is clear that people either love this book, or hate it. I think this is because it is difficult book to classify.

Given the title, one would suspect that it is a technical primer -- and for those who expected a book to help them program DCOM applications, they have come to completely the wrong place. THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR PROGRAMMERS! For those who have given the book a 1 star review because it doesn't explain the technical details: I agree - go buy "Inside Distributed COM".

However, what the book is _extremely_ good at is explaining what all this COM and DCOM stuff is to non-technical people. Developers and Programmers often forget that there are many people in their organisation who have no idea what they are really working on, and there is a real need to help educate this constituency.

Is it biased? Yes. Does it present the CORBA v. COM debate fairly? No. Is it a Microsoft PR piece? Yes.

But if you are a Microsoft house, who cares?

Today, I had a product manager come to me asking for an explaination of the "architecture" we developers keep talking about. We keep on going on about how great "Three-tier" is, and how it will make everything better - but most of the organisation has no idea what we are really talking about. I had absolutely no hesitation in suggesting that my colleague read Session's book, and I have no doubt she will walk away from it with a better understanding of what we are doing.

What more can you ask?

Micro$oft is famous for its ability to push out new development technologies. The reason behind this planned obsolesence is obvious, every time they come out with something new people will have to open their wallets to "keep up."

DCOM is just another disposable technology. As such, it was a complete failure; one that the marketing folks at M$ have tried to bury as quickly as possible under an avalanche of .NET hype.

DCOM was hard to port because, like COM, it is based on a binary standard (i.e. a standard that changes when you leave x86 and go to 64-bit RISC). Not only that, but DCOM doesn't support distributed transactions. Worst of all, DCOM is a very, very complicated technology to use. Three strikes... YOU'RE OUT!

The half-wit MBAs at Micro$oft realized their mistake and have abandoned DCOM, leaving it forever in the backwaters where the only record of its sorry existence are stupid books like this.

I have no idea why someone would want to buy this book. Folks, this is a dead technology. It is no more. It is an ex-techology. If you buy this book, you are lying to yourself. This book will sit an gather dust, unless you can find more productive uses for it...like burning it to stay warm.

Could not understand the head or tail of the book. if only he could get rid of the gnomes. My initial impression was that the gnomes must there only in the beginning of the chapters to start out the explaination of COM and DCOM...but unfortunately it dragged on and with it my attention..
Highly not recommended..

This is my very first exposure to COM and DCOM. Reading this book did give me the basic knowledge of what COM and DCOM are and what are microsofts plans for the future. BUT to tell everyone the truth, why have so many examples and drag the subject to nearly 45 - 60 pages per chapter?? To make one point, one has to read a whole page!! Go on the the next point please!!! We can all read opinions about Java and Microsoft and the rest in a magazine. Dont put it in a book for goodnesssake!

If I even knew a little about COM and DCOM, this book would definately not be for me! I give it 3 stars because I actually learnt something.