Embarcadero Technologies Reviews 7

After using a software in trial mode and not using it for months, only having it installed, I receive emails with threats that I must purchase licenses or they will sue me for up to $150,000
Scammers

The company bough and paid for a Rad Studio 10.1 licence. I'm updating my PC so needed to re-install. It wouldn't accept the username and password on the install. The account doesn't seam to be active on Embarcaderos web site, so I can't do a password reset. Embarcadero won't help, because we don't have an active maintenance plan.

Reached out to the reseller, who said because the licence was in a previous employees name, I need to buy it again. Why is it the case I need to buy a new licence when a programmer leaves and I hire a new one. Shouldn't the company own the licence if it paid for it? I understand if I have 10 programmers I need 10 licences, but as a small company we can only hire one. Well none at the moment, its just me trying to rebuild a business after the pandemic

We've used C++ Builder for years and I use 3, 4, 6, XE3, 2010 and 10.1 regularly. So much for loyalty and helping small businesses.

Why delete an account that is needed to install a product that has been bought and paid for? Its not like old versions were I have the disks and a key, I need that on-line login for the product I paid for.

Not to forget about the 3 days of work I've lost. The new licence may still take a few days to arrive, so more days lost. Not a way to run a business.

Paid $2000 for C++ Builder with 3-year update in October 2019 in order to be able to continue developing Android apps. Embarcadero sales representative points me to the plan that shows this is in the roadmap to be done by summer of 2020.

Google starts requiring 64-bit support Aug 1. 2020, Embarcadero is not ready. I am no longer able to release updates. Embarcadero then changes their roadmap, completely drops 64-bit Android support, and says "windows apps a priority". I am now unable to release updates for 5 months already, with no plan for this to change.

I invested my time in development, money for the software, and left with nothing.

For me, it's good, not perfect, but still usable

Not yet ready for commercial use, but very potential IDE for cross platform app development, to monitor.

This review is about Rad Studio, and in particular Firemonkey as everything is now cross platform where - few would today develop an app in the traditional Rad Studio.

The good about Rad Studio/Firemonkey is the visual development, and the C++ development. Unfortunately Embarcadero is still considering Pascal as the focus despite new potential developers are at C++/C# not willing to develop in Pascal.

The bad is, most key components are having show stopping bugs. Key components such as TButton, TLabel, TCombo, TStringGrid all have graphics issues and bugs - plus colors and styles is almost impossible to customize. Components for communication and database are unreliable, many components are not fully developed - often work in Pascal but not in C++. Embarcadero does unfortunately use the resources to further develop new servers, and Linux support, instead of fixing the bugs at the base level.

Instead of adding reliable support for Amazon and Google cloud, Embarcadero try develop their own "Amazon AWS", which is of cause unrealistic - they should work with Amazon AWS and Google Cloud, not against. Embarcadero should skip their proprietary database, and focus on supporting AWS and Google databases. The whole idea of moving to the cloud is to scale and to have save data and zero database administration, which Rad Server does not provide. Embarcadero should also skip the Rad Server, since the future is server less,to scale, and zero admin of databases and servers - Rad Server is do-it-your-self admin. Datasnap never worked reliably, cannot scale, is a dead track to follow.

In general Embarcadero had/have too many balls in the air, not securing the base level - the development of the app itself - before they continued with new heavy development projects such as the Rad Server - a fatal decision.

I give 3 stars for the visual development IDE, and the C++ support, and for the potential future commercial use - hopefully Embarcadero will get the bugs fixed and enhanced the key components at the base level - true support for AWS and Google Cloud is not so important, actually not recommended, better and more flexible to access via HTTPS POST (TNetHTTP) and add support for the REST - till then, Rad Studio/Firemonkey is not for commercial use, but at the experimental level.

(Support for compiling to browsers would hit the nail for Firemonkey, the only platform not supported)