great write-up.
my believe after also looking at a zillion of this applications is if you lock-up a php [insert scripting language of your choice here - kinda of playing with python now after +years of php], your programmer can correct the PERFECT applications for you using the free, open source tools out there. A month tops.
The tools now are SO easy to use. And your final applications will probably blow away ANYTHING your can purchase. Why? Because it's what YOU want. What would take you 18 months to do in '01, you can pretty much do now in a weekend.
just my 2 cents.
ed
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