> Think about it this way if the back end database was MS SQL Server or Informix or DB2 or Oracle or Ingres you would expect someone with IT experience to install and configure the database.

Thomas, I believe your statement is perfectly valid, but with the price of those products, the extra cost of installation would probably be assumed. However, with a "free" database, I believe different expectations could be assumed. With my product, other circumstances are in play.

Version 2 of my product used the MS Access Run-Time Engine which was free to my end users so had no impact on pricing. For version 3, I needed to select a "real database" that, like Access, would continue to have no affect on product cost (Firebird).

With Version 2, my users could install the product without the aid of an IT professional. If I required one for version 3, then I have effectively increased product cost. That would cost me customers, and/or impact new sales. With the number of offices that use my product, it is simply not possible for me to function as their IT staff.

So, while it may not be possible to have an installation as simple as the one I had for an MS Access back end, I still need to make one that minimizes the need for an IT professional, or my involvement.