I would like to know about people's experience of working with APEX and the SalesForce.com platform, was it easy to work with? How similar to Java and C# is it? What did you like? What don't you like? Would you recommend it? Do you think cloud computing has a long term successful future?

My reason for asking is that I am currently looking at a new position which involves working with APEX on the SalesForce.com platform. The position interests me but I just want to try and understand what I might be signing up for with regards the languages/platform as it is completely different from what I have worked with before.

I have seen lots of videos/blog posts online (mainly from the recent Dreamforce event) and they obviously are very positive but I was just after some experiences from developers, both positive and negative.

I find cloud computing a very interesting idea, but I am very new to the subject. The position I am looking at offers a fantastic opportunity but I was just after some opinions on APEX and the platform as I have no real world experience just what I have seen from the online videos.

I guess ultimately what I am asking is:

• Are APEX and the SalesForce.com platform good to get involved in? Is development on the Force.com just a "career dead end"?

• Is cloud computing just a fad? Or does it have a long term future?

Apologies in advance if this is the wrong place to ask such a question.

Thanks