[pianotech] Database for Piano Business

[pmc033 at earthlink.net]

Hi, Jim:
	Thanks.  I enjoy your posts.  
	I guess I'll just keep reading these posts to see what works for others. 
For now, I just use Palm and  Quickbooks while I explore Outlook for an
alternative.  If I had a PPc, or Windows Mobile phone, I could use it
directly with Outlook, which I can't do because I have a Treo with the Palm
OS.  I like having my scheduling capability with me in my phone. 
Alternatively, I've been thinking about a netbook to keep my calendar
handy.  
	Interesting stuff.  
	Paul McCloud	
	San Diego
	


> [Original Message]
> From: Jim Moy <jim at moypiano.com>
> To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 03/04/2009 1:08:44 PM
> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Database for Piano Business
>
> Hi Paul, sorry to pick on your post -- nothing personal.  In software
> development there are a lot of parallels with the piano tech world if
> you consider its creation and maintenance a service, and less a
> packaged product that is "done."  Many of the same problems exist
> staying in business, keeping your customers happy, keeping up with
> technology, etc.
>
> Duaine Hechler occasionally reminds us, one way to ensure the "torch"
> for any given piece of software has the potential to be carried on
> once the original author has retired, grown tired of it, or has simply
> moved on, is to use programs where the source code is available so the
> needed work can be hired.  But then what incentive is there for the
> initial outlay of time and effort to create it?
>
> I generally like and have been using Time & Chaos, but I've been
> fiddling with some web-based software that suits my own preferences
> better.
>
> Jim
>
> On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 10:22 AM, pmc033 at earthlink.net
> <pmc033 at earthlink.net> wrote:
> > Ok,ok.  I get the picture.  Yeah, I'm cheap, but I've seen too many
> > technician programs end up unsupported after some time, so I'm wary of
> > going there.  That's all.  I've found that if I go out of the
mainstream I
> > end up regretting it for some reason or other.  I admire Dean Reyburn
for
> > his Cybertuner software, and his tenacity for keeping it updated and
> > working in different platforms.  It must be more than a full time job
doing
> > that.  It may be that the popularity of the program allows him to spend
> > that amount of time on it.  If you wrote a program that only a handful
of
> > folks use, it would be harder to justify the time to rewrite it every
time
> > there's a new operating system or platform that it needs to run on.  I
have
> > a feeling that this factor is at work here.  And, as I mentioned, the
M$oft
> > co. has so many people working for them that they can afford to support
it
> > for as long as they have to.  But I guess that  condemns me to struggle
> > with programs that don't do everything I need them to do, and aren't as
> > integrated as PTBiz or other specialized programs.
> >        Paul (damn cheap) McCloud
> >        inSandyEggo
> >
> >
> >> [Original Message]
> >> From: Jim Moy <jim at moypiano.com>
> >> To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
> >> Date: 03/04/2009 8:47:11 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Database for Piano Business
> >>
> >> So, here I am, as a piano playing software engineer, looking for the
> >> Holy Grail of piano service.  I know what I want, so somebody tunes my
> >> piano the way I like, and now the unisons are going out.  I can't find
> >> him any more because he couldn't make a living as a tooner.  One
> >> talented technician certainly can't spend the days of work keeping
> >> just my piano in pristine shape all the time and be able to support
> >> himself, and the local concert hall can have their grands tuned before
> >> every performance, and try out every tech in town because they get the
> >> bucks from the local philanthopists.  WHY can't I get my piano
> >> sounding like a concert grand?  Am I missing something?  Oh, yeah.
> >> I'm CHEAP and not willing to pay the rates the local RPTs are
> >> charging, I'm no going there anytime soon.
> >>
> >> :-) :-) :-)
> >>
> >> Jim
> >>
> >> On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 12:07 AM, pmc033 at earthlink.net
> >> <pmc033 at earthlink.net> wrote:
> >> >...
> >> > So, here we are, as technicians, looking for the Holy Grail of
> > technician
> >> > software.  We know what we want, so somebody writes a program that we
> > like,
> >> > and later it fades into the sunset.  One software developer can't
> > possibly
> >> > write a bulletproof program and spend the rest of his life supporting
> > it,
> >> > rewriting it when necessary, and all that, whereas the big guyz can
hire
> >> > dozens of whiz-kids to write a more powerful program to be all
things to
> >> > all people.  Somehow, it doesn't seem hopeful we're going to find the
> > "best
> >> > way".  PLEASE tell me I'm wrong!
> >> > In the meantime, I'm all ears to anyone who can make this happen
with an
> >> > off the shelf program that is well supported for the long haul.
(Please
> >> > note: I'm not dissing PTBiz or any other specialty software out
there.
> >> > It's just that there's a history of disappointments from them).
> >> >
> >> > There is actually a kind of "universal" system, called vcard, which
> > Outlook
> >> > uses, as well as Palm.  My online calendar sends vcard (contact) and
> > vcal
> >> > (calendar) files to me by email when someone signs up for an
> > appointment.
> >> > These are used to transfer the info into my Palm Treo and desktop
> > computer
> >> > Palm software.  Even so, vcard files need occasional updating, so it
> >> > doesn't help solve the problem (see above).
> >> >
> >> > Am I missing something?  Oh, yeah.  I'm CHEAP!  I'm not willing to
> > spend a
> >> > fortune getting what I want/need.  I know there are very good
programs
> > out
> >> > there that are in the thousand dollar range.  I'm not going there
> > anytime
> >> > soon.
> >> >
> >> > Paul McCloud
> >> > San Diego
>