[pianotech] Client Management Software Recommendations

[Terry Farrell]

The data import thing is not a big deal in my book. I'll just start  
from scratch. I might add some past data for a few clients, but I've  
not really found old service history to be of high importance. Plus,  
I'll have PTBiz for some time to glance back at historical data if I  
ever want to.

Terry Farrell

On Oct 4, 2010, at 8:16 PM, William Truitt wrote:

> Thanks, Mark:
>
> I appreciate your input, but I have never used PTBiz.  My remark was
> directed to Terry, who will have to wrestle with that issue unless  
> he wants
> to hand input all 1,000,000 of his files.  Does Daylight or  
> Filemaker Pro
> read the format of PTBiz?  I've used Lotus Approach for about 15  
> years, the
> latest version I have is Approach 97, which may give you an idea how  
> long in
> the tooth it is.  It's slowly becoming an orphan.  I custom built my
> multiple databases long ago in Approach, which is relational and  
> easily
> customizable.  The file format is Dbase IV.  I understand that both
> Filemaker Pro and MS Access can import that format.  Of course, that  
> still
> means I have to build my databases in which to import those files.   
> I don't
> think that will be particularly difficult in either Filemaker or  
> Access, but
> it will be time consuming because, as you point out, there is a lot of
> detail to pay attention to so that they can talk to each other.  And  
> I will
> make some changes in my structure as well, as I will want to add  
> some things
> and drop others.
>
> Our problem is that we are living too long.  We're outliving our  
> computers,
> and our operating systems.  Most importantly, we're outliving our  
> database
> software.
>
> Will