Approach Database and PSM

[David ilvedson]

Hi David,

Actually what I (and hopefully other technicians) would like to 
know is how you use your database?  What would you like in your 
fantasy database?  I've heard the name of your database but 
haven't perused it.

Thanks in advance

David Ilvedson


> Date:          Tue, 02 Feb 1999 20:02:05 -0600
> From:          David Porritt <dporritt@swbell.net>
> Organization:  Southern Methodist University
> To:            pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject:       Re: Approach Database and PSM
> Reply-to:      pianotech@ptg.org

> David:
> 
> I use "Time & Chaos" from Isbister International.
> 
> http://www.isbister.com
> 
> It is a great scheduler, customer database, to-do list etc.
> 
> dave
> 
> David ilvedson wrote:
> 
> > List,
> >
> > I've heard this from Gregg before and although Piano Service
> > Manager is everything "I've" needed in a database/scheduler for
> > my customers, it made me wonder just what do other piano
> > technicians want from a database for their business?  Please
> > respond with your wish list.
> >
> > David Ilvedson, RPT
> > Pacifica, CA
> >
> > Gregg Newell wrote:
> > "That program was never really what I needed in the first place
> > and ,I believe, grossly overpriced."
> > >
> > > I'm sorry PSM didn't suit your needs as well as you hoped. I worked
> > > very hard on it to make it as widely useful as possible. It's still used
> > > by quite a few technicians and continues to sell well. It runs fine on
> > > DOS, Win 3.1, Windows 9x or Macintosh/RealPC. A free demo version is
> > > available at our web site. Its the only program of its kind I know of
> > > with 800 number support.
> > >
> > > While you are certainly entitled to your opinion, I would take issue with
> > > your assertion that it was overpriced. Frankly, for the amount of time I
> > > put into the project and the number of copies I sold I would have been
> > > better off to just tune pianos. The market is very small in our field,
> > > necessitating that complex specialized software be priced higher than
> > > say a program like Microsoft Word which will sell tens of millions of
> > > copies.
> > >
> > > I have close to 1000 hours of programming and beta testing in the program.
> > > At least several hundred hours have been spent by Marty and I over the
> > > years helping "newbie" computer users who simply didn't have a clue what
> > > they were doing use PSM or their computer. The amount of support time
> > > required by a program of this type is enormous.
> > >
> > > I'm not really complaining, and not sorry I wrote PSM. The programming
> > > expertise I gained with PSM and other programs gave me the skills to
> > > write RCT, which is very successful.
> > >
> > > >Now the only reason I won't have what I need is if I didn't create it
> > > >correctly.
> > > >     I have already opened all the database files in both Approach and in
> > > >FileMaker Pro so I know it's possible. I guess the step now is to create
> > > >a form to import all the info into. PSM does split up the info into more
> > > >than one database as you so intelligently suggest. I did not find a file
> > > >that showed the main screen or form which opens 3 databases initially.
> > > >They are customer, piano, and schedule (this last one alternates with
> > > >the invoice database). These are all tiled on screen at the same time one
> > > >above the other. This is the view I wish to create for my wife ( at
> > > >least initially). I will sit through the tutorials but that is a little
> > > >like asking directions when we're lost isn't it? :>)
> > >
> > > I hope you are successful in this. Filemaker Pro is a great program. I
> > > did not know that it could even read dBase 3+ or Clipper (PSM) files. I
> > > would be very interested in helping you in this project. I'd love to
> > > see a set of Filemaker Pro templates which could be used in Windows.
> > >
> > > You may even rediscover why I've had to charge what I did for PSM. It
> > > takes lots of time and expertise to set up the user interface,the screens
> > > and relationships.
> > >
> > > I've thought many times of writing a Windows 9x and Macintosh version of
> > > PSM but the market size for that niche product didn't make it worth while
> > > in the last few years and it doesn't seem to me that it is worth it now
> > > either. I'm going to reevaluate this later this year. If anyone has
> > > comments on this feel free to email me privately. I would have to almost
> > > completely rewrite the program.
> > >
> > > Maybe programs such as Filemaker Pro will eventually make specialized
> > > database programs such as PSM obsolete. That would be fine with me!
> > > However there are large numbers of users who are simply not as computer
> > > savvy as you and can't set this up.
> > >
> > > -Dean
> > >
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > >  Dean L. Reyburn, RPT      RPS, Inc.          email:  dean@reyburn.com
> > >  2695 Indian Lakes Road                      web page: www.reyburn.com
> > >  Cedar Springs, Michigan, 49319 USA
> > >  1-888-SOFT-440 (or 616-696-1002)                    Fax: 616-696-8121
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > David Ilvedson, RPT
> > Pacifica, CA
> > ilvey@jps.net
> 
> 
> 
> --
> _______________________________________________
> 
> David M. Porritt, RPT
> Meadows School of the Arts
> Southern Methodist University
> Dallas, Texas
> mailto:dporritt@swbell.net
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net