Paul, Are you saying you can't sync your Palm Treo with T&C? I sync with my Palm Tungsten everyday using their old Chaos sync. I didn't go for the new Companion software yet... David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: pmc033 at earthlink.net To: pianotech at ptg.org Received: 3/4/2009 3:46:23 PM Subject: Re: [pianotech] Database for Piano Business >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 >>
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