software suggestions

[Farrell]

I wrote and said that I use PTBiz and it meets my needs. That is true. But
also, what Tom says below I find to be quite valid also. If I were to start
over, I would look very seriously at PianoDB.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano@gate.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 8:44 AM
Subject: software suggestions


> List,
> I have been using PTBiz, and honestly after have using it for 2 yrs.,
don't
> like the way the program's usefulness. It is too limiting and cumbersome,
> especially in the accounting mode.
> To boot, my program either has a flaw in it or some other phenomenon, but
it
> constantly changes the city listing on various customers...very
frustrating
> correcting that window over and over again.
> Some of the limiting factors I don't like: Reports.
> Get a month end report of net sales for the month of July...can't do it
> unless you get it for the entire year. It will only give you the year to
> date figure.
> Should be able to ask for any month or amount of months in any report. But
> not this one!
> Backup should require a single keystroke and the program should be doing
all
> the digging and placement of data. Not on this one, you have to save it,
> then go into Explorer, then copy it, then send it to a floppy.  Not that
> this is hard or confusing, just a case where the programmer could have set
> up all those keystrokes in the course of planning this out better. You
> should here the slack you'll get when you call the author about things
like
> that!
> In the accounting mode:
>  You have to enter the date 3x in a row for a single invoice.Isn't the job
> of the program/er to limit the repetitiveness?
> For a given invoice you:
> 1.enter the date of the service you would enter
> 2001727 ( 7/27/01)  then the invoice number,
> 2. the date of the service
> 3  the date of the service.
>  Makes perfect  sense to me ...hmmmmmm
> The troubling part is that when the report is listed, the invoice number
is
> not listed. Then why did it ask for it?
> The rest of the program is fine as it is a straight forward database
> program. It's just those little time-consuming things that drive me up the
> wall.
> I used to use Dean Reyburn's program, and honestly, I'm sorry I ditched
it.
> It was nice and neat, and extremely efficient. Dummy me figured  the DOS
> program wouldn't do well with the new advanced machines and apparently I
was
> wrong. I might go back to the DOS program of Dean's or I would love to
hear
> about some other favorites out there.
> I have been trying to get enough energy up to design an MS Access program
> myself but I'm aware of the time obligation I'm committing to. Extra
amounts
> of slack time is something I don't have enough of.
> Please tell me more about PianoDB or other favorites out there.
> Tom Servinsky, RPT
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Phil Bondi" <tito@PhilBondi.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2001 2:35 PM
> Subject: Re: software
>
>
> > Mike, I use PianoDB. It is pretty friendly and easy to get up and
> running..I
> > would suggest, however, that you sharpen your MS Access skills if you
want
> > to do any modifying. Piano DB is based in Access.
> >
> > I'm no Access wiz by anyone's stretch, but I can fumble around as well
as
> > anyone else if I want to change something.
> >
> > There's really not that much to do but start imputing your database to a
> > database that's well thought out, regardless of your Access skills.
> >
> > roo(k)
> >
>