Post #77,936
1/29/03 6:35:52 PM
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Sorry buddy - can't stick with Windows . .
. . we run OS/2 in this office (yes, really).
I do plenty of product research, hours per day, and I don't want you doing research for me because i believe you lack some basic concepts of what my small business clients need, especially what they would need to transition from Windows to Linux.
I've equipped plenty of clients with Linux / Samba servers, and they occasionally ask if they could use Linux on the desktop, but they can't, without far too much cost and disruption.
One client, with a Concurrent DOS system (5 terminals) I'd installed in 1986, got all new stuff for Year 2000. I put in a Linux server, a Linux based accounting system (Appgen) and Linux on the desktop with StarOffice, Netscape, etc. (later transitioned to Mozilla).
This was possible because they had no previous Windows investment. Even so, in mid 2002 I had to redo their Linux workstations to Windows (server and accounting remain Linux), because so much business was now being done with email and attachments of many virieties, many in Microsoft format.
Even with Sylpheed (very excellent email program) and StarOffice 5.2 (latest at the time) and Adobe Acrobat, it just wasn't up to handling the attachment situation (including returning complex forms in the same format they arrived in) without almost daily assistance from me.
Yes, I'm still looking for clients I can reasonably put on Linux desktops, but it doesn't seem a lot closer than it did two years ago.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #77,945
1/29/03 7:14:36 PM
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AppGen...
I just began converting ovre small businesses to the Suite they have... runs on Linux, Mac, Windows.
I am wondering exactly HOW well the companies are liking it?
My initial comments back from the customer is "NICE... very"
MYOB just dropped any support for Canada... matter of fact they pulled out of that market completely. I was talking to ... Sarah I think??? She was extremely excited about the oppourtunities MYOB just *GAVE* them.
I seem to like AppGen very Well... It is easy to support, easy to backup, "It Just Runs!"
You have similar Experience with Customers and AppGen?
| [link|mailto:curley95@attbi.com|greg] - Grand-Master Artist in IT | | [link|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry/|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] [link|http://pascal.rockford.com:8888/SSK@kQMsmc74S0Tw3KHQiRQmDem0gAIPAgM/edcurry/1//|ED'S GHOST SPEAKS!] | Heimatland Geheime Staatspolizei reminds:
These [link|http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/cyberstrategy-draft.html|Civilian General Orders], please memorize them.
"Questions" will be asked at safety checkpoints. |
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Post #77,948
1/29/03 7:31:15 PM
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My Appgen experience is with . . .
. . their main product, which costs a few thousand $$ per installation but is highly customizable (at unusually low cost for the customs). I don't recommend it for companies that are real small and don't need customization, it's best for companies large enough that different individuals do various accounting and data entry tasks.
I haven't tried the MyBooks software (which they purchased a couple years ago) but would be happy to hear about successes with it. They were also handling MoneyDance (Java), but have dropped that.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #77,951
1/29/03 7:49:53 PM
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Yeah... that's the one...
Job costing module is very good... very good... inventory and such too...
| [link|mailto:curley95@attbi.com|greg] - Grand-Master Artist in IT | | [link|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry/|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] [link|http://pascal.rockford.com:8888/SSK@kQMsmc74S0Tw3KHQiRQmDem0gAIPAgM/edcurry/1//|ED'S GHOST SPEAKS!] | Heimatland Geheime Staatspolizei reminds:
These [link|http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/cyberstrategy-draft.html|Civilian General Orders], please memorize them.
"Questions" will be asked at safety checkpoints. |
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Post #77,977
1/29/03 9:31:33 PM
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Re: Sorry buddy - can't stick with Windows . .
Andrew wrote:
I do plenty of product research, hours per day, and I don't want you doing research for me because i believe you lack some basic concepts of what my small business clients need, especially what they would need to transition from Windows to Linux.
By an utterly amazing coincidence, I'd already concluded that you either lacked some basic faculties required of someone doing rational analysis (let alone a client), or were trolling. In all charity, I've been willing to assume the latter. But I'm willing to go for either one.
Speaking of which, you'll note that I'm cleverly declining your current attempt to troll debate on "desktop Linux" in the broad sense.
Rick Moen
rick@linuxmafia.com
If you lived here, you'd be $HOME already.
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Post #78,293
1/31/03 1:08:50 AM
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Re: Sorry buddy - can't stick with Windows . .
What was your experience with AppGen?
-drl
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Post #78,302
1/31/03 2:10:09 AM
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Appgen
Remember, once again, I have experience only with the product now known as Appgen Custom Suite, not with MyBooks. Our original implementations were done in late 1999 as part of year 2000 conversions.
The product is divided into modules with full accounting controls between modules. In other words, the journals can be reviewed before posting is ordered. This allows extensive accounting control, but is not what is expected today in small businesses with a "full charge bookkeeper" doing most functions. Custom programming can be done to post modules automatically, but it is not built in. If I recall, there is auto linkage between Sales Order and Inventory Control to keep inventory up to the minute.
The product does not have as many options and reports as a hard wired package would, because some customization is presumed. This should be considered in the cost of integration, some programming may be required right off.
On the other hand, customization is very quick and economical compared with other packages, because the Appgen product was originally an Application generator for rapid development. The company bought the accounting system from a VAR who developed it using Appgen. Every Appgen VAR now has the complete accounting source and the application generator.
An example of the customization done for one of our clients is handling of inventory items that are actually retail start-up kits. The kit may be discounted at sale, and the customer needs all components individually priced to know their costs. Also, there may be shortages of a particular kit component.
At invoicing, the clerk enters one part number and quantity. If there is a discount, that is entered. The program then back calculates the discount into component prices and prints a fully itemized invoice with individually discounted component prices. Shortages are also handled, but I don't remember quite how.
This sort of thing is completely impossible with "canned" accounting software, but not difficult with Appgen.
Another thing this business does is purge the previous years inventory part numbers each year and enters new ones for the current year's catalog. This is also impossible with most accounting software.
I am no longer closely involved with Appgen because I have outsourced most of the day-to-day and programming to a highly experienced and efficient Appgen programmer at EGData. It's just much more efficient for me as I have my hands full with networking, servers, and selling stuff.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #78,326
1/31/03 7:13:59 AM
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Thanks... I could not have said it better...
Actually since I haven't done the VAR thing YET... I can;t comment on it period... but that is shortly down the road...
That's a bit of a cash outlay for me *RIGHT* this minute...
They are sending me a the full package for evaluation (note this is not the Demo CD for $7)
Hopefully it's the answer I have been wanting...
| [link|mailto:curley95@attbi.com|greg] - Grand-Master Artist in IT | | [link|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry/|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] [link|http://pascal.rockford.com:8888/SSK@kQMsmc74S0Tw3KHQiRQmDem0gAIPAgM/edcurry/1//|ED'S GHOST SPEAKS!] | Heimatland Geheime Staatspolizei reminds:
These [link|http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/cyberstrategy-draft.html|Civilian General Orders], please memorize them.
"Questions" will be asked at safety checkpoints. |
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