On Mon, 29 Sep 1997 13:05:47 -0400, Digest Cesar Flores <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>I am amazed that there are not alot of high quality software packages out
>there that would serve to manage a honey business from top to bottom. It
>seems like such an obvious and simple(?) application.
>
>I would actually be more interested to know of record keeping techniques
>people are using that are NOT computer based.
>
>In the field, I am using the primitive method of writing notes on the hive
>top-cover with a grease pencil. I know of the use of bricks painted
different
>colors that can be oriented in a sort of code. What are people doing now
>since they obviously aren't using computers (for record keeping anyway)?

I thought it is time again to resurrect this old BEE-L thread in light of
new software, new hand-held computers and new beekeepers.

I realise brick marking and grease crayon marking will never go out of
style, but I can see that a new day is dawning in the beeyard.  I
thoroughly enjoyed the presentation at the AFB in San Diego about using bar
codes and since then we have talked a little both here and on
sci.agriculture.beekeeping about several packages, including Bidata which
was an early starter in this field.

Frankly, I have always thought of myself as an early adopter, but I found
recently that I have really missed the boat on PDAs.   PDAs just sneaked
right up on me.  I never took these little things seriously until I read a
post on sci.agriculture.beekeeping about a beekeeper that uses a Palm and
HanDBase. Several weeks later, I find can't do anything without my Palm
m105.  My 500 Mz 64Meg notebook sits relatively neglected.

That sci.agriculture.beekeeping post piqued my interest, and the next time
I was in Staples, I drifted by the PDA counter and asked a young lad what
these things are -- really.  I didn't actually understand his answer, but I
bought the second cheapest one to play on the clear understanding that I
could take it back within 10 days for a full cash refund -- no questions
asked.   I had bought a small $40 organizer several years ago because my
flight instructor used one all the time, but after reading the
documentation and turning it on a time or two, never looked at it again.  I
fully intended to take this one back, but first I had to prove to myself
what a useless toy it was.

The Palm m105is light-years from the organizer toy I had previously.  The
Palm is a *real computer* with a truly great OS and fantastic software
available.  It has 8 megs of RAM (1000X what my first personal computer
had).  The Palm input/output at first seems a bit cramped, but the
ingenious design of the device and the software available overcomes that by
ingenious use of multiple views and fonts.  The Graffiti(r) writing style
can be largely mastered within an hour.  It is slower than typing (even
mine) but is easy to do.  In addition, the Palm easily and automatically
synchronizes with my desktop machine, so I can upload my data, do the
biggest jobs at the desk, and then d/l them back to my Palm for easy access
in the field.  Notes made in the field can even be merged record by record
with some of the DBs available.  I can transfer data to anyone else with a
Palm unit nearby without using wires.  I can even do email on the Palm --
if I want to go to the trouble!

I have been happy with using Excel on my desktop computer for record
keeping as I have said here before, but periodically have a problem when
the sheet grows large or I add or subtract yards.  I also have to manally
re-enter the info from the field notes almost daily -- at least a half-hour
task.  Moreover, I have always dropped off older info when it got
cumbersome -- and hidden fields have been a hassel.

I have always known that a relational database would be be ideal, but have
considered it a fairly daunting development task with limited payback.
With several relational DBs I have so far found for the Palm, all that
changes.   The design job is relatively trivial.  Some of these DBs even
will work with Access and also allow several users simultaneous read/write
use of data before merging and can have bar code capability.  I can import
old data from other software, albeit with a little massaging, and append it
where I wish.  I have done so and been pleased.

I'm only half way or so thru the list of software available at www.palm.com
and have so far found HanDBase and thinkDB.  I am evaluating them both on
the 30 day free trial.  I have not gotten to JFile yet.  So far thinkDB
looks quite a bit more sophisticated and flexible, but the learning curve
is steeper. I have not linked files with thinkDB yet, but I have found that
process simple in HandBase.  HanDBase seems much more limited comparatively
in viewing and report formatting capabilities, so today thinkDB is my
favourite.  Nonetheless either DB seems excellent.

I realise that there are other PDAs and that there are other OSs for them.
That should not be a problem; some of these programs are available for all
OSs and the data can be exchanged.

I'm offering this short essay as an opener to provoke some detailed
discussion, and even maybe template sharing.  I hope others will take the
time to share their experiences and offer any templates they think are
worthwhile.  Please put them on a website or offer them by email though and
don't attach them to a BEE-l post.  BEE-L is text only.  You can put them
at the BeeGadgets site http://www.onelist.com/community/BeeGadgets and
point to it if you like.

TIA.

allen
http://www.internode.net/HoneyBee/