Originally Posted by
Merlin1958
Originally Posted by
Garrell
I am ok with the fee. I do need to put it all in an Excel file at some point.
So overall you're very happy with that program, right? I'm thinking I may go for the PC version at $30 a year with the cloud back up. I just finished a large step in configuring my home library and I have to say it's coming out better than I thought it would. Still waiting for a new bookcase to arrive, a lamp, charging cable and have to procure a nice leather wingback chair and overhead lamp, but what I had has all been moved to the new larger room and configured perfectly.
Next step will be to review and update and finally catalogue on paper/program my entire collection for posterity's sake and my children. That way when I go to that library in the sky they'll be able to easily ID everything I have and then either maintain and add or sell it off. I'm really, really happy with the new digs and can't wait to get started!!! I think if you give it your blessing I'm gonna give this program a go. $30 ayear seems very reasonable (less than $3 bucks a month) and as long as they have staying power it seems like a no brainer. They provide ample room for notes to designate signatures, AE's, Remarques and special editions? Will the program find ALL ISBN's? Even limited and artist editions as well as multiple publishers so that I can viably utilize the book cover template? How is it to navigate? Simple?
I would greatly appreciate any input reccomendations you can provide, Garrell!!!! Feel free to put it in a PM so we don't bore the multitudes!!! LOL LOL
What software is it?
A few years back I looked into similar softwares, but decided to go the excel way.
For several reasons, and here is what I would recommend people to look into :
- is the software a proprietary software, or can you easily export to xls? because it is $15 today, but what if the company goes bankrupt or decides suddenly to charge 500 a year? Can you get out of it or will you have to restart from scratch?
Kind of like imageshack for those that were using it : they decided to move from free to 250 dollars a year and at first there were no real ways to retrieve the pictures, if i recall correctly? A big sort of blackmail for those that were desperate to get their files
- how easy is it to add YOUR books? ISBN is useful, but what if you got books without isbn? Like proofs? Old magazines and fanzines? what about items that are not books? : like vhs or dvd / bluray, promo items. Can you enter them as well?
do you have to add manually a lot of informations to create an entry or does it take 5 seconds?
- how customisable is it? can you add the columns and infos you need? excel can be pretty customisable. I can create a cell that counts my purchase costs, my estimate value of the collection... however it doesnt really allow covers. although I could add links to an external folder that could contain them
Excel may not be the nicest to look at, but to me it does the job. I have tabs about books/items I am looking for ; other tabs for specific parts of my collection (given I collect a few authors), and being synchronized in Dropbox, I can access it anywhere from my laptop to my phone