Stock database?

[DCCDave]

I'm planning to offer this as a subscription based web application, your inventory would be held in the cloud with access from a web browser. To that end I need to add security to the system and the ability to keep multiple separate inventories.

Sorry, Dave. I don't do cloud. I take complete responsibility for my own data, and wouldn't think of relying on anyone else - and certainly not any other system that was out of my control - to do it for me. That's like giving your money to a bank and trusting them to take care of it honestly and responsibly

Fair enough Pete I can understand where you are coming from. However you already store data in the cloud, this post for example, your e-mail for another.

Using your bank analogy, you can choose to keep all your hard earned under the mattress. What was your address again?

Cheers
Dave

[REGP]

It looks all far too complicated for me.
All I was looking forward to was a straight forward database I could keep on my laptop.
Pity
Ray

[DCCDave]

Ray and Pete,

A local copy could still be an option too.

I've spent considerable time on this and so am looking to re-coop my expenses (over time). What sort of price would you be willing to pay for a desktop version with local data storage.

Open question to other readers; who else would consider storage of data in the cloud as a barrier?

Cheers
Dave

[MikeDunn]

'Cloud' is still one of those terms that no two people (let alone companies) agree on - it's far too nebulous (pun intended). 

What do you mean as 'Cloud' ?  Before you ask people whether they would use it.

[DCCDave]

'Cloud' is still one of those terms that no two people (let alone companies) agree on - it's far too nebulous (pun intended). 

What do you mean as 'Cloud' ?  Before you ask people whether they would use it.

Storage of your data on some server out on the net. I mean it in it's broadest sense.

I was planning to host the application on Azure, so the data would be sitting in a Microsoft data centre somewhere. Given the nature of their load balancing you'd never quite which server, nor would you need to care.

Cheers
Dave

[CarriageShed]

Fair enough Pete I can understand where you are coming from. However you already store data in the cloud, this post for example, your e-mail for another.

Using your bank analogy, you can choose to keep all your hard earned under the mattress. What was your address again?

Cheers
Dave

Anything that I do send online for storage elsewhere is a copy. I keep the originals here, and in their original state, backed up regularly to external hard drive(s) and less regularly to DVDs.

As for my address, it's Threadneedle Street, London. Just pop along tonight and pick up what you need

Ray and Pete,

A local copy could still be an option too.

Now that sounds much more promising. The trouble is, in the year since I have been logging details for my new N Gauge collection, I've built up a very detailed Excel spreadsheet. I'm sorry to say that paying for another option isn't in my immediate plans. Having said that, it looks really nice and professional (not that my spreadsheet isn't, of course), and perhaps it will be better able to handle my growing data pile in the future (when my budget also has more flex).

Anyway, keep up the good work!
Peter

[zwilnik]

Looks impressive Dave. I'm assuming with it being web based that it'll work fine on an iPad and other tablets/phones? I used to keep my engine database in Filemaker's Bento app on my iPad as you can quickly take a snapshot with the iPad's camera to include in the engine's record. Unfortunately Filemaker decided Bento was taking too many sales away from its full Filemaker product and pulled it, so something Web and server based that I can access from my iPads or Mac would be ideal.

[REGP]

Ray and Pete,

A local copy could still be an option too.

Cheers
Dave

That's good to here but can't put a figure on what I would pay at moment.

It of course depends not just on what can be done within the database but on just how many of those elements I want to use.

Unfortunately it could simply be over engineered for my needs.

Ray

[kirky]

Open question to other readers; who else would consider storage of data in the cloud as a barrier?

Cheers
Dave

Dave, I'm most impressed with what you have done so far. I really like the idea of cloud based storage because presumably it would then be accessible by multiple devices ( even my phone?)
My worry tho is that cloud storage will be slow. I guess I'd have to upload photos that have been shrunk down to get hem to load quickly? That all takes time I don't really have.
So for me on the one hand I like he portability but on the other I'm worried about speed.
Price will be what you think people will pay. I'm used to paying a couple of quid for an apple app these days. But ten years ago I might have paid a couple of hundred quid for the right application!

Excellent concept tho.

Cheers
Kirky

[DCCDave]

My worry tho is that cloud storage will be slow. I guess I'd have to upload photos that have been shrunk down to get hem to load quickly? That all takes time I don't really have.
So for me on the one hand I like he portability but on the other I'm worried about speed.

Thanks Kirky,

I imagine it would work much like other web based sites. Yes you would have to upload high resolution images if you wanted the ability to drill down into them, but for the purposes of the navigation screens I'm creating smaller thumbnail images for speed. Also remember that images can be cached locally so that the application only needs to download each new image once.

The proof of the pudding will be when I and beta testers do some performance measurements. Since I've just spent two years working on a car management application where there are multiple high resolution images per vehicle I'm comfortable that it can be made to be responsive.

Cheers
Dave

Cheers
Dave

[trainsdownunder]

I have no worries with "cloud" and as all my PC work is done the old fashioned way using a desktop - Phones are phones mobile or not and I don't use an Androd. So what every form it comes in I will consider it on merit and suitability.

Software doesn't develop itself so you are fully justified in looking to sell. I personally would have thought selling it on as an app is the best way to recoup your time/effort as that appears to be where the demand would be highest. Price is always tricky. Apps as pointed out are generally a couple of quid and so probably more appealing than prgs, but which ever you go with I'm sure it will be a good product.

The price issue for me is there are already some very good "free" versions out there which although US based can easily be adapted for the amount of UK stuff I own as well as the vast qty of my US stock.

I am a registered user of Yard Office http://www.musicmixradio.com/yardoffice/ - Free version is very good and before that I used Easy Model Model Railroading Inventory http://easy-model-railroad-inventory.rclsoftware.com/ again free.

The latest "Freebie" which I am looking at is DASH Model Train Collector. Again cloud based but has other features enabling you to easily share parts of your collection and even sell within the community. Items can be sold by auction or Fixed Price

One advantage of this system seems to be it is based on cataloged items so you can simply search the exsisting DB by Manufacturer/Loco type etc and detail is already there.

I haven't explored this very far beyond this yet but am hoping to do so this weekend and will report back
http://youtu.be/C-EQQLP_hZo

List some of the others
https://sites.google.com/site/databasebase1/Home/model-railway-database-software-2009-version
http://www.modular-model-railroads.com/2010/09/model-train-inventory-software/

[EtchedPixels]

I'm planning to offer this as a subscription based web application, your inventory would be held in the cloud with access from a web browser.

Fair enough - but count me out, I'd like my data to be under my control and likely to be there next year.