Comments on: DataViz Acquires and Rebrands ThinkDB Products
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***THIS SUCKS!!!!!***
I certainly hope they DO NOT bundle this app. with any other "office" applicatiions that I do not need or want. Just leave it alone!
This Bites!
_____________________________
Phew! Whats that smell!?! Did someone Zire in here? Buy Palm stock...it's only a nickle.
RE: ***THIS SUCKS!!!!!***
RE: ***THIS SUCKS!!!!!***
What was DataViz thinking?
RE: ***THIS SUCKS!!!!!***
I dropped Docs to Go in favor of Wordsmith when DataViz wanted like $40 for an upgrade. I told them how I felt and that they lost me as a customer. I have yet to pay to upgrade Wordsmith.
Brand Name
RE: Brand Name
I'm in kind of a quandry. I love ThinkDb, and I like a lot about DatViz, but I'm hoping this marriage does not hurt the product or downgrade the features.
RE: Brand Name
RE: Brand Name
"There's always hope, because it's the one thing nobody's figured out how to kill yet." -- Galen, Crusade (B5)
RE: Brand Name
Sounds like at least they are still standing behind the Palm OS.
Like the name or not at least they are not leaving us behind - like our ThinkDB friends.
See below:
http://www.masshightech.com/displayarticledetail.asp?Art_ID=60725
RE: Brand Name
http://www.thinkingbytes.com/aboutUs/ThinkingBytes%20set-121701.pdf
Their customer base is changing, looks like they are going from the consumer to major corporate accounts. Can't blame them, most likely much more profitable.
Then later, moving their product to the PPC.
What about my TinyBytes
Man, this new name really "bytes." :-)
RE: Brand Name
Thinking Bytes has been around for just about 1000 days as a company. In that time, they have sold approximately 100,000 copies of ThinkDB. That is 100 per day, in a self admitted installed Palm userbase of 13 million. This represents a less than 1% penetration of the Palm marketplace. It is difficult to continue to support a product with such a small installed base.
That is why we should all be thankful that DataViz purchased this product. Number one, they will increase the userbase by marketing the product as a more user-friendly "database". People do not care what type of software a product is, they want to know what it does. In this case, it makes smart lists. Once DataViz increases the userbase, they will be motivated to upgrade the product, provide better support for SD cards, etc. DataViz is very good when it comes to enhancing their product line; Thinking Bytes was a bit behind in their upgrades.
So before you are so quick to condemn this re-branding, think of the benefits. And quit worrying about the name. Who cares...and if more peole buy the product, how can this possibly be bad?
RE: Brand Name
> People do not care what type of software a product is, > they want to know what it does. In this case, it makes > smart lists.
No, it does *not*. It makes *databases*. Powerful ones, relational ones (in a non-strict sense, anyway). It is much *more* than a "smart list", and if Dataviz tries to market it this way (or modify it this way), they will lose one of the major strengths ThinkDB has. Despite what Shakespeare said, there *is* something to the name. In this case, the rose *doesn't* smell as sweet.
RE: Brand Name
Let me give you another example. ACT is a great relational database program, but it is sold as a Contact Management Software program. People (average people)want to do know the basics as to what a product does, not how it is built.
RE: Brand Name
"Despite what Shakespeare said, there *is* something to the name."
Can you explain how simply changing the name of a software product changes its functionality? Or are you simply making the assumption that DataViz has changed more than just the name of this product?
RE: Brand Name
I certainly care, but how many copies should one user purchase. The name change is a minor issue... what concerns me is that the product may be stripped down to match its new name. On the positive side, perhaps DataViz will fix the desktop version, and at least we know they are commited to making this work.
RE: Brand Name
You said,
"Number one, they will increase the userbase by marketing the product as a more user-friendly "database". People do not care what type of software a product is, they want to know what it does. In this case, it makes smart lists."
and
"Of course it makes great databases, but how many people actually care? If more people cared, the product would have been more successful, and ThinkingBytes would not have sold it."
How many people do you think are willing to pay $49.95 for a mere list maker?
RE: Brand Name
RE: Brand Name
Dataviz is trying to make this product appeal to a broader audience. At 100,000 licenses (if that is correct), ThinkDB is hardly a powerful brand name. ThinkDB is a great product, but the name only appeals to PDA geeks (including me) or other early adopters. SmartList to Go, I think will appeal to a much broader audience. Few people know what a database is, far fewer know or care (or have any need, for that matter) for a relational database. But many may be interested in maintaining a list of CDs, books, DVDs, clients, products, etc.
I don't know where the notion that product names need to reflect their underlying power to be successful came from. If that were the case, how does one explain Windows, Act, Quicken, Word, Goldmine, etc?
- G
Great software, terrible name
I'll be keeping ThinkDB and ThinkDB desktop, thank you very much. In the unlikely event that DataViz releases a significant upgrade, I'll consider installing it, but I certainly won't install a rebranded version with no enhancements other than the name. :-(
RE: Great software, terrible name
Now, where's my Mac conduit?
K
Lets ask Dataviz to reconsider the dumb name (link bellow)
A good name would have been DataBase to go.
And while we are at it lets ask them to bring back support for hyperlinks, asian characters and tables of contents to Word to go. Also they should include chart to go as part of the basic product.
Here is the
www.dataviz.com/eforms/feedback/generalfeedback.html
RE: Lets ask Dataviz to reconsider the dumb name (link bellow)
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Phew! Whats that smell!?! Did someone Zire in here? Buy Palm stock...it's only a nickle.
What were they "thinkDB"ing?
1. Send alot of new and possibly current customers to look elsewhere for Palm DB programs.
2. Give the perception that "SmartList" is in fact nothing more than a list type program with no mention of DB capabilities.
ThinkDB is an intregal part of my mobile Palm office, I hope the plans at DataViz are to continue and improve "ThinkDB" rather than make it a list program, no matter how "smart" the list. Let us hope the people assigned to continue developing the product are not the same ones who misnamed it.
...stepping back from behind podium.
Just for grins, I downloaded my free copy of SmartList from DataViz. (Registered users of thinkDB can get it for free.) Its a whopping 27 megs. Better do something "smart" once installed or its back to thinkDB.
Please DataViz... "SmartList To Go"?
RE: What were they
Heh. My thoughts exactly.
I personally don't like the name change, either. However, if this product continues to function the same way it always has, I don't see how name changing will do it much harm. In the end, it's still the same product.
Even though I love this little app, if there's a better PalmOS DB out there for me, then I'll probably pick that one up. But I'm pretty confident that I (as well as the majority of people) won't be choosing one based just on the name.
Until then, thinkDB or SmartListToGo is still for me, depite the horrible name. ;)
Jim
Free "cross"grade?
Current thinkingBytes Software Owners
Registered DBSync, ThinkDB Desktop and ThinkDB customers can crossgrade to SmartList To Go at no charge. Registered tinyBytes customers can crossgrade for just $19.95. Please enter your e-mail address for registration verification below:
--
"Life is what you experience between racing games"
Galley
WooHoo!
I have just finished downloading the new app, and I'm fixing to install it. :-)
--
"Life is what you experience between racing games"
Galley
RE: Free
_____________________________
Phew! Whats that smell!?! Did someone Zire in here? Buy Palm stock...it's only a nickle.
RE: Free
--
"Life is what you experience between racing games"
Galley
RE: Free
Of course, DBSync already existed. Writing a new ODBC conduit from scratch would have been harder. Hopefully they'll get around to it someday (hey, I can dream, can't I? :-)
Smart move for DV
They might not be the best, but they are complete, and that is a strong thing to be. It will be interesting to see how the future of Palm office products turns out...
--
Trevor Menagh
www.trevreport.org
thinkDB
I immediately went to DataViz site and found that the SmartList-to-Go was a free download for registered thinkDB customers (which I am). I notice that that the product includes two-way syncing with Microsoft Access (which I use in the office). I've also had very good experiences with DataViz over the years and am pleased to see dbThink as part of their product line and hoipe to see closer integration with their Docs-to-Go product in the future.
There is also a new Yahoo group that supports the new product, see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SmartListToGo/
__________________________________________
The only constant is change; learn to embrace it!
I'm still confused...
If no changes were made, can someone explain how the renaming of a product affects a user's experience with that product?
Someone please step up and answer - there's a lot of upset folks here and they probably have good reasons for their feelings.
RE: I'm still confused...
--
"Life is what you experience between racing games"
Galley
Anyone tried the cross-grade yet?
Oh, well, here goes!
RE: Anyone tried the cross-grade yet?
Ok, so I survived the cross grade, and it looks like Think, er, SmartList came through with no functional changes. All my databases work exactly the way they did before.
Observations:
Seems to run slightly quicker, but this could be just my perception. Only obvious changes are the name references in the menus and the Launcher icon. SmartList does NOT roll all your databases into the DTG file list and force you to use the "Documents" icon, it has it's own icon. The PRC file size is only slightly larger (up from 527k to 554k). There is a lot of documentation that comes with the install. The desktop version is the same, even generates the same errors and still does the annoying "drop down a list menu when you select a list field" when you really just wanted to select the cell. The Sync Manager software seems nice, but I never had DbSync for comparison. Sync lets you sync and share files with Access over a network, or Intuit across the internet (could be a killer feature). Launching the Palm application automatically deletes ThinkDb, but you can make a backup if that concerns you. The desktop version does NOT automatically delete ThinkDb desktop, but recommends you do it yourself.
Everything looks ok so far...
Anyone notice the version number change
Went to Dataviz to download SmartList To Go (ugh) and noticed it has version number 2.6.01 versus the latest ThinkingByte version of 2.5.01. I think I'll wait for a few more reviews before I install it. Paranoid.
RE: Anyone notice the version number change
RE: Anyone notice the version number change
RE: Anyone notice the version number change
If it's "free", get it now.
DV currently "does not charge a 'penalty' for skipping upgrades", but I'm just covering my bases...
- - - - - - -
"There's always hope, because it's the one thing nobody's figured out how to kill yet." -- Galen, Crusade (B5)
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I wonder how this will effect licenced Think product users?
~ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." - DV ~