Looking for suggestions on a boating and fishing software development project
 

Sorry, if this got posted twice...

My name is Ken Mullins...

I'm currently in the process of converting "The Boating Companion for
Windows" Boating and Fishing log management software that I originally
developed back in 1995 to the new modern Windows look and feel...

I am adding in what ever it will take to make this thing the number one
boating and log management package out there, and at a very reasonable
price - I haven't decided on the exact price of the new product yet...I'd
rather sell 5000 of them at a reasonable price than sell 25 at a high
price...Make sense?

So, I am here to ask for your input on what types of logs to include...What
information is needed for a log, etc...

I have a sample of the new fishing "Catch History" page on a temporary
geocities website (to not waste bandwidth here)...You can see the new
overall look and feel for the new product there...

www.geocities.com/kenmullins

Please take a look and let me know what you think...I am very open to any
suggestions...

The way the system is currently designed, it is relatively easy for me to
add new data entry fields (lists), etc...Up to 10 pages per log entry (right
side of the notebook)...

The older 1995 version of the software is currently on eBay, but to be
perfectly honest: it just is not selling...I'm not asking you to buy it, I'm
just asking you to take a quick look at it so you can see it is indeed a
real product...I put a lot of time and effort into the original development
of the product...Actually it was pretty slick for it's time back in 1995...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ADME:L:DS:US:8

It was originally built around the old IBM notebook control (ported from
OS/2 to Windows) that is obviously out of date in today's windows
environment...

So I need input from YOU...Let me know what YOU need a package like this to
be able to record and do...What YOU like and dislike, etc...

I'm working on a Blog for all to see and post their comments and
suggestions, but the news groups will have to do until I can get that
done...

I'll give away a free copy of the new product CD to 10 people I feel
contributed the most to the over all design and success of the new
product...

In the new design:

1) You'll be able to select what chapters and pages to display in the
notebook...If you don't have a boat trailer, no need in displaying a "Boat
Trailer Maintenance" log...If you use your boat for cruising and don't fish,
then there is not need for a "Catch History" log...If you don't take photos,
then no need for the photo pages...etc...

2) You'll be able to print on regular 8.5 x 11 paper or smaller standard
sized notebook paper like 5.5 x 8.5...

3) Will run on win 98 and up...

4) Directly interface with your TWAIN supported digital camera and scanner
for photos...This will save you tons of time...

5) All of the logs you can see from the old product, plus more...

6) Any supported windows printer

7) A minimum of all of the logs from the old product, plus additional logs

8) Print preview function

9) You'll even be able to print out paper forms to fill in if you don't take
your PC out on the boat...(some of the bigger boats do, some don't)...

10) and more and more...

If you have some favorite sites where I can post and get similar help in the
new design, please let me know that as well...

Thanks folks...I definitely appreciate and will definitely consider any
input your willing to provide...

ken

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:13:17 -0400, "Ken Mullins"
wrote:

Sorry, if this got posted twice...

Too much spam and pop-ups on your site.

--
John H.
On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD

Should be the simple little standard Geocities ads is all...I figured
everyone has a popup blocker...:-)

ken


"PocoLoco" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:13:17 -0400, "Ken Mullins"
wrote:

Sorry, if this got posted twice...

Too much spam and pop-ups on your site.

--
John H.
On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:59:21 -0400, "Ken Mullins"
wrote:

Should be the simple little standard Geocities ads is all...I figured
everyone has a popup blocker...:-)

ken


"PocoLoco" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:13:17 -0400, "Ken Mullins"
wrote:

Sorry, if this got posted twice...

Too much spam and pop-ups on your site.

--
John H.
On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD


Yes, I have a pop-up blocker which worked. However, based on this and the rest
of the spam on your site, I would recommend that people stay away.

--
John H.
On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD

If you don't have a computer on your boat, then you have to write down the
info you want to log and transfer it to a computer at home. Then, it resides
on a computer you don't have access to when you need it - on the boat, in
other words. This product is a non-starter, at least for me. Even if I had a
boat big enough to have a generator or inverter, the use of those appliances
is dependent on petroleum. I'd be hard pressed to find a way to justify
running an engine to power a computer, when I could could simply open an old
fashioned log book.

Doug Kanter wrote:
If you don't have a computer on your boat, then you have to write down the
info you want to log and transfer it to a computer at home. Then, it resides
on a computer you don't have access to when you need it - on the boat, in
other words. This product is a non-starter, at least for me. Even if I had a
boat big enough to have a generator or inverter, the use of those appliances
is dependent on petroleum. I'd be hard pressed to find a way to justify
running an engine to power a computer, when I could could simply open an old
fashioned log book.

Maybe it needs a Pocket PC for data collection and retrieval, and the
desktop/laptop component for reports, etc! (coming from a pda software
developer...)

"Arcadefreaque" wrote in message
oups.com...
Doug Kanter wrote:
If you don't have a computer on your boat, then you have to write down
the
info you want to log and transfer it to a computer at home. Then, it
resides
on a computer you don't have access to when you need it - on the boat, in
other words. This product is a non-starter, at least for me. Even if I
had a
boat big enough to have a generator or inverter, the use of those
appliances
is dependent on petroleum. I'd be hard pressed to find a way to justify
running an engine to power a computer, when I could could simply open an
old
fashioned log book.

Maybe it needs a Pocket PC for data collection and retrieval, and the
desktop/laptop component for reports, etc! (coming from a pda software
developer...)


Maybe. I guess that when I get onto my boat, I don't want to see gadgets,
even though I know that a few are necessary for navigation.

The end result will be a printed log book...Either 8.5 x 11 or 5.5 x 8.5
(small enough to keep in your tackle box)...You'll be able to take it where
ever you'd like...The software has the ability to print out empty logs for
"filling in the blanks" while out on the boat...

I'm adding (within the next 5 minutes) a couple of additional images to the
sample site of a printed "Catch History" entry...Please go back and look for
it...

Not too many boats will have a computer on board, I know...:-)...

Thanks


"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
If you don't have a computer on your boat, then you have to write down the
info you want to log and transfer it to a computer at home. Then, it
resides on a computer you don't have access to when you need it - on the
boat, in other words. This product is a non-starter, at least for me. Even
if I had a boat big enough to have a generator or inverter, the use of
those appliances is dependent on petroleum. I'd be hard pressed to find a
way to justify running an engine to power a computer, when I could could
simply open an old fashioned log book.

Maybe it needs a Pocket PC for data collection and retrieval, and the
desktop/laptop component for reports, etc! (coming from a pda software
developer...)

You can export the data as XML to any device you like...Being a PDA
developer, maybe you'd like to help on the project? :-) I haven't gotten
into PDA languages yet...

ken

A scan of a printed "Catch History" log entry and a sample of an empty
"Catch History" form has been added to the site...

You can keep the empty forms right in the log book to "fill in the blanks"
when out on the boat...When you return to the computer, enter the data and
print the new entries...

www.Geocities.com/kenmullins

Thanks for the input so far ...

ken

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:13:17 -0400, "Ken Mullins"
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

Thanks folks...I definitely appreciate and will definitely consider any
input your willing to provide..

Here's my thoughts....

A log like this is something for the geek fisherman and that market
seems a little limited. So does the anal retentive fly fishing types
who match hatches with obsessive regularity.

I've been fishing for 50 something years and as a serious hobby for
about 40 of those years. I haven't logged anything other than an
occasional write up for a magazine or an email to a mailist ever.

I can't see the need for it.

Any serious sportsfisher doesn't really need that kind of information
- fishing is a seat of the pants kind of sport anyway. And the fish
never cooperate even under similar conditions - it's part of the
allure of fishing as a sport.

So, take it for what you will. My opinion only.

Later,

Tom

Email decoder:

Remove onetwothree, replace with info,
Remove four, replace with swsports,
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"Shortwave Sportfishing" wrote in message

~~ snippage ~~

A log like this is something for the geek fisherman and that market
seems a little limited. So does the anal retentive fly fishing types
who match hatches with obsessive regularity.

I've been fishing for 50 something years and as a serious hobby for
about 40 of those years. I haven't logged anything other than an
occasional write up for a magazine or an email to a mailist ever.

I can't see the need for it.

Any serious sportsfisher doesn't really need that kind of information
- fishing is a seat of the pants kind of sport anyway. And the fish
never cooperate even under similar conditions - it's part of the
allure of fishing as a sport.

So, take it for what you will. My opinion only.


Tom:

Thanks for posting...

You've never recorded loran/waypoint numbers for your favorite spots? What
your best catch was? Photos? Maintenance records for your boat, trailer,
engine(s)? Who went with you on trips and when? Nothing? Been on charters?
Used fishing guides? etc...

I love fishing the west coast of Florida (FT Myers area) and down in the
Florida Keys (Marathon and the mid-keys)...Grouper, snapper, shark, dolphin
fishing etc...I love scuba diving down in the keys as well...Have been doing
both since the mid 80's...

I still try to get down to the Keys at least for a week or two every
year...It's getting harder and harder to do each year though...If not the
keys, I try to get to Ft Myers and fish out in the gulf of Mexico...There
are some nice spots off of the west coast...They are hard to find and it
takes a lot of
time to find them without knowing where to look though...Once I do
find them, I want to know how to get back to them... :-)

I totally agree that this type of product is not for everyone...That's why I
am here...I'm trying to decide if it is worth all of the investment of my
time and effort...I certainly didn't make any profit my first go around with
this thing almost 10 years ago...That's why I am soliciting input from other
fishermen, boaters, and scuba divers...

Thanks for taking the time to post your opinion though...Much appreciated...

ken

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 20:13:33 -0400, "Ken Mullins"
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

You've never recorded loran/waypoint numbers for your favorite spots?

Why? If you don't know where you are and what you caught the last
time you were out, then you need help.

Besides, if you record a waypoint on a GPS, it's already there. You
can either keep it on the GPS or download it to navigation software -
why would you need a separate log?

I understand what you are trying to accomplish and I don't mean to
discourage you from doing so, but in my experience, if you don't know
what is possible at a given location at a given time for a familiar
lake or ocean area, then you are just hunting in the dark.

It's called experience. I know for a fact that if I head out to
Southwest Ledge off Block Island at slack tide, the chances are pretty
good that I'll catch stripers if I use eels on bottom bouncers. Or if
I fish the North Rip at mid-tide using clam strips, I'll catch
bluefish of good size. And so on.

I don't need a log for that.

What your best catch was?

I remember every noteworthy fish I've ever caught and exactly where,
on what and what time of day it was. No log needed.

Photos?

Of course, but that's in a separate folder on my computer - time, date
and description - why need more software to do that for me?

Maintenance records for your boat, trailer,engine(s)?

Again, why create a separate "log" for something that I already have?
The dealer who maintains my engines carries all that information. I
have paper copies and that's more than sufficient.

I would argue that if you needed that much logging for your boat
maintenance, then you need a different, more reliable boat.

Who went with you on trips and when?

Can't see why that matters. Perhaps for a high volume custom charter
type, but for the average fisherperson - can't see it. And why would
you need to know why you, JimH and Harry all went fishing unless you
wanted to keep a record of JimH and Harry bludgeoning each other to
death with 20 pound bluefish? :)

Nothing? Been on charters?
Used fishing guides? etc...

I am a guide and run a small charter business.

Later,

Tom

Email decoder:

Remove onetwothree, replace with info,
Remove four, replace with swsports,
Remove com, replace with org.