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Logbook Pro
December 2011 Newsletter:
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Logbook Pro: Almost 14 years old and still version 1? Why we do this... |
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14 Years and running - Never Charged for an Update!
In March we will celebrate Logbook Pro's 14th
birthday! I don't remember when I first
started creating Logbook Pro, I had a passion to
make this computer do something other than documents
and finances and as a pilot in the Air Force, I
figured I'd create a computerized logbook for
myself. Everyone wanted what I created and
after so much demand I put it on the web and started
selling it after forming NC Software. It was a
hobby, something fun, and years passed and the
passion was simply to keep improving it. I
didn't rely on the income as I was a well paid pilot
in the Air Force on the pilot retention bonus, my
passion was and still is simply people using a
product I created. There is more joy and
reward in just knowing you've created a product
people find useful and helps them in their day to
day tasks as a pilot keeping their logbook current.
In the software industry companies typically
generate a revenue stream by releasing a "major"
update every 12-18 months. A major update is
considered an update when the first number of the
version changes, i.e. 1.x to 2.x. Some
companies will try to convince you they are
releasing a major update by changing some color
scheme, adding a pretty chart, or some other
marketing hype! I never wanted to do that, I
just wanted people to use my product and enjoy it.
There are two marketing strategies as I see it: 1)
Rotating revenue by major version upgrades, or 2)
growing your customer base by building a great
product backed by great customer service. The two probably
don't exactly go hand in hand. Charging your
customer for a major update that they may not
perceive as a "major update" may backfire and reduce
the customer base as they abandon the company.
The company may have a short term revenue boost but
in the end, the company will be short lived and burn
their bridge by taking advantage of their customers. I chose option 2 and Logbook
Pro, to this very day, continues to grow and set
sales records and sustaining the business for
continued growth. It's a bit baffling but it's
true. Now, had I been up to version 9 (14
years / 1.5) yes, I would very possibly have a
bigger bank account, but where would my pride be?
Would the number of users be as great as it is now?
And believe it or not, I could not tell you how many
Logbook Pro users we have because I have never
counted! It may be needed some day if I ever
sold the company, but that is not in the plan at
this time, not for maybe 20 more years!
This is why you see Logbook Pro PC edition still at
version 1 and in about a month we'll be releasing
1.12.0, another FREE update for all of you! Is
a version number really important? Some
hesitate to use a version 1 product because they
think it's new, now you know that Logbook Pro 1.x is
far from new, it is proven, rock solid, the most
trusted logbook bar none, and the defacto standard
when it comes to airline interviews. We take
pride in rapid response customer service every day
of the year! We answer you on holidays or even
while out shopping via our smartphones. We
know you need answers fast, we intend to do just
that. We built a quality product which
we continue to hone which keeps support minimal.
When your company has more support staff than
developers or spend more on support than
development, you have a really bad scenario destined
for failure. Create a great product, people
will come, support costs will be minimal, and
everyone will be happy. This is what we do and
we don't skimp anywhere. We spend what it
takes to produce a top notch product, we put the
best infrastructure into our network to provide you
a great shopping and support experience as well as
fast and easy delivery of software and updates, and
just do the job right, no cutting corners.
We hope you, our amazing community of aviators,
enjoy your software products and we greatly
appreciate your great ideas, feedback, words or
encouragement, and sticking by us all these years!
It's great to hear from some of our first customers
that bought Logbook Pro back in 1998 for the very
same price our customers are buying it today, we
have never raised our prices. We are growing,
we are developing, we have some amazing things
coming in 2012 and it's only the beginning, even
just 14 years into the company which seems so short.
Technology today is amazing, there is not enough
time in the day to produce what we want to develop.
It takes time, we only do it right, thank you for
your loyalty and we look forward to the next 20
years!
Happy Holidays!
Neal Culiner
President, NC Software, Inc. |
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How to run Logbook Pro on your Mac |
We are very lucky as
technology has evolved so much
over the short time they've been available to
consumers. You'll get a feel for how far we've
come in such a short time if you read
Steve Jobs' bio. Apple has come a long way
and they produce great hardware, expensive, but good
quality. Microsoft is tops when it comes to
software and they produced an outstanding
operating system, Windows 7, by far the best
version of Windows ever produced in my opinion.
The problem with Mac OS has always been software
availability, the Windows side of the house has
always had the best software selection and developer
tools to help us bring you great software. A great move
Apple made not long ago was switching to the Intel
architecture which really opened the doors for
Apple, and with that, they have even created the
path to run Windows on their hardware. There are
several options we'll discuss in this article, but
the best of all is this $2,000+ system you just
purchased can now be used for anything and
everything you'd ever want to run.
Over the past few years
virtualization has
really taken off. Computers have become so
powerful you can actually run multiple operating
systems on a computer, or operating systems within
operating systems via virtualized environments.
A popular company for creating virtual environments
is VMWare. We use VMWare Workstation to run
every OS and platform that Logbook Pro supports and
test every new release on all supported platforms.
It is amazingly fast and some actually use it for
day to day use while we just use it for testing.
Running Microsoft Windows on a Mac can be done two
ways: 1) Using an emulator that hosts Windows as an
app, or 2)
Partitioning a hard drive so you can dual boot into
either Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows. There
are pro's and con's to each but it's really a matter
of personal preference, both are great options. Hard drives are huge
these days and extremely affordable so partitioning
typically isn't a big deal. The advantage of
using an emulator (virtualized OS) is that you don't
have to reboot to get into Windows, just start the emulator
system which hosts Windows and you have "Windows in
Mac." Here are three popular options to run
Windows:
1)
VMWare Fusion. I use this on an
iMac as you have probably seen in our iPhone videos
where we show you Logbook Pro running in the demo to
show you how to sync your iPhone app with Logbook
Pro. It's inexpensive, just download and
install it then install your favorite Windows OS
into VMWare Fusion. I highly recommend Windows
7! It is just phenomenal!
Click here to view on Amazon.com.
2) An alternative system to VMWare Fusion is
Parallels Desktop. I don't have
personal experience using this but many customers do
use it and seem to like it. Once installed you
then load Windows just as above with VMWare Fusion.
Click here to view on Amazon.com.
3) Mac OS X comes with a system for running Windows
called Boot Camp. This is the
method where no emulator is required, you simply run
the steps as outlined here and create a partition
(section of your hard drive) that will host Windows.
When you boot the computer you'll be presented with
the option to start Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows.
I personally use this on my MacBook Pro laptop
computer. It runs great as well.
Click here for a step-by-step guide,
click here for a video tutorial from Apple.
Running Windows on your Mac will give you the best
of both worlds. Some people think Windows is
more vulnerable to viruses, this is completely
untrue. Both OS's MUST use an Anti-Virus, I
highly recommend
Norton
Antivirus 2012 which is
under $20 for a single user license from Amazon.com,
and for Mac OS X I recommend
Norton
Antivirus 12 for
Mac. Again, BOTH OS's must have anti-virus
protection. Neither is immune and if you
believe that Mac OS is simply immune to attacks
you're setting yourself up for a very bad day.
Our apps, whether iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or even
Android will work with your Mac hardware because we
have no hardware dependencies to function. Our
innovative sync system works completely over the
Internet completely removing the hassle of Wi-Fi
connection issues, pairing your device with a
desktop logbook, etc. Unfortunately Apple does
not allow third party apps to sync over a cable
(iTunes) but in the end we ended up producing a far
better system as a result which our users love.
Enjoy your software and your hardware without
limits. Use the latest Quicken for your
finances and other products that don't support Mac
OS X.
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The beauty of our free apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android |
As you probably know, our iPhone, iPad, and Android
apps are FREE on their respective
Apple and
Android
App Stores. There are multiple reasons for
doing this which you may not be aware of:
- We want you to try our software before you make any financial commitment.
By making the app free you can test the app along
with Logbook Pro PC edition (evaluation) for 30
days.
- We want you to always use the latest version
available. By making the app free there is
no reason to not use the latest version,
therefore, we can ensure you have the highest
quality product in your hands at all times.
This also reduces our support costs by not
having to support multiple versions in the
field. The more we can get everyone on the
same page (version) the more time we can spend
developing new products and updates for you.
- When an OS is updated on your device it may
break functionality. For example, when iOS
5 released some things may not work as it did in
iOS 4. If you use our app then you simply
get the next free update once we get things
fixed up for iOS 5. Another iPhone logbook
product on the market proved not to be
compatible with iOS 5 and now to get iOS 5
compatibility you have to buy the next version
altogether!
- When we come out with the next major release
of Logbook Pro PC edition (at some future point
in time), you can have an app for v1 and an app
for v2 that both share the same cloud sync
subscription, no additional purchase will be
required. Again, we've taken the cost of
having to buy new apps completely out of the
equation and making sure you are using nothing
but the best.
So as you can see, there is a method behind our madness.
Customers of another logbook product are learning
this the hard way having to buy all new versions
just so they can communicate with each other and
work with the latest iOS version available.
That's not a great customer experience and with our
free app and cloud sync subscription system we have
eliminated this madness altogether so you can spend
your time flying and not fiddling with buggy
software. |
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Getting started with your new Logbook Pro software (PC, iPhone, iPad, or Android) |
Welcome to Logbook Pro! We'll help you get
started using Logbook Pro PC edition, Logbook Pro
for your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, and also
Logbook Pro for Android.
Logbook Pro
PC edition:
Click here to launch the Logbook Pro web
installer within Windows and then
click RUN
when prompted. Go through the
installation steps and then on the final screen you
can check the checkbox to launch Logbook Pro now, or
launch it from the START menu in Windows. When
Logbook Pro starts you'll be presented with an
activation dialog. If you purchased a license
already you can enter your name, unlock code,
e-mail, and then click Activate. Otherwise
click the Evaluate button to proceed. You will then
be presented with the Options dialog set on the User
Info tab. Enter your name on the top line as
you'd like it to appear in reports such as below the
signature line on reports. You can enter
additional information in the remaining lines such
as your address and phone number. Next click
on the Aircraft tab and enter the Aircraft types you
fly and configure each to be best of your ability.
You're now ready to log your flights by going to
View/Logbook from the menu (or click the airplane
button on the toolbar).
You'll notice there
are no Aircraft Category & Class columns in the
logbook area. Do not add these columns!
You can create custom columns in Logbook Pro from
the Options/Custom area. Logbook Pro does not
need you to log ASEL, AMEL, etc. As Logbook
Pro is a smart computer program by logging a flight
that contains an A/C Type and Duration, it can then
calculate your ASEL based off of the information you
put in the Options/Aircraft area earlier.
You'll see the information appear in reports and the
Analyzer (View/Analyzer) auto-generated for you.
You can show hidden columns such as
OUT/TAKEOFF/LANDING/IN by right-clicking in the
spreadsheet area and choosing Configure Display.
This allows you to turn on/off columns to customize
the layout to suit your needs. You can also
resize column headers to make them wider or narrower
as desired.
You can evaluate Logbook Pro
completely risk free with no time limits! The
only restriction is a 50 flight entry limit allowing
you to fully explore the software prior to any
purchase required. When you're ready to lift
the evaluation restriction simply purchase an unlock
code instantly online from our
Online Store or
Sporty's Pilot Shop and enter the information
when the program starts or by clicking
Help...Activate Licenses.
Logbook Pro for
iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad:
The Logbook Pro
app for Apple's iOS is FREE on the
Apple
App Store. If you have a device running iOS
version 3 or later then Logbook Pro will run on your
device. Install the app from the App Store (no
purchase required) and when you first run it you'll
be presented with a startup wizard. Go to
http://nc-software.com/sync which requires a
login, no purchase is required. If you already
have an account on our web site login on the left
side, otherwise create an account on the right side
of the login screen. You will find your
Account ID and Username at the top of the cloud sync
portal. Make a note of this information.
Go through the steps as outlined in the startup
wizard and can also be viewed online by
clicking here. Essentially the steps are:
- In Logbook Pro PC edition enter your Account ID and Username at the bottom of the Options/User Info area
- Click the "Cloud Sync" button on the toolbar and then select "Sync Now"
- Enter your Account ID and Username carefully into your app in the startup wizard or in Settings/Synchronization and then Sync your app
Refer to the
documentation and
video tutorials to learn how to get the most out of your app.
Logbook Pro for Android (phone or tablet):
Logbook Pro for Android works with any Android
powered device, phone or tablet, running Android OS
2.2 or later. Logbook Pro for Android is a
FREE app available on the
Android Market. The setup is exactly as
outlined above for the iPhone app. Refer to
the
documentation for more information specific to
the Android app.
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Logbook Pro for Android 1.0.8 released |
We just released a new update for our Android users
- Logbook Pro for Android 1.0.8. On your
device go to the Android Market "My Apps" area to
download your free update today.
Click here if you don't yet have the app and
want to download it now.
Revisions in this release:
- Improved performance and stability throughout
- Added new "long press" popup menus on data
items in the data list such as the Flights
screen to "Mark All as Synced" and "Mark All as
Unsynced". At times we've had users that
wanted to resync all data on their device.
You can use the Mark All as Unsynced option now
instead of resaving each item or using the menu
"Mark as Unsynced."
- Added "Save and New" functionality.
The toolbar (top right) will now have two save
buttons, one has a + sign on the top right.
The save with plus sign means "Save and New" in
other words save the current record and start a
new entry.
- Approaches screen now has a SAVE button on
the top right so you don't have to scroll down
to tap the Save button.
Be sure to review the
documentation
to get the most out of your app. If your
included 30-day cloud sync subscription is coming
due or is expired,
click here
to buy a year of cloud sync subscription for only
$19.99. |
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Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale sets all time record |
No question the
entire globe is in financial crisis yet we are all
still moving forward in life the best we can and
with what we have. Shoppers are especially
sensitive to finding deals, using coupons, etc. and
across the board Black Friday and Cyber Monday were
successful for all retailers participating. This is
a great sign for a positive direction for all
economies and there's no doubt the aviation industry
has suffered a triple whammy! 1) 911, 2) Rising price of oil (fuel), and
3) recession. Interviewing is expected to
surge in 2012 for airline pilots which is great
news! If you're looking to interview, be sure
to
get your binder now and get your logbook
interview ready today!
This year we participated in not only the online
sale event after Thanksgiving weekend "Cyber Monday" but
also the retailer event "Black Friday" by starting
our sale offering the afternoon of Thanksgiving and
running it all the way through Cyber Monday.
The sale was a huge success by more than tripling the
event the same time last year. Thank
you! Thanks to all of our great customers, all
of you, for continuing to trust in us as a company,
our products, our support staff, and energizing our continued growth so
we can turn this around back to you with more great
products and free updates to come. Happy
Holidays to all and thank you again!
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How to use the Import Wizard to import data from another logbook or spreadsheet |
Logbook Pro comes with a powerful import wizard
allowing you to import most TAB or COMMA (CSV)
delimited files. Access the Import Wizard,
even in the evaluation version of the software, by
clicking File...Import Wizard.
Most logbook programs offer an export feature that
allow you to export your logbook to a CSV or TAB
(preferred) file which can then be imported into
Logbook Pro. If you have your own home grown
spreadsheet such as something in Microsoft Excel and
formatted such that the top row contains column
headings and all rows below are data, you can simply
click File..Save As, change the Files of Type drop
down to "Text - tab delimited" and it will save your
spreadsheet in a format that you can use with
Logbook Pro's Import Wizard.
Refer to the
documentation and this
video tutorial to learn more about the easy to
use Import Wizard. However, if you would like
us to import your data for you we'll gladly do this
at no charge, a free service for our new customers. |
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Using another e-Logbook? We'll convert your data FREE |
OOkay, you made a mistake, that's okay, we are
going to help you fix it. Marketing can sometimes
persuade people that a product is great, "buy me"
and all will be hunky dory! Well, now your logbook is in a product that isn't quite
meeting up to your needs, you've suffered lost or
corrupt data, and you are desperate as you're
waiting to interview for your dream job. Even
worse, you're having to pay
an arm and a leg for an update just to make it work
with your iPhone that now runs iOS5. You
simply can't trust the product or company with information that is
so important as your aviation logbook is to you.
Calm down, we can help you and typically within one
business day!
Most logbook data can be put into tabular
(spreadsheet) format that can be imported into
another program. If you use a spreadsheet you
created yourself, send it to us. If you use
another logbook solution, check the links below or
contact us for help in getting your data brought
over to Logbook Pro. If your product has an
export option, see if you can export the logbook to
TAB or comma (CSV) delimited data. 99% chance
is we can get your data!
We will help you at no charge! We want you to
be using to be using nothing but the best logbook
software available to you so you can focus on flying
and not making your logbook work.
We have a
Knowledgebase of conversions which is only a
list of our most common conversions. Contact
us even if you're product is not listed and we'll
gladly see if we can convert your data.
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Product |
Version |
| Logbook Pro PC
Edition |
1.11.9 |
| Logbook Pro Universal
App for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad |
2.4.2 |
| Logbook Pro for
Android |
1.0.8 |
| Logbook Pro Palm
Companion |
1.10.5 |
| Logbook Pro Pocket
PC Companion |
1.10.16 |
| Airline Pilot's
Daily Aviation Logbook - Palm OS |
6.0.4 |
| Airline Pilot's
Daily Aviation Logbook - Pocket PC |
6.1.4 |
| FlightCentral Route
Browser |
2.2 |
| Airline Schedule
Importer |
8.4.6 |
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Click here to download updates as required. |
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To opt out of future mailings
click here or manage
your newsletter subscriptions online by
clicking here. You can
mail unsubscribe requests to: NC Software, Inc., 2711 Centerville Rd,
PMB 5115, Suite 120, Wilmington, DE 19808.
Logbook Pro is a registered trademark of NC Software, Inc.
All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their
respective owners
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