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- Version: 5.5.2, 11/28/2009 08:58AM PST
kcohen
I used to use Panorama years ago in my law practice under OS 7, 8 and 9. The current Mac version looks like a port of the OS9 version. I didn't bother going beyond the basics in trying it out because I discovered quickly that it is still essentially a flat file database program with a limit ( I couldn't determine the exact number) on the maximum number of fields permitted. Because of this maximum, I couldn't properly import data from Excel. If you have old Panarama databases that you want to continue to use in OS X, it should work well for you, but for new users, there are better, easier-to-use choices available.
Memory Issues and foreign text - Version: 5.5.1, 2/7/2009 09:56AM PST
(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)
rpm3--2008
This from Jim Rea, the President of Provue Develoment (http://provue.com/cgi-bin/Panorama.cgi?qnazone~qnamessage~13335):
" the total memory available to Panorama is no more than 1.1 GB.
At WWDC I verified that this was true even on a machine with 8 GB of memory. I set up Panorama's powerpc.ini file to request 3 GB of memory, but the operating system would only give Panorama 1.1 GB. I was able to get some input on this from an Apple engineer at the conference. Currently Panorama is requesting the memory from Apple's Carbon interface. Apparently if Panorama requests the memory directly from UNIX we should be able to get up to about 2.5 GB. So we'll be looking into doing that in a future release. This may have to wait until Panorama is moved to XCode —— if so it won't happen for a while."
So even with more RAM in a machine, the allocation for Panorama memory is limited to 1.1GB. So don't expect Panorama to be able to handle a 1.6 GB file, as I tried to do.
Their customer support did get back with me on the foreign language issue, so thumbs up on that. Though they are a bit misinformed about alphabetizing resources, telling me that no resource will treat dual vowels like oe the same as ö. Not true, every program with German language options does exactly that. Still they helpfully pointed out that it is possible to change the sorting resources in Panorama, so I will look into it.
Or will at the point they move to Xcode and up the memory allocation so I can use the software. Until then I will having a cup of coffee while Filemaker plugs away, slowly but surely.
Cheers, rpm
" the total memory available to Panorama is no more than 1.1 GB.
At WWDC I verified that this was true even on a machine with 8 GB of memory. I set up Panorama's powerpc.ini file to request 3 GB of memory, but the operating system would only give Panorama 1.1 GB. I was able to get some input on this from an Apple engineer at the conference. Currently Panorama is requesting the memory from Apple's Carbon interface. Apparently if Panorama requests the memory directly from UNIX we should be able to get up to about 2.5 GB. So we'll be looking into doing that in a future release. This may have to wait until Panorama is moved to XCode —— if so it won't happen for a while."
So even with more RAM in a machine, the allocation for Panorama memory is limited to 1.1GB. So don't expect Panorama to be able to handle a 1.6 GB file, as I tried to do.
Their customer support did get back with me on the foreign language issue, so thumbs up on that. Though they are a bit misinformed about alphabetizing resources, telling me that no resource will treat dual vowels like oe the same as ö. Not true, every program with German language options does exactly that. Still they helpfully pointed out that it is possible to change the sorting resources in Panorama, so I will look into it.
Or will at the point they move to Xcode and up the memory allocation so I can use the software. Until then I will having a cup of coffee while Filemaker plugs away, slowly but surely.
Cheers, rpm
Panorama RAM requirements/Foreign language issues - Version: 5.5.1, 2/5/2009 04:18AM PST
rpm3--2008
I am dealing with a database with circa 3.5 million entries (all text, 7 fields, averaging 15 characters per field).
Problem one: This is RAM-based software, so for a larger database you had best have a *lot* of RAM. Panorama, despite boosting the memory usage to max 999MB, pukes out "not enough memory" and "i/o error" messages when trying to import text or even doing simple "find/replace all" commands. OK, I have been trying this with a Mac G4 with 1,25GB RAM, perhaps if i try it on a G5 with 8GB RAM it will not be an issue.
Filemaker, however slow it is, does function however as long as Autosave is on while doing 8 hours of "find/replace all." Filemaker's text import, despite reports to the contrary, is nearly as fast as Panorama's, but *only* if all the indexing is turned off.
Problem two: unlike Filemaker, no options for alphabetizing foreign, in this case German, characters. Treats ä, ö and ü like a, o, and u rather than treating it the same, according to German text standards, as ae, oe, and ue. I presume the same limitations apply to anybody else using a foreign language with different text characters, something which must limit Panorama users to English-speaking countries.
I have been waiting three days for a response from Provue's tech support on the foreign language issue, and despite the site claiming there were only 23 questions ahead of mine, have not yet received and answer. So still up in the air about the company's customer support.
Problem one: This is RAM-based software, so for a larger database you had best have a *lot* of RAM. Panorama, despite boosting the memory usage to max 999MB, pukes out "not enough memory" and "i/o error" messages when trying to import text or even doing simple "find/replace all" commands. OK, I have been trying this with a Mac G4 with 1,25GB RAM, perhaps if i try it on a G5 with 8GB RAM it will not be an issue.
Filemaker, however slow it is, does function however as long as Autosave is on while doing 8 hours of "find/replace all." Filemaker's text import, despite reports to the contrary, is nearly as fast as Panorama's, but *only* if all the indexing is turned off.
Problem two: unlike Filemaker, no options for alphabetizing foreign, in this case German, characters. Treats ä, ö and ü like a, o, and u rather than treating it the same, according to German text standards, as ae, oe, and ue. I presume the same limitations apply to anybody else using a foreign language with different text characters, something which must limit Panorama users to English-speaking countries.
I have been waiting three days for a response from Provue's tech support on the foreign language issue, and despite the site claiming there were only 23 questions ahead of mine, have not yet received and answer. So still up in the air about the company's customer support.
Been a big fan since I found it in the 80's... - Version: 5.5.1, 8/2/2008 12:18PM PST
martimer
Another terrific update for this long overlooked piece of software. It may not always be the most "Mac-like" piece of software available, but then neither is OSX. Once you get used to its peculiarities, it works, really well (both Panorama and OSX).
Essential for my Business - Version: 5.5.1, 8/2/2008 06:17AM PST
SCorbett
I have used Panorama for over 15 years for various database
applications at home and work. It is my favorite software program, by far. It is fast, full featured, and very stable. I am a "serious amateur" when it comes to programming, but I can make it do just about anything from printing labels to running my business.
The main thing I use Panorama for is to run my two physician medical office with integrated calendar, billing, mailing, and accounting functions. While I do appreciate the speed and power of the programing language, I love Panorama for the incredible flexibility of the graphic elements that allow beautiful and complex interface design. That gives the tools I use every day a beauty and refinement that is head and shoulders above any other data management application I have ever seen. All of the medical office management tools available did not meet my needs and I would have had to modify my practice to fit the software. That is something that gets me riled up, so I wrote my own and it (now) makes my work so much easier. (Don't get me wrong about the time it takes - this has been a multi-year project with many hours invested.)
Another thing I do with it is print my calendar/planner. I have full size pages with to-do lists, reminders, calendar, references, notes and other must-haves for a dedicated paper calendar user. I print out one quarter at a time and Panorama uses its powerful date calculating aspects to make me a totally customized planner.
Call me a fan. I don't know what I would do if I had to change to a more mainstream application like Filemaker.
applications at home and work. It is my favorite software program, by far. It is fast, full featured, and very stable. I am a "serious amateur" when it comes to programming, but I can make it do just about anything from printing labels to running my business.
The main thing I use Panorama for is to run my two physician medical office with integrated calendar, billing, mailing, and accounting functions. While I do appreciate the speed and power of the programing language, I love Panorama for the incredible flexibility of the graphic elements that allow beautiful and complex interface design. That gives the tools I use every day a beauty and refinement that is head and shoulders above any other data management application I have ever seen. All of the medical office management tools available did not meet my needs and I would have had to modify my practice to fit the software. That is something that gets me riled up, so I wrote my own and it (now) makes my work so much easier. (Don't get me wrong about the time it takes - this has been a multi-year project with many hours invested.)
Another thing I do with it is print my calendar/planner. I have full size pages with to-do lists, reminders, calendar, references, notes and other must-haves for a dedicated paper calendar user. I print out one quarter at a time and Panorama uses its powerful date calculating aspects to make me a totally customized planner.
Call me a fan. I don't know what I would do if I had to change to a more mainstream application like Filemaker.
Superb Software - Version: 5.5.1, 7/30/2008 06:28PM PST
dpgrizzle
Panorama is my all-time favorite software application.
An early slogan was, "The database that thinks it's a spreadsheet."
In fact, Panorama is easy to approach like a spreadsheet. You can be productive within minutes.
But Panorama is also rich, with bottomless depth of capability and power. Useful for anything from an ad hoc personal shopping list to an internet enabled, multi-user enterprise application.
Panorama deserves 10 stars on a 5 stars scale!
Congratulations to everyone at ProVUE Development for a consistently outstanding product with decades of dedicated development!
An early slogan was, "The database that thinks it's a spreadsheet."
In fact, Panorama is easy to approach like a spreadsheet. You can be productive within minutes.
But Panorama is also rich, with bottomless depth of capability and power. Useful for anything from an ad hoc personal shopping list to an internet enabled, multi-user enterprise application.
Panorama deserves 10 stars on a 5 stars scale!
Congratulations to everyone at ProVUE Development for a consistently outstanding product with decades of dedicated development!
Great for running a business - Version: 5.5.0, 5/5/2008 12:15AM PST
(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)
scott280
I use Panorama for all my administrative needs to run my business, a small record label. It’s perfect for recordings orders, billing, printing invoices, labels and letters, reminding when to follow up on something and most importantly tracking sales. Data can be manipulated in any number of ways and changing how data is displayed can be set up with ease. Graphs are almost self explanatory. New titles are quickly added to all our databases as are any changes to any of our forms to accommodate our needs or the needs of our customers. It’s also great for quickly importing data from other programs and exporting it after editing everything in Panorama which is much easier and faster to use. Creating a new database takes seconds!
Currently our main Panorama database has over 2600 entries, each one having multiple products, prices, tax and shipping yet searching the database or manipulating the numbers happens instantly! Macros are generated by recording the user’s moves and then are executed at lighting speed. What could be simpler? Panorama’s ease use and speed make my life so much easier. I recommend it to anyone running a business of any size.
-Scott August, Cedar Mesa Music
Currently our main Panorama database has over 2600 entries, each one having multiple products, prices, tax and shipping yet searching the database or manipulating the numbers happens instantly! Macros are generated by recording the user’s moves and then are executed at lighting speed. What could be simpler? Panorama’s ease use and speed make my life so much easier. I recommend it to anyone running a business of any size.
-Scott August, Cedar Mesa Music
Great product - Version: 5.5.0, 5/4/2008 11:39AM PST
(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)
Marquedej
I have used Panorama as a personal tool for many years. It is an excellent database tool that is fast! It has a very complete programming/scripting language ... and if there's a feature that is missing, it gives you full access to your favorite scripting language: AppleScript, Perl, and Ruby (and others)
The documentation is nearly too complete. Every aspect of the program is addressed in the documentation, which means it sometimes takes some "wading" to find an answer. However, anything that cannot be found in the docs, is quickly addressed on ProVUE's mailing list where hundreds of Panorama users, including the author Jim, selflessly answer questions.
Great product. Thank you, ProVUE!
The documentation is nearly too complete. Every aspect of the program is addressed in the documentation, which means it sometimes takes some "wading" to find an answer. However, anything that cannot be found in the docs, is quickly addressed on ProVUE's mailing list where hundreds of Panorama users, including the author Jim, selflessly answer questions.
Great product. Thank you, ProVUE!
FAST, powerful, intuitive number cruncher - Version: 5.5.0, 5/4/2008 11:32AM PST
(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)
Rick Barron
I've never found a better program for crunching the numbers. I can input a 10,000-record database in about two seconds, and it appears in columns that make it easy to sort. The 10,000 records sort in about a second, and the menu selections make it easy to sort, then sort-within, which means it keeps the previous sort, like states for example, and then sort cities within that and so on to the nth degree.
Once I have the info sorted the way I want, click Group and voila!, it gives me totals by state, or month, or customer, or whatever I'm trying to find. Although it does support complex forms if I'm inclined to make them, the beauty is that I can get at the information I need in an instant, without programming. I do use simple forms, and don't feel required to spend hours creating macros, although I do use the handy "text funnels" to extract the info I need from the data. Also, inputting the data by hand is helped greatly by simple commands, such as initial caps, phone number or other formats, etc.
There's much, much more to Panorama than I need to use, but for me, it performs essential tasks with incredible speed and elegance.
Once I have the info sorted the way I want, click Group and voila!, it gives me totals by state, or month, or customer, or whatever I'm trying to find. Although it does support complex forms if I'm inclined to make them, the beauty is that I can get at the information I need in an instant, without programming. I do use simple forms, and don't feel required to spend hours creating macros, although I do use the handy "text funnels" to extract the info I need from the data. Also, inputting the data by hand is helped greatly by simple commands, such as initial caps, phone number or other formats, etc.
There's much, much more to Panorama than I need to use, but for me, it performs essential tasks with incredible speed and elegance.
Panorama fan - Version: 5.5.0, 5/3/2008 05:01PM PST
(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)
mchurch
I have used Panorama since its inception—and "Overview" before that. The program does everything I need—with one exception—to run our John Wayne Airport flight school.
I'm no programmer, but have written hundreds of Panorama scripts (macros) to tailor the software to the specific needs of the business. The program is powerful, easy to use, and has features I have never dreamt of needing.
When I'm too impatient to figure things out from the documentation, phone/email support has always been prompt and to the point.
My only complaint is that my "other" program--scheduling software--runs only on Windows, forcing me to run Panorama on a number of PCs. Although everything functions as it should, the program is mildly unstable with the Win OS: we see an "unhandled exception" error about once every five days of continuous operation.
It's not a bitter complaint, but it sure will be nice when the Win version gets an upgrade.
I'm no programmer, but have written hundreds of Panorama scripts (macros) to tailor the software to the specific needs of the business. The program is powerful, easy to use, and has features I have never dreamt of needing.
When I'm too impatient to figure things out from the documentation, phone/email support has always been prompt and to the point.
My only complaint is that my "other" program--scheduling software--runs only on Windows, forcing me to run Panorama on a number of PCs. Although everything functions as it should, the program is mildly unstable with the Win OS: we see an "unhandled exception" error about once every five days of continuous operation.
It's not a bitter complaint, but it sure will be nice when the Win version gets an upgrade.
