Catalogues on CD

These have begun to appear in recent years and I am wondering what
members think of them. For myself, I think they should be searchable,
printable (with colour images), navigable (easy to look up a given
stamp) and browsable. What features do YOU consider essential or
desirable?

The Pipex account is dead. so to contact me direct use:


Douglas

"Douglas Myall" wrote in message
...
These have begun to appear in recent years and I am wondering what
members think of them. For myself, I think they should be searchable,
printable (with colour images), navigable (easy to look up a given
stamp) and browsable. What features do YOU consider essential or
desirable?

The Pipex account is dead. so to contact me direct use:


Douglas

Less expensive.

For example Zumstein costs 3 to 4 times more on CD than printed. I
understand that on CD there are eventually more data and that they are
eventually easier accessible, but their production is less expensive than of
the printed versions.

--
Victor Manta

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philatelic Webmasters Organization: http://www.pwmo.org/
Art on Stamps: http://www.values.ch/
Romania by Stamps: http://www.marci-postale.com/
Communism on Stamps: http://www.values.ch/communism/
Spanish North Africa: http://www.values.ch/sna-site/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have my own method. I check with the local library and find out when
the reference room is discarding last year's catalogues and replacing
them with this years. I just bought all 6 books of the 2003 Scott's for
$6. I thought that was a pretty good buy.

I can only speak of the Scotts cats, and the features you mention are
sound. The one thing I do not like about them is the lack of
portability, unless one has a laptop. If all your work is done at home
and you don't expect to need portability, then they are a viable option.
After looking at the Scott US Specialized, I opted to stick with
paper, even if my old ones are B&W, not color.
John

Douglas Myall wrote:

These have begun to appear in recent years and I am wondering what
members think of them. For myself, I think they should be searchable,
printable (with colour images), navigable (easy to look up a given
stamp) and browsable. What features do YOU consider essential or
desirable?

The Pipex account is dead. so to contact me direct use:


Douglas

"John DeBoo" wrote in message
...
I can only speak of the Scotts cats, and the features you mention
are
sound. The one thing I do not like about them is the lack of
portability, unless one has a laptop. If all your work is done at
home
and you don't expect to need portability, then they are a viable
option.
After looking at the Scott US Specialized, I opted to stick with
paper, even if my old ones are B&W, not color.
John

Douglas Myall wrote:

These have begun to appear in recent years and I am wondering what
members think of them. For myself, I think they should be
searchable,
printable (with colour images), navigable (easy to look up a given
stamp) and browsable. What features do YOU consider essential or
desirable?

The Pipex account is dead. so to contact me direct use:


Douglas


OK so it would be a good idea to make the CD copyable, e.g., to one's
laptop or hard disk.

I find it surprising that one would also want the paper copy if one
could print anything from it, especially as it would be in colour
whereas a paper copy probably would not.

On another tack, I certainly would not expect to pay the same for a CD
and a printed copy. Moreover, the postage on a CD is much less than
that for a heavy book.

Also, with a CD there is no turning of pages and no wear and tear in
use.

Douglas

Douglas Myall wrote :


OK so it would be a good idea to make the CD copyable, e.g., to one's
laptop or hard disk.


Douglas,

It is perfectly feasible : the Philatelix (Dallay) CDs (for France,
Monaco, ...) I mention in another post are perfectly copyable on one's
hard disk.

When you first install the CD, you may use it 30 times only.
But you obtain a private key number which depends on the serial number
of your own computer.
Then you mail this private key together with the serial number of the CD
to the designer of the software.
Within hours, he sends you back an activation key which unlocks the
software.
(This to prevent illegal copies)

With this product, I just have to click on the icon on my "desk" and 2
seconds after, the catalog is open.


--
All the best,
Pierre Courtiade
courtiade at free dot fr

"Douglas Myall" wrote in message
...

OK so it would be a good idea to make the CD copyable, e.g., to one's
laptop or hard disk.

Very easy to do. Lots of software programs exist to do this. Does Scott
prevent the user from installing the CD completely on the Hard Drive? If so,
that sucks. The software by Mario installs the images to ND so you dont'
need to bother inserting a CD if you dont' want to.

Douglas Myall wrote:
snip

OK so it would be a good idea to make the CD copyable, e.g., to one's
laptop or hard disk.

You can probably do that now although I didn't try with the one CD I
borrowed. I'f you've lots of HD space its an option.

I find it surprising that one would also want the paper copy if one
could print anything from it, especially as it would be in colour
whereas a paper copy probably would not.

Color is important oftimes, especially if the prices is the same or
less, however B&W isn't that bad either. Don't forget that if you
scratch the CD the entire thing is kaput (provided you did not make a BU
or copy to the HD)! If you lose a page from your catalog it's simply
one page. Cat doesn't require a power source either.

On another tack, I certainly would not expect to pay the same for a CD
and a printed copy. Moreover, the postage on a CD is much less than
that for a heavy book.

Very true, however companies will feel the value is greater given the
sheer amount of data onthe CD or DVD and will price accordingly.
Whatever the market will bearsigh.

Also, with a CD there is no turning of pages and no wear and tear in
use.

Continual swapping out of CD's in the tray and jewel case will cause
them to scratch and go turtle much sooner than a book will by turning
its pages.

John

I have Scott's, Yvert and a couple of others,
and I hardly use them.
I still prefer hard copy for cataloguing.
I find them a little irritating to navigate, the scans borderline.
They seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place
for the production of scans, and the protection of copying them.
I like my scans at least 400dpi.

I still revert to my own limited e-album, where the early scans are poor,
but I also catalogue and build, stories and legends behind the issues
catalogued with Gibbons numbers.
When I pass on, someone will have a good read perhaps



"Douglas Myall" wrote in message ...
| These have begun to appear in recent years and I am wondering what
| members think of them. For myself, I think they should be searchable,
| printable (with colour images), navigable (easy to look up a given
| stamp) and browsable. What features do YOU consider essential or
| desirable?
|
| The Pipex account is dead. so to contact me direct use:
|
|
| Douglas
|

Rodney wrote :


I have Scott's, Yvert and a couple of others,
and I hardly use them.
I still prefer hard copy for cataloguing.
I find them a little irritating to navigate, the scans borderline.
They seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place
for the production of scans, and the protection of copying them.
I like my scans at least 400dpi.
.............



Rod,

I have Scott for Australia

Yvert, Cérès and Dallay/Philatelix for France
Dallay/Philatelix for Monaco, Andorras (Fr & Spanish) and French
Antarctic Territories.

Like you, Rodney, I prefer hard copy catalogs for cataloguing.

But I do use the CDs extensively to search for stamps, knowing only some
words written on the stamp, or the face value, or the designer /engraver
of the stamp.
Scott, Cérès and above all Yvert have *very* limited search
capabilities, while Philatelix is a very nicely designed and user
friendly sofware.

Above that, scans in Philatelix are at a very high definition (~ 600
dpi)

May be, one day, they will issue a Philatelix for Australia ???
;-)

--
All the best,
Pierre Courtiade
courtiade at free dot fr