Summary: The answers to the top Mac OS questions from Clients & Profits X
users
Q. Does Clients & Profits X run on Mac OS X?
Yes. Clients & Profits X runs well with Mac OS X 10.3 and higher, but not earlier versions of OS X (10.2, etc.). Note that Clients & Profits X does not run in the Classic environment.
Q. Will Clients & Profits X run on an iMac?
Yes. The iMac is an ideal computer for Clients & Profits X since it is fast -- and even includes built-in high-speed Ethernet.
Q. What version of the Mac OS is best for running Clients & Profits X?
Clients & Profits X will only run under OS X 10.3 and higher. It does not work in previous versions of the Mac OS. For more information about Clients & Profits X and Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger), see the
System Manager News page.
Q. Do all Clients & Profits users have to have the same version of the Mac OS?
No, but it's probably easier to manage a network of Macs if they're all configured identically, so it's recommended.
Q. Can we share Clients & Profits X using personal file sharing, or do we need a big server?
Yes, but only if a few people will be sharing Clients & Profits X. The personal file sharing built into the Mac OS can only handle 10 users a time, while OS X Server or Windows Server 2003 can support hundreds. Plus, a dedicated, stand-alone file server running server software is much more stable, dependable -- and runs much faster -- than a Mac that's both a server AND a workstation. The problem with combining a workstation with a server is that any crash, freeze, or delay caused by a user's work (e.g., Excel freezes while printing a spreadsheet) disrupts everyone who's connected to it and sharing Clients & Profits. Every time the server crashes there's a risk of data corruption, which is time-consuming to fix. A dedicated server that's devoted to sharing your Clients & Profits X database is far less likely to crash. Using the built-in file sharing is only practical for shops with five or fewer people sharing Clients & Profits X. Additionally, file sharing offers far less tools for management than actual server softare.
Q. What's the best Mac to get for a typical Clients & Profits user?
The iMac or Mac Mini is an ideal Clients & Profits workstations for the typical production manager, account executive, traffic coordinator, or accounting person. They are fast, space-efficient, and inexpensive. They come completely configured for Clients & Profits X, so there are no extras to buy. Of course, you can run Clients & Profits on any currently available Mac (including MacBook Pros/MacBooks).
Q. How can Clients & Profits be shared by our Windows users?
It's easy. All you need is an Ethernet network to which all of your Macs and PCs are connected -- and a file server such as OS X Server or Windows Server 2003. First, you'll create a shared folder (i.e., sub-directory) on the file server that can be accessed by both Mac users and Windows users for the C&P X database. (It should be called something like ACCT_DATA or C&P_DATA, but be sure to keep the name short so that older versions of Windows can read it correctly.) Then give your C&P X users access to this directory. You'll need to name your Clients & Profits X database so that it ends in .DF1 (this is important, since that's how C&P X recognizes it from any computer). Once the database is moved into the shared folder, the users should be able to mount the file server and open the database.
Q. Can Clients & Profits X be automated with AppleScript or Automator?
Not really. Most operations in Clients & Profits X, such as printing reports, require some sort of data to be entered (like a range of dates), which makes it difficult to automate. Graphics programs and word processors lend themselves more to scripting and macros because they have many more routine processes.
Q. Can Clients & Profits X be accessed remotely?
Yes, you can create a virtual network over the internet (or directly between locations), and install Clients & Profits at the remote location. However, it may work too slowly to be comfortably usable. Clients & Profits involves a lot of sending and receiving of data, such as client info, jobs, tasks, time sheets, purchase orders, etc. because processing occurs at the client. You will find Clients & Profits works slowly even if the database location and remote location have a high-speed line (i.e., DSL, Cable, T1). Two other remote options are available that will increase the remote user's speed when using Clients & Profits X. The first is to use an application to remotely control a workstation at the database location, such as Timbuktu (see next question on this FAQ). The second is to use our web based client,
My! C&P X. This has a limitation in that not all C&P X functions are supported.
Q. Can Clients & Profits be operated remotely using Timbuktu, VNC, PC Anywhere, etc.?
Yes.
Timbuktu and similar programs lets a user remotely control a Mac or PC in the office. The computer in the office would be connected to the file server and run Clients & Profits X; the remote user simply controls it using a copy of Timbuktu or another remote program from their laptop or home computer. The only thing sent to the remote location are screen images (no data is sent to the remote location since Clients & Profits X is opened on the LAN where the database is located). There are two limitations. First, only one person can control a computer at a time. Second, there isn't a standard way of printing at the remote location. Keep in mind that often your Clients & Profits X users utilize the Print to Screen option and don't have the need to print to a printer. However, if they need a hard copy of a report, you can print to PDF and e-mail this file back to the remote location, or for the more technically inclined, you can set up a printer with an IP address at the remote location and print over TCP/IP back to this printer. We at Clients & Profits don't support setting up these printing scenarios.
Q. Does Clients & Profits X make its own backups?
No, you'll need a reliable backup system -- something like Retrospect and a tape backup, external hard drive, or DVD-R/RW -- to store daily copies of your Clients & Profits database. If tapes are used, a set of daily tapes should be rotated so that there are several redundant copies, just in case a tape fails. You can never be too careful or paranoid about your backups.
Q. Can Clients & Profits X be used with DAVE?
No. There is an incompatibility between Thursby System's
DAVE and Clients & Profits X that causes the system to freeze when something is being saved. There is no known workaround. For more information about a compatible version of DAVE, please contact Thursby Systems at (817) 478-5070.
