Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Last year at this time, due to the drought and the unseasonable winter, we had no peaches on our peach trees, no apples on our apple tree.  Today our peach trees are loaded, and there are apples.  We have had the wettest and coolest spring since we have been in Texas - 35 years.  We hope that wherever you are, you came through the winter as well as we did.

Update Version 7.3

CompuDance Version 7.3 will be officially released -- on schedule -- Monday, June 4, 2007.  This will be the 21st year that we have released a new version of CompuDance on time.  Fees for the new version are listed on the How To Update page.  You can update from any Version 6 or Version 7.  (Updating from Version 7.2 is free.)

We are very grateful to those studio owners who tested this new version during the past five months.  There's no way we can test all of the operations here on our computers.  The process needs the dedication and insight of many people to look at new operations, and find flaws.  As usual, a big THANKS!

You can find a link to the list of new features on the Update Page of our web site.

On the bottom of the How To Update page of the web site there are new manual pages and sections you can download and print.

Updating from Version 5

If you are still running Version 5, released between 1996 and 2000, please be aware that we no longer can support updating from that version.  The files created with that 16-bit version can no longer be guaranteed accurate.  If you wish to update to the current version, please call and we will try to help you out as best we can.

Some Day?

We refer you to the "Some Day" section of the Keeping in Touch article dated June 4, 2006.

Viruses

We include this topic every year, but many people don't listen.  So, we repeat it again.  Please be very careful!  We are constantly getting calls from studio owners who have been infected with some sort of virus.  There are nearly 100,000 viruses out there.  These are dangerous times, and we all need to take precautions.  Please keep your anti-virus software current!  And do NOT open any E-Mail attachments!   No matter who the sender is, we never open an attachment unless we have spoken to the sender by phone!  And be careful what web sites you visit!  It can happen to you!  One studio just last week had a horrible problem of a "hacker-virus-infected" computer.  Not only did it damage CompuDance, but all their other programs as well.  They lost a week trying to get back up and running.

Please use the CompuDance backup operation daily!  Backup to a Flash Drive.  It will save your life someday.  It doesn't take long - only about 5 minutes, depending upon the number of students and classes you have.  We tested it on our large test studio here - 8,388 students, 274 classes.  (You don't have nearly that many.)  It takes 10 minutes and 9 seconds on our oldest and slowest computer.  

Costs are Rising

Due to the rise of shipping costs and postal rates, we have had to reflect those increases in our prices.  It now costs us $0.97 to mail a CD Update, up from $0.63 last year (more than double from a few years ago).  It now costs $4.60 to mail a Priority Mail envelope with manual pages (up from $4.05 last year; $3.85 in 2004).  DHL has had to raise both our air and ground shipping charges due to their increased cost for fuel.  And there are no more free pickups.  So, we have had to pass these expenses on to you.

Windows Vista

CompuDance will install and run on Windows Vista.  However, you should not install any pre-7.3 version of CompuDance.  We cannot guarantee the results.  Vista is the least compatible new operating system Microsoft ever developed.  Make certain that you read and print and follow the instructions in FAQ #28 on the FAQ page of our web site before using CompuDance on a Vista computer.  This is MOST IMPORTANT!

The Network Version

As of this date the Network Version is not compatible with Version 7.3.  We hope to have one soon.  We are working on it.  So, if you are running the Network version do NOT update to Version 7.3!

Maximum Number of Classes per Student  

It was our intention to increase the maximum number of classes allowed per student from 15 to 25.  As we worked to add this new feature to Version 7.30.00, we realized that it was taking an enormous amount of time writing and testing that change.  Hundreds of lines of code have to be rewritten and tested.  And so, in late April we decided to suspend that task, and to complete it sometime in June when we could concentrate on only that project.  We then will ask those few studios who have asked for this change to BETA test it for a year to make certain that it is Ok.

If you are one of the studio owners who have asked for this new change, please remind us so that we are certain your name is on the list.  You should be hearing from us in several weeks (keeping fingers crossed).

That's it - take care.  Have a safe summer!  

San Antonio TX
May 29, 2007