Starting July 1, 2006 we stopped shipping AviSys Version 5. AviSys 6 is now the current version.
The price of Version 6.0 is $99.95 plus $4.00 S&H (US
funds), the same as Version 5.
"But I just bought Version 5!!"
*** We have finished shipping free upgrades to Customers who purchased Version 5, or an upgrade from a prior version to Version 5, within 120 days of the Version 6 announcement, March 1, 2006. If you are entitled to a free upgrade and have not received yours, please let us know.
"I have a copy of Version 5 that I bought prior to March 1, 2006. What about me?"
As always, we take good care of you. Customers who purchased AviSys 5 prior to March 1, 2006 (and Version 4.x users) are entitled to an upgrade for $48.00 plus $4.00 S&H (US funds). That upgrade will include a new, 136 page, fully illustrated User's Guide and an automated data conversion facility that will import your existing records. (There are special upgrade and conversion processes for users of AviSys 1,2,3.) The order process is now on our web site
order page. Click HERE to Upgrade to Version 6.
"What's the future for Version 5?"
As of now, all future development and enhancement to AviSys will be on Version 6. There will be no further development on the Version 5 base. We will, however, continue support as usual.
"Why are you charging for upgrades?"
AviSys Version 5 was released in May, 2002, nearly eight years ago. Since that time, in four years, there were 6 additional major update releases, from Version 5.00 to Version 5.00F. In those releases, there were over 15 significant enhancements in feature and function. Over that
four year history, with 15 enhancements, we have never charged
for an update -
they were available on the web site free of charge.
This version of AviSys represents a huge rewrite (a complete re-code, poring over 143,000 lines of code) to accommodate what we are hearing from Microsoft as requirements for Windows Vista and Windows 7, which will be in all Windows computers sold after the end of 2006. (AviSys 6 will remain compatible with all prior Windows versions.)
AviSys 6 incorporates over 20 feature
and function enhancements. See below:
This major upgrade also requires a new
manual (which, by the way, is extremely expensive for us
to produce) because the majority of Version 5 users have very
old manuals. The requirement for a new manual for most users eliminates
all possibility of an upgrade download.
The data conversion facility, required for the upgrade, represents a very expensive piece of development, over and above the development of Version 6. Also, the upgrade installation and data conversion update facility will cause some expensive support activity for us. Finally, there is considerable intellectual property value (a euphemism for months of long nights writing code) in the release, including considerable internal development that is invisible but which provides the base and hooks for significant future enhancements.
How will future enhancements to Version
6 be made available to me?
We expect the update policy to be as it was for the last nine
and a half years with 4.x and 5.x. We expect that, for 6.x owners,
all 6.x updates will be free downloads from our web site. As with Version 5.x, we plan a vigorous, responsive,
and imaginative enhancement future for Version 6.x -- our
"Possible Neat Stuff" book is bulging with great ideas from our customers, and we love implementing them. (If you have stuff in that book, be confident that we review it regularly, prioritize by user requirements, and implement when rational.)
By the way, all current add-ons, such as the Shawneen Finnegan Nation Checklist and AviSys Partners, will continue to work with Version 6.
What’s New in AviSys Version 6? (compared to Version 5)
* Designed to be Windows Vista/7 ready. Emanations from Microsoft indicate that AviSys 5, and a lot of other software, could have issues in the new Vista/7 environment. Thus, in a huge effort, we completely re-coded AviSys 6 to comply with the new Windows Vista/7 requirements (as well as continuing to be compatible with all other Windows versions: 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP). All Windows computers sold after the end of 2006 will be Windows Vista/7 computers. In fact, AviSys 6 is beautiful in the Vista/7 "Aero" (or "Glass") interface.
We have tested Versions 4 and 5 under Windows Vista/7. To date we have seen only minor issues, some peculiar dialog and interface problems, in the Vista/7 environment. However, they absolutely will NOT run, will not even start, in Vista/7 64. We will continue support of Versions 4 and 5, but we cannot support any problems that are determined to be a direct and unique result of Windows Vista/7. There will be no further development on the Version 5 base.
* Comment size increased from
48 characters to 80 characters.
* Place names increased in length from 18 characters to 30 characters. (And because of AviSys' superior Places structure, you can edit existing Place names to longer forms now and the changes will be automatically reflected in records and reports.)
* Larger major windows and dialogs on high resolution screens. As a result, AviSys 6 requires 1024x768 minimum screen resolution, which any computers produced in the last 10 years already have. In addition, the main AviSys screen is instantly scalable to nearly fill screens of much higher resolution. (If you have a question, see Screen Resolution Information, below, to view your current resolution.)
* Record listing window increased in
size to accommodate the longer Place names and sighting
record comments.
* Super new spreadsheet report for birding
trips -- a spreadsheet for a trip of up to 12 consecutive days, by day, with the option of X's and .'s (dots) instead of numbers and zeros. This is a terrific report for trips, tour leaders, and birding guides.
* Quantity is now a separate field,
leaving even more room in comments. (The conversion from prior
versions automatically removes the quantity from existing comments
and places it in the record field)
* Optional, instantly switchable, quantity
display in sighting record listings -- reduces clutter.
* Enhanced and expanded visual interface elements on most windows and dialogs (colorful roll-over buttons, mouse wheel support, Vista "Aero" ("Glass") appearance, etc.).
* Enhanced, expanded, and simplified Backup processes to virtually any media, including diskette, CD, DVD (including integrated blank CD formatting in most systems), hard drive (internal or external), "thumb" drive, flash drive, USB drive, CF card, SD card, etc., including optional drag and drop of the entire AviSys folder set to other drives from within the AviSys facility. (All these capabilities in most environments.)
* Enhanced, expanded, and simplified Restore from backup processes from virtually any media.
* Backup and Restore facilities can be run independently of AviSys, via Windows Explorer or My Computer.
* Optional “Running Journal,” which keeps a continuous text record of your sighting entries, exactly as you entered them, grouped by data entry session. Once switched on, it always keeps those records, from session to session, appending them to the file. The file can be viewed and printed any time from within AviSys, and is a standard Windows text file that can be opened in Notepad, Word, and similar programs.
* Master Checklist grid fonts switchable
through four font/style combinations for optimum display quality.
The setting “sticks” for subsequent use.
* Sighting record listing grid fonts
switchable through four font/style combinations for optimum
display quality. Setting “sticks” for subsequent use.
* Larger Print Preview window
to fit higher resolution screens.
* Many dialogs and windows larger.
* Enhanced and expanded Certify Data Set
Quality facility. Runs faster and includes certification of Continent markers.
* Improved and enhanced Adobe Acrobat
(PDF) output, including embedded fonts for any fonts you desire, even if the recipient doesn’t have the font.
* Improved and enhanced Rich Text Format
(RTF) output of reports and listings to Microsoft Word, including complex formatting, fonts, and font attributes.
* New output of reports and listings
to HTML web pages, including columnar reports. Next and Prior buttons provided in multi-page output. Perfect for your web site, or your club's.
* Automated conversion and import of
data from AviSys Versions 4 and 5 to make upgrade to Version
6 quick and easy, while maintaining the safety of your data.
* As with prior versions, AviSys 6 will continue to use the
latest edition of Cornell/Clements Birds of the World Checklist. The checklist is now being regularly updated by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. We will provide updates to AviSys users as they occur. Our past practice is that we have made those available on our web site, free of charge. We have every expectation that we will be able to continue that practice. (If you are upgrading from AviSys 4 or 5 to AviSys 6, the taxonomy you are currently using will be brought over to AviSys 6 with your data. If you are behind with taxonomy, you can then update to the latest Clements free of charge from our web site.)
* Faster performance - runs complex reports, such as Species Seen in a location and date range, 2.7 times faster than versions 4 and 5 for large sighting files. For moderately sized sighting files, performance is so fast, we can't accurately measure it. (Measurements made after the sighting file is used the first time to prime the Windows cache.)
* Support for eBird export - export all, or any selected, sightings to your eBird account, with comprehensive control over export properties.
* "Netbook" support - AviSys 6 can run on the new, tiny "netbook" computers with screen resolutions of 1024x600 or better.
* Latest Cornell/Clements" support - AviSys 6, provides support specific for the latest Cornell/Clements Taxonomy, including support for the enhanced subspecies formats.
* Hey! We just noticed! Somebody is once more claiming for their software: "Enter sightings more than 10 times faster than competitors using Voice Recognition . . . " We will take that challenge any day, any place, any time! It's malarky! (That's a sophisticated word for "baloney.") We've tested that claim many times. AviSys is faster at data entry, by a wide margin.
Will you have voice recognition operation?
NO!! We tried it with several facilities, and we didn't (and still don't) like it. It is not reliable for a wide range of voices combined with the complexity of bird names. (And I have a classic midwest radio announcer voice, so I should have been an easy patient.) When a voice command fails (and it fails frequently), the user has to reach for the mouse or keyboard to correct the computer. The time lost, and aggravation caused, by voice command in this environment far exceed any possible benefit. The AviSys band code approach is so quick, easy, and absolutely reliable, that it makes voice command look like a toy. Even the AviSys Jump Tables and Find are better.
Besides that, I feel really dorky saying "Juniper
Titmouse!" out loud -- especially when I have to follow
it with, "Juniper Titmouse, Stupid!"
In my opinion, voice command in birding software is an inadequate
solution desperately seeking a compelling problem.
Screen Resolution Information:
Look here to consider the wildly popular Shawneen Finnegan Nation Checklist Add-On