Badger Pond CD's ?? Status???

[Mark Lansink]

Anybody know what's up with the Badger Pond CD's ??

I put in the advance order, but lost the link to check on order status.

I also have not received a paypal invoice.

What's going on???

[Andrew Field]

I just finished normalized all the data last night... what a pain! I should be getting together with the other web developer this weekend and should have most of it completed by the end of the weekend. I am also still waiting for the Mugs. Once the CD is ready I am going to send a few copies out for testing and if that goes well, then send the batch out. The ship date has been extended toward the end of the month (this includes some testing time).

Also, I'll be posting some info and questions on the msn pond group, but here is going to be the main question....

Since I can't get all the info uncompressed on 1 CD (well, I can probably squeeze the messages and images, but no way the indexes will fit), I have three options....

1) two CD's - YUCK!
2) one CD with uncompressed messages and pics and an install program that creates and installs the indexes (10-30 depending on CPU). It might also have to install things like shop tours. (Takes between 150MB-200MB on your HD)
3) one CD with all the info and indexes compressed. A simple install program that copies it where you want and expands it (take about 900MB on you HD).

Btw, the install program would probably .MSI based which is included in WindowME+ (Includes XP).

One cool piece of info... The search/indexing tool will be the same that Wayne used, and the default settings will be the same. BUT I am going to include instructions for rebuilding the indexes (or building multiple indexes) using different fuzzy algritioms that allow for searches that do a bit more guessing at misspelled words and variations of the same word.


Let me know what you think, option 1, 2, 3, or some other idea?

[Curt Harms]

Hi Andrew

Perhaps not the reply you were looking for but I'd vote for choice 1, 2 CD's. The less cleverness, the better for me. Simple usually works.

Curt Harms

[Jim Izat]

I've gotta agree with Curt. I'm not sure I want that much resident on my hard drive. I'd rather be able to stick the discs in when I have a need for info.

Jim Izat

[Dennis Peacock]

I choose the option to have it all on my hard drive. 900MB is "nothing" any more and disk space is CHEAP. I don't want to have to find the CD or CD's, flop them in and start some application. Local to the machine is far better and faster.

Really doesn't matter to me.....but I would like to have it handy when I want or need it for reference.

[Bart Leetch]

Please keep it simple put it on 2 CD's

[Ken Salisbury]

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Just send me the paperback version ! <p align="center">
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[Craig Howard]

Andrew,
I've been thinking about ordering the CD. One question though..... Will I be able to install it on a Mac?
Thanks,
Craig

[Spence DePauw]

I think I'm on the list to get a set. I would like to put them on hard disk, whether they come on 1 or 2 CD's. Whatever works out best for the majority will work for me.

Spence

[Dave Hammelef]

I could live with option 1 (2 cds) Think option 3 we would be better.

BUT I WANT OPTION 4 DVD

Then you could probably put it all on one and put the install to harddrive option on there also.

Hey thats got me thinking. IF you went the 2 cd route would there be room to include an full harddrive install program also. Then you would be providing options 1 and 3 but hey

GIVE ME OPTION 4

[Ron Roberts]

Either would be fine with me, Andrew. On the one hand having two disks would be convenient and that way it could easily be moved from computer to computer depending on where I am at the time.

But on the other hand disk space is as cheap as its ever been and getting cheaper. 900 MB isn't much given the size of hard drives the past couple of years.

[Doug Littlejohn]

I think option 3 would be best. HD room is a plenty these days and I would prefer to have it all on system rather than hunt up and use CD(s) each time I want to get some info.

THanks!

[Chuck Gramling]

While 2 cd's is a bit unwieldy I would think that it would work for a greater number of people.

While 900meg is not that much for people with newer machines, for those people who are coaxing along older machines it could be the difference between being able to keep it loaded on their machine or not.

I would vote for option 2, second place vote for #1

thx

[Perry Schmidt]

I would like the 2 CD option with one caveat. (I actually like option 4 - DVD! :)

If the 2 CD option had one CD which would be mostly installed, any data written to the HD, and possibly more isolated or self contained parts (like shop tours?? Reviews??). Even write any 'overflow' data to the HD. Then when actually using the program/searching/viewing the data, it will access only the Data CD (CD 2). This way the 'bulk' of the data isn't on the HD, but it's still easy to use - I only need to have the one CD in the CDROM.

If I had to continually switch between the two CDs I would prefer one of the other options - probably option 3.

My 2 cents.

Perry

[David Rose]

I am nursing one of the old machines like Chuck mentioned. It is maxed out on smaller drives with little space to spare. I would prefer the 2 cds.

David

[David Propst]

Hi Andrew,

I would prefer #3.

If you were to go the two disk route you need to charge more. Making multiple CD's is a real time hog unless you get a commercial vendor to do it.

It will be impossible to meet everyone's requirements. Though it may sound harsh, you sometimes have to go ahead and do what you need based on the equipment the current "average user" has in terms of HD space. 900MB is nothing for most people unless they have a computer full of games or the newest version of Office ;) .

I have been involved with this sort of decision before with my previous employer and I can tell you that you will never make everyone happy.

Best Regards,
<P>David<p>

[Jason Roehl]

Options 2 or 3 would be fine with me. If you did it on 2 CD's, I would probably just copy to my HD anyway.

Jason

P.S. Thanks for putting all this together!

[Tim]

. . . I'll copy it all to my hard drive anyway. So option doesn't matter from a usability standpoint. I suggest the single CD option for considerations of both cost and your time.

Thanks Andrew!

[Peter Stahl]

Not expecting to have to access them that often and my old(er) PC only has a 10Gig hard drive.

Pete

[Bart Leetch]

Sometime soon I hope I can get a bigger HD I had a 3.2 & a 2.0 gig HD linked together on 200 mhz board. But the 3.2 crashed. I wish I could get a 10 gig HD. I don't do games or graphics. The only place I save anything is in my documents. I would like to give this pc to the LOML. She has a 166 that she is real happy with accept it doesn't seem to want to work on DSL. I have a 266 waiting in the wings that needs a HD & some ram. I am not going to put a whole lot of money into it. Because later on I plan on building somewhere between 1 & 2 gig PC with all the goodies. so for now I need something that I can pop into the drive & look at the way my machine is. It may be that way for a long time to come. $ & time stand in the way for now.