Netbook

[dougsmit]

For years I went to coin shows carrying a ring binder with my collection catalog and taped in photos of every coin.  That allowed checking to see if I needed a coin that I saw.  Today technology is coming to the point that there may be a better answer.  For about $200 you can get a small 'Netbook' computer on which you can load photos and information pages of the collection.  Since these files are searchable, you can retrieve images and information as quickly as you could by flipping pages.  If you are uncomfortable about loss of the computer with your collection information on it, you can store the data on a USB drive and only plug it in when actually using files. Such netbooks are a fraction the size of my collection catalog binder.  Has anyone used one for this purpose?

The only problem here is matching the computer data to the coin itself.  The best answer I have so far is the (acid free) tag under each coin.  Does anyone have a better idea?  I hate flips and anything else that hides coins from view but have found that the set of photos makes it much less pressing to get the coins out of the bank for a look.  It may be time to bury the coins in 2x2 paper envelopes embalmed in boxes with data on the envelopes.  That could make it easier on the dealers trying to appraise the things.

[cmcdon0923]

I have images of all my coins loaded into my phone.  Granted there is no data/description with the images, other than the filename being the attribution number for that specific coin.

[Gilgamesh]

I thought that netbooks came with a database program? Perhaps such software is available.

I suppose another way to carry viewable photos of your collection is to get one of those small photo viewers and put some low-res images on a SD card.

Another possibility, if you have the software, is to place both text and coin photo onto a single image and print that. If you have Photoshop and Acrobat this is 'easy'. There are also free software programs that allow one to do this.

I never leave home without a flash disk containing a PDF file of my coin database (with images embeded). I also take a copy of the database separately - a lot of work to replace if someone steals the computer. This is a security measure of course and doesn't allow the option of checking coins at a show or dealers.

Technology is making these things easier all the time. The new ebook readers look like a good option in future. Prices are bound to drop over the next year as a few new players have entered the market with models. You could even take copies of your catalogues with you to check valuations and identification of pieces you don't have.

Brave New World!

[Andrew McCabe]

I went with the Netbook solution for the last 18 months or so. It's small and light. The only problem is that it is a lot lot more fiddly in practice in a crowded bourse to whip it out and look up a coin. For a start one has to leave it on hot standby all the time (unless you expect dealers to hangabout for 5 minutes whilst you boot up so you better go with your battery charged). Then there is rarely somewhere decent to site and the only place to put it will be on the glass tray tray. Finally, being miniature machines, the mice leave something to be desired, accurate cursor movement, clicking and, worst of all scrolling, are not the easiest thing to do in an atmosphere more like a crowded metro than an office.

That said, it fulfilled its purpose and was a lot better than not having it. This year however I went to a much better solution, I made my coin collection up into a proper book, as illustrated here:

http://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/#jan2010

It worked a dream (recently at NYINC), I could find coins in maybe 20 seconds as against 3 minutes for the netbook version, it didnt disturb anyone and enabled me to check out purchases in advance without the dealer and everyone else peering at my screen.

The Netbook is still a great idea but a Book is better.

Regarding Doug's comment about databases: Netbooks are ordinary computers, just smaller, with less hardware add-ons and a little slower. They come with exactly the same programmes that you have on your desktop computer, although many users choose to use less-intensive programmes due to their lower power. For example Openoffice rather than clunky MSOffice. But they are basically exactly the same. So whatever suited you to store your coins on your regular computer should work just fine.

[crawforde]

The new iPad looks like it might have the convenience of the book with the advantages of a netbook.

[slokind]

And more besides.  Fulfills all the promises of a Newton, all the quality (I hope) of the MacBookPro and all its on line.  One only must learn to use the touch keyboard for limited data entry.  For me reduces the iPod to strictly portable music.  Now if only I were still up to walking around large museums from opening to closing as well.
Will take all my coin and other photos for travel with room to spare and window is large enough for me to see them (it's the width of this box, 9 inches).
Not available yet, but...
Pat L.

[Emanuele Giulianelli]

I thought that netbooks came with a database program? Perhaps such software is available.

I suppose another way to carry viewable photos of your collection is to get one of those small photo viewers and put some low-res images on a SD card.

Another possibility, if you have the software, is to place both text and coin photo onto a single image and print that. If you have Photoshop and Acrobat this is 'easy'. There are also free software programs that allow one to do this.

I never leave home without a flash disk containing a PDF file of my coin database (with images embeded). I also take a copy of the database separately - a lot of work to replace if someone steals the computer. This is a security measure of course and doesn't allow the option of checking coins at a show or dealers.

Technology is making these things easier all the time. The new ebook readers look like a good option in future. Prices are bound to drop over the next year as a few new players have entered the market with models. You could even take copies of your catalogues with you to check valuations and identification of pieces you don't have.

Brave New World!

which software do you use to make the database?

[moonmoth]

I wonder of the iPad will have spreadsheet software compatible with OpenOffice's Calc, and have a way to store your data, and a way of getting that data on and off the machine? None of the reviews I have seen cover anything as prosaic as that. 

Except that it does not have any USB or FireWire ports, so if it will store your spreadsheet it looks as though the only way to get it on would be via a wireless connection.  And you can't install your own software, only stuff that's available from Apple's app store.  So its usefulness for this purpose is only potential at the moment.

Bill

[crawforde]

They are going to make a version of the iWork suite for it.  I assume the people who make MS Office for mac  will get a version out as well.
If they can make a good interface for entering numbers/ data and the wireless connectivity and or the ability to sync with the desktop are up to standards it could be a nice machine.
 :)Someone here could find a way to make numiswiki downloadable as a searchable .pdf or e-book, or similar that automatically updates .  I would pay a subscription/ download fee for that.

[moonmoth]

Good, but it still needs to be able to store data on the machine itself, not just somewhere on the web.  Otherwise it will be restricted by the availability of a wifi connection (on one version) and I wouldn't want to rely on an expensive 3G connection (on the other).

[slokind]

I'll have to go to the Apple site to make sure, but I thought that at least one of them DOES have a USB port, for which I understand, bring a couple of Flash Thumbs along when you travel.
I've been wanting a new toy for a couple of years (a trait of the retired as of the young); iPhone wasn't quite it, iPod wasn't quite it, but this thing will do.  I knew I didn't just want a Kindle, with all apologies to Amazon; Kindle is only a tool, iPad is a toy of the highest order.
Pat L.

[moonmoth]

No USB port according to the Apple site's technical specs. But there is a "dock connector to USB cable", which will allow you to use the iPad as a USB device connected to a Mac or a PC; the reverse of what I was hoping for, but at least it's something. But there is a hint that this only allows a connection to the Itunes store. And there is an SD card reader that might be just the thing; supposed to be for pictures and videos, but it might work for other things too, depending what software they let you use. 

I am not an Apple user, but if this will do just those few things - store spreadsheets and documents and photos locally, and have a way to get them on and off, and run spreadsheets and word processing - I will be getting one too.

[crawforde]

My Ipod touch can connect through the dock connector to a USB port, and be used to download data/ photos, I assume the iPad will be even better, and with a big enough screen to make data entry and perusal easier. 
The small screen on the ipod touch restricts its usefullness for data entry, but the ability to scroll through albums and pictures is nice, it is also a very good ebook reader.  If they have expanded on this, incorporated the ability to view pdf files and e books with illustrations and made it a flexible data entry/storage/manipulation device one will end up in my bag .
The illustrated e-books and user friendly spreadsheet applications issues will be key to make it worth the expense.  I have to be able to use it for work as well as fun for it to be worth the cost.
They better have some nice screen protectors in the works.  My touch has some annoying scratches from travelling in my pocket unprotected.