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What is the TapRecorder used for? Technical: Compatibility, Memory, Resetting What computers is the TapRecorder compatible with? Tips and Techniques: Copying a List How do I get a copy of my roster on a new TapRecording without having to re-enter all of the player names? Business Issues: Ordering, Availability, Warranty, Support Where can I order the TapRecorder? Features: Spreadsheets, Tap Counts, Choice Lists, Check Marks What at the features of the TapRecorder? Should I buy the TapRecorder or Volleyball Ace? Return to TapRecorder Home Page
What is the TapRecorder used for? The TapRecorder is a tool which enables you to quickly record virtually any statistic you need on a handheld computer and easily consolidate the data on a desktop computer. It is modeled on a typical pencil-and-paper approach to recording data, where you set up a column of players and columns of different types of stats. Data entry is simple - you tap on the cell corresponding to the appropriate player row and stat column - and the TapRecorder automatically increments the value in the cell. You can also set up columns to do calculations, to enter text or numbers and a variety of other features similar to a spreadsheet. To consolidate data, you HotSync your handheld to your desktop PC. Then you run the Excel consolidation worksheet, which reads and consolidates TapRecordings. You can even create TapRecordings on your desktop PC and download them to your Palm for use. What are PracticeStats? PracticeStats for Volleyball are a series of TapRecordings specifically designed for drills in volleyball practice. Click here for more complete description Technical: Compatibility, Memory, Resetting What computers is the TapRecorder compatible with? The TapRecorder is currently available only on Palm handheld computers with connections to Windows PC desktops. A version which is compatible with the Pocket PC is scheduled for release this summer. Compatible Palm computers include Palm Zire, Palm Tungsten, Palm m series, Palm V, Palm VII, Palm III (Palm OS 3.1 or later). Also compatible are Sony Clie and Handspring Visor models. How much memory does it need? Memory requirements of the TapRecorder are modest, so even a 2 MB handheld has enough space for the TapRecorder and several hundred TapRecordings. What do I do if my handheld computer "hangs"? Occasionally a handheld computer will malfunction and need to be reset. This can be the result of a software malfunction, static electricity or even a hard knock on the handheld (we like to drop ours on concrete sidewalks). Before you do anything, double-check to make sure that the handheld is, in fact, turned on. (Handhelds turn themselves off after a period of inactivity to conserve the battery. For first-time users this can be a little unnerving until you get used to it.) Push the on switch to make sure. If it still does not do anything then it might be "hung." If a Palm handheld computer "hangs" it usually displays a blinking black line in the upper left corner of the screen. On a Palm there are three kinds of resets, a soft reset, a harder soft reset and a hard reset. The hard reset erases everything on the handheld except built-in applications. This means that all saved files and all installed applications are erased by a hard reset. A hard reset should be used only as a last resort. Unfortunately some handheld computer support people immediately suggest doing a hard reset. What you should do is to try the soft reset, then the slightly harder reset, then the hard reset only if all else fails. To do a soft reset on either a Palm, locate the reset hold on the back side of the handheld. Bend a paperclip and push one end into the reset hole. The handheld should come back to life. If the soft reset doesn't work on the Palm, do a slightly harder reset. Click the rocker switch up and hold it there while clicking on the reset. After releasing the reset, release the rocker switch. This is the harder soft reset. It resets some extra stuff on the Palm and often is enough to resurrect it. If this still doesn't work, do a hard reset by holding the power switch down and clicking on the reset. Note that the hard reset has the same effect as letting the batteries run completely out. After a hard reset you will have to reinstall your applications. The good news is that the Palm will automatically restore any applications which were on the Palm the last time you did a HotSync. Tips and Techniques: Copying a List How do I get a copy of my roster on a new TapRecording without having to re-enter all of the player names? The TapRecorder "Insert TapRecording" feature enables you to copy all of the columns from an existing TapRecording into the current TapRecording. To use this feature, tap on the menu button (on the Palm it is the lower left icon in the silk screen graffiti area) then tap on "Insert-Insert TapRecording". Then select the TapRecording you want to insert and the columns will be added to the current TapRecording. Business Issues: Ordering, Availability, Warranty, Support Where can I order the TapRecorder? The TapRecorder can be ordered directly from us on this web site, over the phone at (877) 223-8225 or by FAX (using our order form) at (650) 948-2616. What do I get when I buy the TapRecorder with PracticeStats? The TapRecorder with Practice Stats includes the TapRecorder application for the Palm, PracticeStats for Volleyball templates, the Consolidation Worksheet and the TapRecorder Desktop Designer. PracticeStats for Volleyball are a series of TapRecordings tailored for use in Volleyball drills. The license includes a year of technical support, a printed users guide and installation instructions. All software is installed from the installation CD via the desktop computer. Handheld applications are automatically moved to the handheld by the HotSync (Palm) utilities. Is there a demo version available? We do not provide a "demo" version of the TapRecorder with PracticeStats. Instead we provide a 30-day money-back guarantee. Purchase the TapRecorder directly from us, and if you don't like it, return it for a full refund. Is there a product warranty? The TapRecorder has the "standard" warranty that comes with all software which is that the CD will be replaced if it is found to be defective (whoopee!). What is more important, however, is that we care about the quality and reliability of our software. If you report a problem to us, we will make a concerted effort to reproduce it, fix it and return a fixed copy of the software to you. On occasion when we find a serious problem we ship updates to customers free of charge. What is the support policy? We provide telephone and email support to our customers. Officially, purchasing a copy of the TapRecorder gets you technical support for one year or until the next upgrade is available. Purchasing an upgrade to an existing license extends that support. Unofficially, we have never refused to answer a customer's call or email because they are using an older version of the product. (We do encourage them, however, to upgrade if they can afford it!) What is the upgrade policy? Upgrades for the TapRecorder are planned to be released at about one year intervals. Product upgrades are planned to be available to currently licensed customers at a price somewhat less than half of the original license price. We are currently shipping version 1.10 of the TapRecoder and expect to product an upgrade some time in early 2006. Features: Spreadsheets, Tap Counts, Choice Lists, Check Marks What at the features of the TapRecorder? The TapRecorder is similar to a spreadsheet, but it is designed for use on handheld computers with limited keyboard support. Note that TapRecordings are set up by column (and not by cell) as is the case for desktop applications such as Excel. There are three special types of columns that can be used in the TapRecorder, tap count columns, choice list columns and check mark columns. Tap counts increment the value in the cell which has been tapped on once for each tap. The default increment is 1, but it could be set at 2 or 3 or any integral value. A basketball scoring TapRecording might be set up to increment by 2 for field goals made and by 3 for 3 point shots made. Choice list columns enable selection of a value for a cell from a pre-defined list of entries. For example, a TapRecording for issuing uniforms may have several columns where the choice list is set to "XL, L, M, S" for uniform sizes. Check mark columns enable checking and unchecking values with a single tap on a cell. Note that the TapRecorder also supports typical spreadsheet features such as text (or numeric) entries and calculation formulas. Should I buy the TapRecorder or Volleyball Ace? Of course we believe that you should buy both the TapRecorder and Volleyball Ace, but if budget constraints force you to make a choice, here are some guidelines: Volleyball Ace is ideal for recording stats during volleyball matches because it "understands" how volleyball stats and scoring work. It keeps track of players in the game, the current score, charts serves and attacks and has many built-in consolidation features. The TapRecorder is much more open-ended, allowing you to record data for as many "players" as you want and as many kinds of stats as you want, but it does not keep track of the score, who is in the game in what rotation and it does not feature the many desktop reports available with Volleyball Ace. In short, if you want to record stats for matches, we recommend Volleyball Ace. If you want to stat drills during practice, we recommend the TapRecorder with PracticeStats. |
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