First rule of UI software development

UI response is the #1 determinant of the user's perception of performance.
That's why it is so important to give the user immediate feedback, even if
there is more work being done in the background.

I just upgraded from Money 2004 to Money 2007. Now, I actually dread having
to click on something. I could read a book while each screen loads. I have
read all the data I could find on improving performance, but to no avail.
And of course I was forced into the update because stock prices would no
longer update on Money 2003.

I "only" have a dual Xeon system with a U320 SCSI 15,000RPM drive.

Another satisfied customer.

Cal
Thu Dec 21 17:48:42 CST 2006

In microsoft.public.money, RickB wrote:

>UI response is the #1 determinant of the user's perception of performance.
>That's why it is so important to give the user immediate feedback, even if
>there is more work being done in the background.
>
>I just upgraded from Money 2004 to Money 2007. Now, I actually dread having
>to click on something. I could read a book while each screen loads. I have
>read all the data I could find on improving performance, but to no avail.
>And of course I was forced into the update because stock prices would no
>longer update on Money 2003.
>
>I "only" have a dual Xeon system with a U320 SCSI 15,000RPM drive.
>
>Another satisfied customer.
>

Odd. Others would try to speed things up.

Dick
Thu Dec 21 18:42:38 CST 2006

I'm guessing you haven't read about Nuke The Bills. Some of us who had
Pathetically Poor Performance in M05/6/7 found that the Nuke The Bills
effort was quite worthwhile in improving performance and stability. It is
not trivial to do. YMMV. See http://umpmfaq.info/faqdb.php?q=187 for more
information.

"RickB" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:OGCecFUJHHA.2236@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> I just upgraded from Money 2004 to Money 2007. Now, I actually dread
> having to click on something. I could read a book while each screen
> loads. I have read all the data I could find on improving performance,
> but to no avail.

RickB
Thu Dec 21 21:29:34 CST 2006

I saw the article. We have been using Money since 1998. We have all that
history and bill paying work built up. I do investments, the wife does the
bills. If I "Nuked The Bills" she would divorce me.
"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko@mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:%23sorTIWJHHA.4068@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> I'm guessing you haven't read about Nuke The Bills. Some of us who had
> Pathetically Poor Performance in M05/6/7 found that the Nuke The Bills
> effort was quite worthwhile in improving performance and stability. It is
> not trivial to do. YMMV. See http://umpmfaq.info/faqdb.php?q=187 for more
> information.
>
> "RickB" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:OGCecFUJHHA.2236@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> I just upgraded from Money 2004 to Money 2007. Now, I actually dread
>> having to click on something. I could read a book while each screen
>> loads. I have read all the data I could find on improving performance,
>> but to no avail.
>
>

Vadim
Thu Dec 21 23:31:14 CST 2006

Hello, RickB!
You wrote on Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:48:23 -0500:

R> UI response is the #1 determinant of the user's perception of
R> performance. That's why it is so important to give the user immediate
R> feedback, even if there is more work being done in the background.

You are assuming that software vendor is always interested in user's
perception of performance. Not necesserily. When product development is
driven by sales, it may be the opposite. And I see more and more processes
driven by sales.

http://blogs.msdn.com/philipsu/archive/2004/07/01/170682.aspx

"Money's success or failure was judged using the same metrics as MSN's
websites. Metrics like minutes viewed per month. Like ad revenue. Like
click-through. Stickiness. I am not making this up. I sat through meetings
where we were asked to research ways in which to increase the amount of time
that users spent in Money. "

Somewhat similar to a city adjusting the timing of traffic lights on a busy
intersection so that no driver will miss the red, so everyone has the time
to look at the local storefronts. Same "business-driven" logic.

regards,
Vadim Rapp

Dick
Fri Dec 22 06:54:01 CST 2006

You can put them back, you know. The only thing, done right, that ends up
missing is historic Bill Calendar entries. No transaction history is lost. I
provided techniques to assure that not Scheduled Bill data was lost. I did
it with over 100 scheduled bills.

"RickB" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:uyd%23nlXJHHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>I saw the article. We have been using Money since 1998. We have all that
>history and bill paying work built up. I do investments, the wife does the
>bills. If I "Nuked The Bills" she would divorce me.

RickB
Fri Dec 22 08:45:14 CST 2006

"You can put them back, you know".

I work 55-70 hours per week. I'd really prefer not to spend the weekend
putting them back. How's this; Microsoft can publish the DB schema and I'll
bet that I can automate the process of exporting the critical data and then
reimporting it.

"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko@mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:OmiXygcJHHA.4244@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> You can put them back, you know. The only thing, done right, that ends up
> missing is historic Bill Calendar entries. No transaction history is lost.
> I provided techniques to assure that not Scheduled Bill data was lost. I
> did it with over 100 scheduled bills.
>
> "RickB" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:uyd%23nlXJHHA.3936@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>I saw the article. We have been using Money since 1998. We have all that
>>history and bill paying work built up. I do investments, the wife does
>>the bills. If I "Nuked The Bills" she would divorce me.
>
>

Dick
Fri Dec 22 13:37:40 CST 2006

I work 50-55 most weeks and help people like you here in some of my off
time, so I don't entirely feel your pain. I also did this with over 100
scheduled bills. Took a total of about six hours. That was probably paid
back in improved performance and stability in less than a month.

You are more than welcome to wait until Microsoft publishes the API to the
database. Personally, I'd think that if it was worth your time to come and
vent about it here in the NG, it might be worth your time to fix it in your
lifetime, but suit yourself.

Seeing if it will solve you issue just costs you the time to make a
temporary copy of your data file and the time to run the tool. You either
will or won't see improvements in performance/stability almost instantly
thereafter.

"RickB" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:eNsRLfdJHHA.4712@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> How's this; Microsoft can publish the DB schema and I'll bet that I can
> automate the process of exporting the critical data and then reimporting
> it.

RickB
Fri Dec 22 22:23:19 CST 2006

Don't get me wrong; I appreciate your help. But I do resent MS. I've been
using Money since 98, as I said. They have billions in the bank and 1000s
of developers. How about letting a fairly junior developer write a complete
fix in a few weeks? Why should every user have to spend 5 or 6 hours.

You were willing to spend your Saturday that you could have spent with your
family. Hats off to you, I guess. I'd switch products first.

"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko@mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:ufXaaCgJHHA.536@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>I work 50-55 most weeks and help people like you here in some of my off
>time, so I don't entirely feel your pain. I also did this with over 100
>scheduled bills. Took a total of about six hours. That was probably paid
>back in improved performance and stability in less than a month.
>
> You are more than welcome to wait until Microsoft publishes the API to the
> database. Personally, I'd think that if it was worth your time to come and
> vent about it here in the NG, it might be worth your time to fix it in
> your lifetime, but suit yourself.
>
> Seeing if it will solve you issue just costs you the time to make a
> temporary copy of your data file and the time to run the tool. You either
> will or won't see improvements in performance/stability almost instantly
> thereafter.
>
> "RickB" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:eNsRLfdJHHA.4712@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> How's this; Microsoft can publish the DB schema and I'll bet that I can
>> automate the process of exporting the critical data and then reimporting
>> it.
>
>

Chris
Fri Dec 22 22:55:26 CST 2006

To what? What's better?

"RickB" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:%231uIUokJHHA.4848@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
> I'd switch products first.

Dick
Sat Dec 23 05:57:23 CST 2006

Go for it. Let us know to what and how you moved your data and what you
think. Many of us would move to something better in a blink of the eye if
there were realistic choices for doing so.

"RickB" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:%231uIUokJHHA.4848@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> I'd switch products first.