COMPUTER TIPS NOVEMBER 1994
Ron Sodos
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I have been inundated lately with real estate people excited about
Altaira, Top Producer and the other Windows based applications for
real estate. I am truly encouraged at the progress we have made lately
regarding our computer literacy. More and more of us are being made
aware of the value computers can have in an information industry such
as ours. As I go about my business, I find however that many have
rejected taking the time to learn DOS commands or other applications
that are non-Windows based. I would like to clarify something that I
feel is important and needs to be understood by members of our industry.
The computer world is changing rapidly. Windows is an exciting and
easy to navigate environment. However, it is only an environment.
What is meant by an environment is a playing field for applications.
5 years ago I was using DOS based applications on a 10 mhz 286 with a
30 meg hardrive. I was calling our MLS automatically and downloading
to file, text or (ascii files) in that simple an environment. I was
running macros that could enter my log in, including my public and
private ID automatically, superimposing commands when we were
still using Ultrpro. The computer industry would have us think that
these methods and procedures are only possible in a Windows environment
on a 486 or Pentium with a 350 meg hardrive. This is not at all true.
There are many of us that still own 286’s and 386’s that feel
disappointed that the piece of equipment we purchased for a large
sum of money only a year or so ago is already obsolete. This is not
at all true.
Windows is a visually based environment (GUI-graphic user interface).
Don’t get me wrong, I use Windows regularly. I am writing this Newsletter
in Microsoft Publisher. However, Windows is not the end all of Computer
technology. One thing that I have learned in my many hours of studying
computer applications, is that the time a person spends studying is
never wasted. The industry continues to upgrade and will continue
to convince us that what you buy today is obsolete tomorrow. One
way to combat the constant demand for upgrade is education. Your
existing system can do a great deal more than you might expect.
In the coming months we will be hearing more and more about the
information superhighway. The industry is growing so fast that at
this point no one actually knows what it is. What we do know, is
that technology is making many new types of communication available
to us. As real estate salespeople we need to learn as much as possible,
so that we can maintain control over the way information about real
estate is. obtained. There are moguls of the computer industry that
are trying get involved in real estate via the info superhighway.
There are rumors that Microsoft will package a new BBS with the
arrival of Windows 95 that will include a FSBO database. We need to
concentrate on our education so that we can continue to call ourselves
experts. We also must be able to offer the best possible service to
the public in the coming technological age.
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