Funny how some of the basic tools that were so helpful are just not around or need to be re-created. Thanks for the info on this one. I might just have to order one...Or maybe I'll wait for that app...or course, then I'll have to figure out how to buy an app.
Physical charts can be important tools. I have a Conversion booklet that I was given in college that I have kept and still find more convenient than convert.exe. Also, years ago at a trade show I picked up a Week Finder spin chart from a mold builder that has since gone out of business, but I sill use their chart once or twice per week. It is funny how you can get attached to useful tools.
This is a really interesting tool, thanks for sharing the story. With so many different sites offering different parts, and brand names, and most sites choosing to list parts by manufacturer (rather than by item utility) part shopping is more time consuming than it needs to be and it would be nice to have something that allows for easy comparison.
Another tool that is more helpful when it comes to actually starting your shopping list is the Arena PartSaver bookmarklet. It's free, and it basically lets you grab parts from a lot of different websites, and save everything from manufacturer, manufacturing part number, cost, quantity and data sheet URLs to a Google doc.
I am not sure there is a big demand for an app like this but since most apps seem to cost considerably less than $24.94 perhaps there is a place for one.
And yes, this is exactly the kind of information that would be great to have on a tablet or smartphone, or even the workstation itself.
I do appreciate the charts too. sometimes it is really more handy to have it in that form than digital. I think it is a matter of integration. Getting information from one place to another is frequently a bigger issue than most realize.
Kudos to Mark Atkins for putting together such a valuable chart. I understand the value of picking up a manual chart when sitting at a desk cluttered with multiple monitors, keyboard, mouse, stylus, sketches and coffee. But I'm also wondering if creating an App for a smart phone or tablet would be a good move. Not for the reason that laminated paper is old school, but because the smart phone is always at hand and even if it is lost or destroyed, purchased apps can be re-downloaded from the cloud. Additionally, updated and expanded versions can be delivered electronically.
Convenient organization and presentation of the information is the value added. An App version would simply enhance it's utility.
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