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December 2006 Newsletter

1. Happy Holidays from Pastime Software Company!

2. Upcoming Training Opportunities for PastPerfect 4.0!

3. Free Updates for PastPerfect Software

4. Look Who's Using PastPerfect: The American Numismatic Museum, Colorado Springs, CO

5. Tech Tip: Maximize the efficiency of your computer with two Windows Utilities!

6. Contact Information


1. Happy Holidays from Pastime Software Company!

As we celebrate the holiday season, I would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to all the PastPerfect users who have supported us throughout the year. Your interest in PastPerfect drives the improvement of the software through your suggestions and comments. 2006 has been a great year for Pastime Software Company. We reached the amazing milestone of over 5,000 customers and have added several new staff members to accommodate the increased technical support needs of the company. Welcome to new staff members Adam Stepansky, Rachael Schafer, and Maggie Malone. 2007 promises to be another great year in which we hope to continue to develop PastPerfect to meet and exceed your museum software needs.

When the old year draws to a close and we contemplate the approach of the new, we find ourselves in the season of parties, fun, shopping, food, mistletoe, and of course, resolutions. I would like to share my own New Years' Resolution with you. This is the same resolution that I make each year. Resolutions are easy to make and easy to break so each year I renew my vow to have more parties. This may seem frivolous at first glance when most people are resolving to exercise, lose weight, quit smoking, or work toward world peace. I submit, however, that having more parties is the way to carry the holidays with you throughout the year. It could be as simple as a tea party with your granddaughter, a cup of coffee with a neighbor, or a cocktail after work with a colleague. I count all these as parties. Even better, call some friends or acquaintances together for a spontaneous barbecue or potluck dinner. These small parties can renew friendships and family relations and create memories that are the snapshots of the heart.

I hope that the holidays find each of you in good spirits and good health. My holiday wish is that your season of celebration draws deeply from the abundant joy, fierce hopes, and enduring love of your family and traditions. So, my PastPerfect friends and colleagues, thanks again for you support throughout the year. And if you are ever in Austin, y'all stop by and we'll make a party of it.

Sincerely,
Mary Parr, President and Rick Hilton, Chief Software Architect
Austin, TX


2. Upcoming Training Opportunities for PastPerfect 4.0!

January marks the start of the 2007 training classes! Training locations and dates are listed below. For more information about the scheduled training classes or to inquire about possibly scheduling a session in your area, please contact our Training Coordinator, Amy Dunn, by phone at 610-304-0973 or by e-mail at training@museumsoftware.com.

Robins Air Force Base, GA
Hosted by the Museum of Aviation Flight & Technology Center
January 10-12

Davie, FL
Hosted by the Old Davie School Museum
January 15-17

San Diego, CA
Hosted by the Maritime Museum of San Diego
February 26-28

Baltimore, MD
Hosted by the Baltimore Museum of Industry
March 6-8

High Point, NC
Hosted by the High Point Museum
March 13-15

Weatherford, TX
Hosted by the Doss Heritage & Culture Center
April 17-19

East Lansing, MI
Hosted by the Historical Society of Michigan
July 16-20

Be sure to check out our website at www.museumsoftware.com/training.htm for additional training dates and other information!


3. Free Updates for PastPerfect Museum Software

Did you know updates are available from our website for your PastPerfect Museum Software versions 3.5 and 4.0? These free updates are released approximately every two months and are available for download by going to www.museumsoftware.com/software_updates.htm.

If you would rather receive a free update CD, please contact our Support Office toll free at
1-800-562-6080 or by e-mail at support@museumsoftware.com.

PastPerfect Version 3.5- Current Update Available 3.5C1

New features available in PastPerfect 3.5C1 include:

* Ability to include "Notes" and "Inmemory" fields to the Donations- Money Report

PastPerfect Version 4- New Update Available 4.0C8

New features available in PastPerfect 4.0C8 include:

* Ability to add attachments to emails
* Ability to create Report Maker Reports for Search Terms file
* Ability to include related contact database fields on Report Maker reports for dues or donations
* Ability to print reports to PDF, Word, and HTML files
* Allow Arial font as well as Times New Roman for watermark text
* Expand accession "Received As" authority file to accept unlimited entries
* New "Query" Command on Container List Screen
* New Donation report "Memorials & Honorariums"
* New General Information screen setting "WordRite Default Zoom" to open letters at other than 100%
* Option to add phone numbers to Donations, Dues & In-kind Gifts Report
* Option to add phone numbers to Donations by Fund and Date Range Report
* Option to add the field "creator" and other common catalog fields to the Items by Donor Report
* Option to include Site database fields on Report Maker Reports for Objects
* Save sort order setting for container list
* Security options to restrict Add, Edit, Delete and Print from Sites & Localities and People Biography screens
* When printing letters, labels, zip code tally, or emailing from Lists & Labels, deceased members are not included.


4. Look Who's Using PastPerfect: The American Numismatic Museum, Colorado Springs, CO
Special thanks to Andrew Dickes, Collections Manager, for writing this month's Look Who's Using PastPerfect!

Numismatics: the study or collection of coins, paper money, tokens, medals, and related objects.

The American Numismatic Association Money Museum, located in Colorado Springs, is the nation's largest museum dedicated to numismatics. With over 5,000 square feet of exhibit space and interactive displays, the museum explores art, history and science through the prism of money. The Money Museum produces new exhibits once a year for each of its two galleries, and annually welcomes over 32,000 visitors.

Our museum is medium-sized, but our number of objects is large - over 250,000! PastPerfect has been a welcome tool in sorting and organizing our varied collections, and has made processing donations and loans much easier. We have also just started a traveling exhibits program, and have found the "Exhibits" option quite helpful. For our collections management needs, PastPerfect is right on the money!

The American Numismatic Association was founded in 1891. Its mission is educating and encouraging people to study and collect money and related items. The ANA helps all people discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of programs including its education and outreach, museum, library, publications, conventions and seminars. For more information, please visit www.money.org.


5. Tech Tip: Maximize the efficiency of your computer with two Windows Utilities!

As files begin to accumulate on your computer's hard drive through program installations and common tasks, more and more space is used and your hard drive can become cluttered. This can cause your computer's performance to deteriorate and make daily tasks take longer to execute. These issues can be improved by using two built-in Windows utilities.

The first utility is Disk Cleanup. Disk Cleanup removes temporary files, files in the Recycle Bin, and other unnecessary clutter from your hard drive. This process frees disk space and can help expedite computer processes.

To run Disk Cleanup, press the Start button on your Desktop. Next, select All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then Disk Cleanup. The next screen will prompt you to select a drive to cleanup. After selecting a drive and pressing OK, Disk Cleanup will check to see what can be removed. You can then select specific sets of files to delete. Finally, click the OK button to actually remove the files.

Another useful utility is Disk Defragmenter. As files are saved to your hard drive, pieces are stored in fragments. These fragments are dispersed throughout the drive. A complete file may be in fragments that are scattered across your entire drive. Disk Defragmenter will compact these fragments to produce quicker response times from the applications trying to access your hard drive.

Disk Defragmenter is also located in System Tools. The main screen will list the drives that can be defragmented on your computer. Windows XP users can select a drive and can either press Analyze to see if the drive needs to be defragmented or simply press Defragment to immediately defragment the drive. Defragmenting your hard drive can take some time and should be done while the computer is not in use.

A computer can be thought of as a workspace: the cleaner it is, the more productive and useful it can be. Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter are two free, easy-to-use utilities that help maintain computer performance.


6. Contact Information

Address: 300 North Pottstown Pike, Suite 200 Exton, PA 19341
Website: www.MuseumSoftware.com
Sales & Product Info: 800-562-6080 or sales@museumsoftware.com
Support: 800-562-6080 or support@museumsoftware.com
Training: 610-304-0973 or training@museumsoftware.com
Data Conversions: 800-562-6080 or conversions@museumsoftware.com

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