My Garage Manager

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on August 08, 2011

My Garage Manager is an automotive database program designed by a classic car enthusiast and optimized to capture the maximum amount of detail about car collections, whether large or small, classic or modern, real or imaginary. Whether you use My Garage to keep track of your fleet of vehicles or just your all-time favorites, it's capable of storing details, images, files, links, and more information on just about any car. However, with tools for calculating mileage and fuel use, not to mention records for insurance, repairs, valuation, and other factors, it's ideally suited for maintaining the family fleet, keeping tabs on restoration projects, and maintaining a long-term record of your cars and how you drove them.

As part of its installation process, My Garage checked our copy of SQL Server. The program's database component requires Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, which may create compatibility problems with some recent versions of Windows. Some users may need to apply the most recent SQL Server 2005 Service Pack to run the program. Free registration is required to defeat a nag screen; the unregistered program opens normally and is fully functional. My Garage will be familiar to those who have used other database programs, though its stylish buttons and colorful highlights give it an attractive look. We started by adding some cars by clicking the Vehicles tab and then clicking the Add a Car icon on the New button of the toolbar. This called up an extensive dialog that let us enter detailed information about a particular car, truck, or similar vehicle in a tabbed view with room for purchase, sale, and value information as well as history, notes, and other options. We could also upload images. It's possible to keep track of multiple examples of a particular model, with individual details, including odometer photos. This is handy for collectors as well as spotters.

As a database, My Garage Manager proved as capable and easy to use as any similar database we've tried. As a car database, it's tough to beat, as long as your copy of SQL Server is squared away.

 

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Publisher's Description

From AF Software Solutions:

My Garage is a software database for your cars. Built by a classic car enthusiast, this database should capture all the details you currently store in a paper file, and provide a valuable easy to use tool. Consider it to be "Outlook for cars". �???Stores all the essential information on your vehicles �???Keep a list of suppliers / contacts �???Keep a fuel log, with MPG and fuel price trends. �???Keep a work history with a task based system. �???Keep a history of tax discs �???Keep a history of previous owners �???Keep a history of multi car insurance policies, with limited mileage alerts. �???Upload photographs, or scan doocuments and attach to tasks or galleries �???Fully customisable for other countries (default is UK) �???Calculates the tax band for your vehicles �???Allows historical cost entry in �??�?£sd �???Automatic reminders for road tax, insurance, mot , SORN etc �???Create additional reminders based on time or mileage, or whichever is sooner. �???Log magazine price guide values, and get a value for your vehicle. �???Printable reports, such as job-sheets, or expenditure �???Easy to find historical information on your vehicle. �???Import / Export feature, to pass history to a new keeper. �???Increase the value of your car by providing a detailed history.

What's new in this version: Version 2.0 contains a new tax disc histoy section, plus the ability to customise to other countries. A revamp on insurance policy data, and loads of other enhancements.

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