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Editors’ Review
Download.com staff
This feature-packed application makes it easy to catalog large collections of books. Once you've created a new database in Readerware, you can add records in several ways. The hardest is to manually enter everything from a book's author to its estimated value. But most users will want to take advantage of Readerware's more convenient features. If you input a book's ISBN or LCCN number, the program can search a user-defined set of online sites (including Amazon.com), importing all of the relevant information. Alternately, you can search for a book on one of those sites and drag and drop the URL to the Readerware window. The program will automatically populate a database record with the appropriate information, including a picture of the book cover. Easiest of all, if you have a bar-code reader, you can use it to scan in your entire library. Additional features include skins and custom reports. Readerware also offers several views of your data, though some are considerably more useful than others. We had problems with the default Table view, which sometimes refused to display anything until we restarted the program. Also, the program's large memory footprint might make it sluggish on older computers. The download includes trial versions of video- and CD-cataloging databases, which may tempt inveterate organizers. Overall, despite its eccentricities, we found Readerware a powerful little database that book collectors, librarians, and even small-bookstore owners might find useful.
What’s new in version 3.62
This version contains general maintenance and enhancements. It is recommended for all users.
Is able to deal with UPC scans in addition to ISBN scans.
Runs on both Windows and Linux
Cons
Java interface (while allowing it to be multi-platform) is never as crisp as a native Windows/Linux app.
Summary
A great program for scanning/managing your book collection.
Use to manage my library of reference bnooks
setter1
Pros
easy to read library list
Cons
Awkward data base to use; structure could be more user friendly
Summary
Wouldn't be without it
Great inventory tool
needlesmoran
Pros
This has been a wonderful tool to track and manage books, cd's and videos. I buy a lot of books, and frequently lose track of what I have. This has saved me many times by showing me what I already have
Cons
The database is a bit primitive. Editing records and getting reports takes some work.
Summary
This set of products not only allowed me to quickly scan in my libraries, it also tracks value. For management and insurance purposes, this is great
Brilliant product. A must for book collectors
vkki
Pros
Readerware is easy to use and enables fast and accurate compilation/maintenance of records of books/CDs/Videos etc
Cons
Difficult to print off lists of items from the databases.
Summary
After trying three trial-ware options. I chose this.
Jemanjam
Pros
Primarily, it was the data that it pulled down from the Net when I put in my books IISBN numbers. It included the books categories, keywords, and subject info. I also liked the drag and drop feature from amazon page to readerware. Unique features.
Cons
Of all the software i tried (BookCat, Collectorz.com), this one had the viewing options I least liked, list views, table views, but none that integrated the catalogue view, book cover, and details in three panes - the other software did this well.
Summary
I really liked collectorz.com's Book Collector, and would have chosen that for a much slicker looking interface, and for the sheer speed with which it pulls down ISBN info once you've scanned a bunch of book bar codes into the system. But Collectorz.com's software didn't pull down the extensive category and subject fields that readerware provides, and it hosts and demands that its software pulls down ISBN data from collectorz.com own databases, rather than open databases that exist like Library of Congress, British Library, etc. Readerware takes much longer to pull down data about each book, but the data it pulls down is much more useful to me. All three softwares are good and evenly priced, however, despite its interface flaws, readerware won out on these two basic and essential pieces of functionality that neither bookCat nor collectorz seemed to do well, categories, and user choice on what online databases to pull down isbn book data from.
Handy inventory Pgm. use it for DVD, CD, and Books
wckresrNC
Pros
It does help me keep track of my DVDs 1500+, Books 1000+ and cds 150 +
Cons
using barcode got about 80% and the last 20 % has to be manual.
About 10 % of the manual Inv was due to the age of the books /cds
setting up to print is not easy
Summary
Great book manager !!
kope2010
Pros
It tracks almost all data from almost bookstore (Amazon, Barnes, Books-A-Million, Library of Congress, Brit, Ger)
I've just use it for 25 books, it get rating, price, edition, series which other book manager failed to get it (Book Collector, BookCat)
Cons
Template not as good as Book Collector
Exporting to CSV works perfectly, especially if you want to print all items in Excel.
Reporting is great too... I just look forward how to put book links into the report for all my ebooks in harddisk...
Summary
Good if it does the job (I not played with it yet)
dikmidd
Pros
It is Free
Cons
As I said, I haven't playeed with it yet
Summary
No good for DVDs
django123
Pros
Cons
Only used it on the free trial for DVD cataloging. On inputting the UPC barcodes it failed to find the film most of the time and found completely the wrong one twice. Gave up after a couple dozen entries and uninstalled.
Summary
Perfect for book readers in maintaining collections.
George Hockey
Pros
Being an avid reader I have used this programme for years to record and collate my private collection of books (c. 1500 to date), ensuring that I don't buy books twice and allowing me to store away the bulk in boxes.
<p>The main pro is being able to type in a list of ISBN's and let the programme roam any number of book sites to find the information, and even if this fails for older books, you can manually add titles. While the graphics of the books downloaded are very small, you can replace them by scanning in the covers at higher resolution, which I do for both front and back so that I can later review what to read next or again clearly on screen, and facilitates legible printing out of covers in hard copy.
<p>There are many standard data fields that you can use or exclude, along with sufficient user fields to add other individual required information.
<p>The programme has always been very stable and while I cannot comment on one way or the other on alternatives, Readerware has given me no reason to consider using anything else.
