Best Practices?

What practices, processes or shortcuts have you developed in FBS to:

1. Increase effectiveness?
2. Improve effeciency?
3. Enhance internal control?
4. Better comply with statutes and policies?

Optimizing Hardware for .NET Performance

All things being equal, .NET (Version 10.0) will run slower than Visual Basic (Version 8.11). We published the minimum requirements in February's newsletter; however, I think what most people want to know is the hardware configuration that will at least equal, if not exceed the speed of reports in 8.11. A rule of thumb is that a 10.0 "long" report will take 60% longer on the same computer. Keep in mind there are a lot of other critical variables like network routers, cables, servers and drive RPMs and access speeds.

Here are CPU ratings. Find your current CPUs (Computer/Properties), then compare the ratings of the high end CPUs. Just because a rating of one CPU is 2X that of another does not mean it will run a report 2X faster. In the benchmark below the first computer should have performed 1.846 X the second based on the ratings. In actuality it was around 1.25 X.

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html http://www.cpubenchmark.net/mid_range_cpus.html http://www.cpubenchmark.net/midlow_range_cpus.html http://www.cpubenchmark.net/low_end_cpus.html

Benchmark: Trial Balance, Date Cash Exchanged, 60 month look-back, prior year display on, 38,000 records/year

AMD Athlon II X4 630 Processor, @ 2.8 Ghz, 6GB 64-Bit (3.250 rating)

• 8.11 3:34 (214 seconds) (1.266 x Lenovo)



• 10.0 5:48 (348 seconds) (1.25 x Lenovo) (162% speed of 8.11)

Lenovo Intel Core2 Duo, T400 @2.53 Ghz, 2GB, 32-Bit (1.76 rating)

• 8.11 4:31, (271 seconds)



• 10.0 7:15, (435 seconds) (160% speed of 8.11)

Tablet Computers

For those of you who are experiementing with tablets:

Are iPads and Androids the future of farm computing?

Are they rugged enough?

How reliable are your wireless connections?

Which interface do you prefer (Web browser, Windows Terminal Server, customize to the device)?

What Do You Want to Do Next?

Most of our new product ideas and enhancements come from our most vocal users, who communicate directly with the FBS development team. Why not post your suggestions here and see if anyone thinks like you do?

Timing is Everything

Have you experienced any of the accounting issues described in the "Timing is Everything" story in the January FarmSmart newsletter?

The (Accounting) Golden Rule

What do you think about this approach to synchronizing accounting and production data? Does it make a difference if dollar values don't tie out? How much work and effort would you save if everything was all in one spot?

Responses to New Website?

What do you like? What do we need to add or change?