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MrGibbage
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| Posted: July 02 2010 at 09:17 | IP Logged
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I just noticed that Dave's "join" date here on the forum is June 29 2001. This site
has been running now for nine years! Congratulations, and thanks for the excellent
support we get here!
I wonder what PowerHome will look like in nine more years....
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TonyNo
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| Posted: July 02 2010 at 11:24 | IP Logged
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Wow! Congrats Dave! 
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MrGibbage
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| Posted: July 02 2010 at 13:03 | IP Logged
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2001 is pretty much at the VERY beginning of the internet as we know it now.
http://www.wakeuplater.com/index.php/website-building/evolut ion-of-websites-10-popular-websites.aspx
It is remarkable that Dave has had this site running since then, and longer than pretty much
ANY popular web site in existence today.
(Although I do wish we could fix it so long URLs wouldn't get mangled) :)
Lemme try that link again...
Old Websites
Edited by MrGibbage - July 02 2010 at 13:06
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smarty
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| Posted: July 02 2010 at 13:55 | IP Logged
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Yes, congrats.... Damn I feel old...I remeber when bulletin boards were the hot item.....2400bps was fast!
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Elk - Insteon - BlueIris - DMC1 - PowerHome - XLobby - HA_Bridge w/Dots - Brultech
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jeffw_00
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| Posted: July 11 2010 at 15:17 | IP Logged
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Yup, I wrote the first review of Powerhome (for Popular Home Automation) in November 2002. It's come a long way!
/j
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TonyNo
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| Posted: July 11 2010 at 20:58 | IP Logged
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<old man>2400 baud?! My first modem was 300!</old man>
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jeffw_00
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| Posted: July 11 2010 at 21:23 | IP Logged
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put me down for 300 baud as well.
Hmmm - what does that say for Home Automation that the practitioners are, well, a bunch of old guys.
[I recently went to the one remaining "high-end" (i.e., existing), Stereo/Home-theater store in my area to get some speakers for my home theater. After several visits, my single impression of the store was "a bunch of guys in their 50s selling to another bunch of guys in their 50s" I hope that's not what Home Automation turns out to be, but, then, it might 8-}
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MrGibbage
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| Posted: July 12 2010 at 09:13 | IP Logged
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Jeff,
can you find that review? That would surely be some good
reading now.
My fist modem was 2400. I guess I was a little late to the
game. My first hard drive was 20MB. DOS 3.0 on a 286, I
believe.
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BeachBum
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| Posted: July 12 2010 at 18:20 | IP Logged
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Well I guess I’m going to have to chime in. The 1st modem I worked on was a Bell 202B 200 baud. But that was back in the Main Frame days. I didn’t get to 1200 until the PC days and that was around 1980 no hard drive. DOS boot on 1 floppy.
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Pete - X10 Oldie
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TonyNo
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| Posted: July 12 2010 at 19:47 | IP Logged
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BeachBum wins! ;)
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MrGibbage
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| Posted: July 12 2010 at 20:37 | IP Logged
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Does my Vic 20 count for anything?
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BeachBum
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| Posted: July 12 2010 at 21:40 | IP Logged
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Well that may count along with the trash 80.
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Pete - X10 Oldie
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jeffw_00
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| Posted: July 12 2010 at 22:28 | IP Logged
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MrGibbage wrote:
Jeff,
can you find that review? That would surely be some good
reading now.
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From Home Automation Magazine (I don't have the issue date, but it was sometime in Q1 2003)
At first glance, Powerhome looks like yet another PC-based home control program. However, one quickly realizes that it is designed to be the nexus of a large and powerful home control system. Based on SQL database technology, Powerhome's feature list and configurability are too broad to be described here, but suffice it to say that one will never complain about the software not being potent or flexible.
Powerhome supports most X-10 and IR controllers. You can also interact with it via speech recognition and/or speech synthesis, as well as over the Web (broadband or dial-up) or by Email. The breadth of devices to which Powerhome can connect, as well as the number of ways a user can connect to it, represents one of the best features of the program. The program also provides smart CD jukebox control, and can maintain an internal database of your CD collection.
The software is downloaded from the company website, which provides an Email address for support, and a support forum. Limited-functionality software can be downloaded for free. Several modules are available for download, of which two are required (the run-time environment and the program). The idea is that the program can be upgraded without upgrading the run-time environment (which contains components from third parties like Sybase and Microsoft). However, even third-party software requires upgrading at times, and one wonders if a single configurable package, with a single installation wizard, wouldn't have been a less complicated choice. After setup, I was initially unable to get Powerhome to connect to my CM11A. It turns out there are a number of places in the program where after configuration you have to restart a window (or the program) to get things to work.
The two most striking features of Powerhome are its control language, and the Powerhome Control Panel. Since the language is based on SQL, one can define macros and commands using a complete programming language. This language has access to dozens of system variables that connect Powerhome to the real world.
The Control Panel is a Powerhome window within which the user can define buttons that provide X-10, IR, or CD jukebox control, essentially allowing you to build an ϋber-remote that integrates control of your entire life on one PC screen.
I initially tried to define some X-10 modules for Powerhome to control, and to add corresponding buttons to its Control Center window. I eventually managed to do this, but not without some help from the program's author. My difficulty might reflect more on me than the program, but I think it's significant that when the author sent me step-by-step instructions to get through this fundamental task, 13 steps were required. After things were working, the database features of the program shone through, as I could change some item (like a unit code) in one place, and have the change ripple through my entire setup automatically.
Unfortunately, Powerhome presents more as a piece of shareware than a commercial product, and the SQL slant is ubiquitous. The manual reads like a reference document, and some sections are dominated by SQL formulas and programmers jargon. For someone who lives in this space this may be a very intuitive program. However, there is no quick-start or straightforward explanation of simple tasks, making this a difficult program for the uninitiated.
The program also has an unpolished feel. SQL error messages are displayed for the user in their raw form, and there are still a few minor bugs. Also, Powerhome runs only in the foreground, which is not the best mode for an always-on application, and it won't download to a stand-alone controller like the CM11A.
Powerhome effectively integrates highly-configurable X-10, IR, and CD jukebox control with SQL power and flexibility. Basing the program on SQL was a good idea, and it's possible that a powerful and slick user-friendly program could be developed on top of the Powerhome foundation. The author is both responsive and enthusiastic, and it's clear that this revision (1.02) is not the final product. Enthusiasts who like the database approach should sign up for a copy and help it develop, and the rest of us should definitely check in soon to see how the program has matured.
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PowerHome Messageboard : PowerHome General
Topic: Happy Anniversary, Dave
