Readerware Newsletter - December 2020
Welcome to the Readerware® Newsletter
Readerware 4.23 released
Readerware 4.23 has been released. It includes feature updates and general maintenance and it is recommended for all Readerware 4 users.
A full list of the recent changes in Readerware are included in the release notes.
You can also access the release notes from Readerware itself, select the Help->Release notes menu item.
To upgrade to Readerware 4.23, start Readerware and select the Help->Check for updates menu item. You can also download Readerware 4.23 from the website.
Readerware 4.23 is recommended for all Readerware 4 users
We recommend that all Readerware 4 users download Readerware 4.23.
We have fixed some search and sorting issues that can effect all users. We have also updated Discogs auto-catalog support in the music product and fixed some issues that affected users of newer macOS releases.
Readerware on macOS Catalina and better
Readerware 4.23 for macOS Catalina and better includes a number of improvements.
Apple have released a new version of macOS, macOS Big Sur. Readerware has been tested with Big Sur and there are no issues to report. You do need to use the new macOS builds on both Catalina and Big Sur. We have updated the website to reflect this.
The biggest issue with Readerware 4.22 for macOS Catalina was that the Readerware server would not run. This has been resolved and it is now possible to run the Readerware Server on both macOS Catalina and Big Sur. We have updated our help pages, we now have a new page with information on how to setup the Readerware Server on macOS Catalina and better. It is a little different from earlier versions of macOS.
There was on error in our earlier documentation. When using the macOS launchd facility to automatically start the Readerware server when the machine boots, we told you to copy the supplied plist file to your "/Library/LaunchDaemons" folder. That was the wrong location. So it is important that you delete any existing ""com.readerware.rwserver.plist" file from your "/Library/LaunchDaemons" folder and that you copy the new plist file supplied with this release to the correct location, your "/Library/LaunchAgents" folder.
We still have a separate download page for the macOS Catalina and better version of Readerware.
Auto-Catalog and Discogs
In this release we changed the way we auto-catalog albums from Discogs.
Discogs is a great resource for music lovers, it has a huge library of titles both vinyl and CD releases. It is also a great place to buy music, they have both new and used albums from third party sellers all over the world.
They provide access to their database using their API. When we added Discogs auto-catalog support in Readerware 4 we used their API, but we took a rather unusual approach. Discogs returns their data in JSON format as does Amazon. However we weren't using a JSON library to access the Discogs data, this could lead to some errors in the extracted data. After developing our Amazon API support we became a lot more familiar with JSON and we now use the same JSON library we use with Amazon to access the Discogs data.
We hope this will provide better and more consistent data from Discogs, that is certainly the case in our testing here. It is a big rewrite of Discogs auto-catalog support, so there could be some issues. If you do notice anything, please let us know. support@readerware.com
Note that Discogs typically provides track listings by side for vinyl records, the data often includes songwriters, performers, track times and multiple images. As their listings are compiled by Discogs users, they can differ quite a bit, but are normally very good quality.
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Moving Readerware to a new computer
Do you think Santa may be dropping of a new computer this year? If so you need this article, it will help you move Readerware and your database to your new machine. This article applies to both Readerware 3 and Readerware 4 users.
It is actually very simple. Start by backing up your database on your old machine. Start Readerware and select the File->Backup Database menu item. This will create a single compressed file containing all your data and Readerware preferences. Transfer this file to your new machine.
You don't want to copy the Readerware programs to your new machine. Instead you should do a fresh install by downloading Readerware from the website.
The first time you run Readerware on a new machine, it will display the Database Chooser. Select the option to Restore a Database. When the restore wizard launches, click on the Browse button and select your backup file. Click Next to continue.
This is the key step. On the Restore Options page of the wizard, select the options to restore your database and Readerware preferences. When the wizard completes, Readerware will open your new database. By restoring preferences too, Readerware will recreate your complete Readerware environment, the settings you made in the program and the program will be registered on the new machine. That's it, you're done.
Normally you will be transferring the database to the same Readerware version, i.e. Readerware 4 to Readerware 4 or Readerware 3 to Readerware 3. But what if you decide to upgrade to Readerware 4 on your new computer? The process is still the same because Readerware 4 can restore a Readerware 3 backup file. So you can backup your current database using Readerware 3 on your old machine. Install Readerware 4 on your new machine, as before select the option to Restore a Database and select your Readerware 3 backup file. Readerware 4 will recognize that it is in Readerware 3 format and ask you to confirm that you want to restore this Readerware 3 backup file to a new Readerware 4 database. Don't forget to restore both the database and preferences.
There is one difference. Readerware will create a new Readerware 4 database and open it but you will not be registered. You will need to upgrade to Readerware 4 and enter your new Readerware 4 registration code.
Readerware 4 is not a free upgrade. You can review the Readerware upgrade policy here . There is more on the new features in Readerware 4 here.
| Upgrade | Price |
|---|---|
| Readerware 4 Single Product Upgrade. Upgrade your current single product Readerware 3 license to the Readerware 4 equivalent. |
$24.95 |
| Readerware 4 Bundle Upgrade. Upgrade your current Readerware 3 bundle license to the Readerware 4 equivalent. |
$44.95 |
We upgrade you at your current level. This means for example that if you currently have Readerware 3 Mobile Edition, we will upgrade you to Readerware 4 Mobile Edition automatically. Our upgrade ordering page can be found here.
So to transfer Readerware to a new machine, backup your database on your old machine, install Readerware on your new machine and restore the database and your Readerware preferences.
Readerware Support
There is nothing more important than responding to your questions and feedback. You can always e-mail support@readerware.com and expect a prompt reply. You will receive a reply within 12 hours maximum, normally a lot sooner.
If you have not received a response to your support request within 12 hours, something has gone wrong.
- Check your spam or bulk mail folder, the response may be there.
- If you are using Microsoft Outlook, check your return address. Microsoft Outlook can send e-mails with an invalid return address that bounces. This has been a real problem lately.
- Check with your ISP or system administrator, they may have implemented additional spam filters.
- If you are using a challenge system, please check to see if your response is being held. We do try and respond to challenge e-mails, but it can mean your response is delayed.
If you have not received a response within 12 hours, don't wait any longer, send a follow up e-mail. If possible try and include an alternate e-mail address. We will re-send your answer from another e-mail server to all addresses you supply.
All support e-mail is answered within 12 hours, if you don't get that response, check your anti-spam measures and try again.
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