Can I use my Panorama X Subscription on more than one machine as a single user?
Since it is just me the subscriber, I would never be using the subscription at separate locations at the same time.
I do. I usually use it on only one computer, but if I need to, I can use it on the others. Whether I get charged on the other computers depends on how long I use it.
The question to ask is the result of using it (one account) on two computers at the same time.
There should be no billing difference if you run it on computer A, then close out of Panorama on that computer and run it on computer B - at least that’s how I understand it. But you will be doc’d for two instances (say 2 hrs instead of 1) if you keep running Panorama on computer A while you are also running it on computer B.
So Yes, you can run it on two or more machines, but not at the same time, and still be changed as a single user.
Apologies if I am all wrong on the above.
take a look at the FAQ… says you do NOT even need to quit it on the other computer – I will be trying this soon…
If you have two computers next to each other and you go back and forth performing operations on both, you will likely be charged for two users. To Panorama, your usage would be indistinguishable from two users sitting next to each other using the program.
If you want to make sure that Panorama knows you are only a single user, you should wait 15 minutes when switching from one computer to another. For example if you use a computer at an office, then drive home and use a computer at home, you’ll have no problem.
Note that Panorama determines use by clicking and typing. That’s why you don’t have to quit the program when you are not using it. For example, if you leave Panorama running at the office when you go home, Panorama still knows that you are not using it because you are not clicking and/or typing.
This is really good to know.
Do you have recommendations for storing files? (I know some file formats historically haven’t been compatible with how some sync services handle data, and would specifically warn against, e.g., Dropbox or iCloud/CloudKit.)
Yes I do. If you want to share files between different users, use Panorama X Server. It’s designed to synchronize data structures between different users, making sure everything is co-ordinated and there’s no chance of corruption.
If you use a file sharing service (Dropbox, etc.) you’ll eventually lose data. If you’re very careful, you may be able to not lose data very often. “Very careful” means that you can’t have the same file open on two computers at the same time. When switching, you must close the database on the first computer, then wait a few minutes to make sure that all changes have been synchronized to the second computer. If you don’t wait long enough, you’ll lose data, possibly even corrupt it. The same process must be repeated every time you switch to using the database on a different computer.
The best bet is to use Panorama X Server - that’s what it was designed for. Fortunately there’s no large up-front cost to Panorama X Server and it’s not that difficult to set up and use for database sharing.
Thanks, Jim. There’s only 1 user involved — me — but the risks involved with making sure data has synchronized fully is enough to keep me using Panorama on one machine.
Cheers
Follow-up question: maybe this is outside the scope of what you’d like to recommend or comment on, but I presume you would advise against storing Panorama X database files inside DEVONthink databases?
(Ultimately, I suppose this is just another way of asking the same question, since DEVONthink syncs data with Dropbox/iCloud (CloudKit)/WebDAV, etc.)
I’ve never heard of storing Panorama X database files inside DEVONthink. I’m not sure what that really means, but it sounds like probably a bad idea, especially if there is a sync mechanism under that.