Technology can be incredible but it can take time to learn the new technology, by
the time you master it - guess what? It upgrades and changes.  For instance... I am
one of those Brokers/Realtors who Purchased Top Producer when it first came out.
Version 5.0... 6.0  6.i..7..7i.. and now it's 8i.  When I get to love it, understand it
it upgrades and changes.  Is it always for the better? I like to think so but I'm not
so sure.  There are not many local classes in Atlanta to take.  I personally like to
attend them to ask questions and learn shortcuts. 

Then there is CardScan. Great tool! I bought the first version - it was great and then
it changed so I purchased the new one.  It's simple to use, but to get it transferred
to your Top Producer has been painful.  Fields don't match.. so more to learn.  I
spend a lot of time with technical support these days on the phone.  Computers
are the same way. Need more memory, faster speed, larger screen, upgrades,
upgrades, upgrades.  I also have boxes of backup disks and a backup drive.  The
other day one of my computers crashed and I thought, no problem, I have this
fancy backup system.  Guess what?  It wasn't backing up properly.  That was hard.
Does anyone use the off-site backup service?  I wish I had at that moment.

Digital cameras, palm pilots, cell phones, video cameras, they are all upgraded
to the newer, faster, fancier models.  They will next month even change our lockbox
keys.  Our lockboxes when I became a broker used to be $12.50 or less.  Now I can
pick up 8-9 lockboxes and leave close to a $1,000 at the Supra Store.  Yes, it's true
that they save us time by being able to read information from our computers about
who visited our listing.  Fax machines are also changing.  They can do everything now
but wash dishes.  Scan, fax, copy, print, date stamp, etc. etc.

Please share with me and other agents:
1.  Which technology you use the most in your business today that you would
      recommend to others.
2.  What is the technology you absolutely can not live without?
3.  What do you think about Top Producer and about CardScan?
4.  Do you think that Blackberry is a MUST in real estate today?  I think we all use them.
5.  What software do you love for your bookkeeping, daytimer, etc.
6.  Do you backup in your own office or do you backup off site?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas.  Dagmar Sands