About Micromiser

Doing business the old way

You've already noticed that this site does not contain "marketing"
distractions from your goal of finding the right software of the type
you expected when you arrived. If you spent any time here, you've
noticed that we constantly commit the sales crime of "saying too
much." The things you really need to know to evaluate the products you
expected are here on this site.

The next difference you'll notice is that, when you call or email
Micromiser, a programmer will answer personally, able to solve any
problem without needing to "check with the programming dept and get
back to you" after 30 minutes of music. This makes us especially
vulnerable to telemarketing, which is why the phone numbers are not
published.

The next thing you'll notice is that we don't call a software bug a
"vulnerability," we call it a bug. And we assume it is a bug in our
software first. Only after eliminating that possibility do we blame
other software or your computer! <g>

Most need only view a local phone bill, or call a credit card or
insurance company for service to generally guage the sorry state of
business affairs these days. This especially includes software. We
expect you to be a hardened consumer. But in light of the above, which
you can verify quickly, we ask you to at least admit the possibility
that we do business exactly the same way you and all our clients do:
You fairly sell a product, it has value, you fix what you sell, you
take care of the customer.

That slight crack in the door will allow us to continue to exceed your
expectations as we go along, never asking you to take an unwarranted
risk. Ultimately, you'll realize that we mean what we say, including
the overriding goal that we state to every new client: That at the end
of one year, you'll say you are glad you did business with Micromiser.
That leaves no room for argument, no room for squirming out of
responsibility with technical excuses. You're not expected to be a
computer expert, a software expert, or to know how to implement a
business application. That's our job. If it were to fail, it could
only be our fault.

History

Micromiser Software, originally a software development company, is now
a business software consulting company. We continue to maintain one
database engine and application generator,
SeriousB Windows. That is necessary to have available all the features
we feel are necessary to run and support business applications in
practice over time, and to have the ability to fix problems in a
workable time frame (immediately).

Besides SeriousB, we develop a few other products for general use, but
which also apply to small business. These including WebPerHr and
MiserMail.

Micromiser started in 1979 developing developing various game and
business software for Atari computers (We no longer support Atari
computers).

In 1985 we released our first nationally distributed business database
program named Turbobase for Atari computers, following that shortly
with a companion word-processor and file manager named Turboword and
Turbofile.
Review in main Atari magazine, 1987 The web never forgets!

In 1988 we released Ultrabase ST, another database engine and
application generator, for the Atari ST. The Atari ST was shortlived
as a major platform contender, and Ultrabase ST was necessarily
shortlived as well. It is interesting to note that the Atari ST has a
graphical operating system like Windows, so we actually wrote our
first "Windows" version circa 1988.

These Atari programs were well received and generated numerous
excellent reviews in national media, available by request.

In 1990 we switched to IBM compatibles, meaning DOS, and released the
first version of SeriousB for DOS in 1991. At this time we became more
interested in providing business applications, i.e. as consultants,
than in marketing the software to create and run them. That was mostly
due to the nature of software marketing in the IBM market compared to
the Atari market.

Our in-house staff expanded to about five consultants at this time,
and our primary source of income came from setting up, selling, and
supporting customized business applications for individual businesses.
We continued to develop and maintain SeriousB to run the applications,
as we could find no other application generator and database engine
with features and support to satisfy the needs of our clients.

In 1996 we started on the Windows version, named SeriousB Windows. Our
clients have been using the various versions since 1997. We also
included version 1.0 as part of the "Easy Genius" consulting course we
sold in 1996-1997. Version 4.1 is now available for download on this
site.

Why "Micromiser?"

The "miser" in our name stands for organization, or in practical
terms, "Saves Money/Works Better." Our job is to help you organize in
ways that save money and work better. This applies to all areas
affected by your business software including operator time, taking
care of customers, and facilitating computer support and revisions. We
do this mostly through software, but additionally with larger systems,
through computer organizational consulting if you want it.

As organizational consultants, our company is a sample of organizational
ability, though our company goals probably differ from yours. We are
organized to do everything that saves money and works better. This
results in prices that are typically 1/3 to 1/2 of our competitor's
for a superior product and service. That is another reason for the
"miser" in our name.

Overall company goal

We originally entered the business software field to fill a support
void. There was a general lack of support for business software
products in 1985 and, to our surprise, it continues to get worse every
year. What kind of support did you get for your last computer software
problem?

Micromiser's goal remains to provide support for any software product
we distribute directly by the programmer who wrote the software. We
will continue to develop the database platform used so that we can
have the ability to fix any problem immediately. The programmer
will answer the phone personally at least 20 hours/week during
predicable times. After a free support period, our policy is to set a
support price at about half the industry average price. We accomplish
this by efficient organization of every aspect of our operations
including unique development methods.

You will not get a telephone menu program or receptionist when you
call Micromiser. As you well know, these are devices to avoid
customers with problems and chase them away. At Micromiser, the
programmer is also the complaint department, and will always answer
directly and be ready to solve any problem with our software (and
others).

Thanks for visiting!

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