X-Cart forums

[David-Allan]

Originally Posted by lcg

I agree with you 100%, I would find the limitations using a cell app quite, mmm... limited?

For years I've been logging into x-cart's admin section using my cell, first I used Windows Mobile (also tried the iPhone but in those early days they didn't even have an FTP application! -figure that. (I sell e-goods so needed FTP functionality) ...to be fair, iPhone did have a couple of FTP apps but were limited to very small image only files, no binaries and that included NO zip file capability, even wrote to two iPhone FTP client developers and they did not know of any FTP clients for iPhone at the time) so I went back to my Windows Mobile for about a year but must admit the end-user interface was SLOOOW to use, that's when lot's of patience helped, later on I purchased a laptop, hooked that with "air" card to my Sprint service and worked great till I got an Android and stopped using the laptop all together. When HTC released the Evo, the easy interface, switching of applications, huge screen, thumb-zoom options (like the iPhone had), ample networking apps available I immediately saw the potential ...it was heaven sent from day one!

It's very easy to log into the admin section using bookmarks and logins stored in cookies -or a password protected p/w manager, the same applies to admin section at 2CO and PayPal. The touch screen zoom helps to get close up to the important sale details of interest, i can then open another browser window and open 2CO seller section to check order details, etc., switch back to the browser's x-cart window and place order on queued mode or process the order right away, if my e-good is not on the server, I can open the FTP client and upload whatever files (e-goods) are needed, switch over to the browser's x-cart admin section and process the order. It's been a great asset and given me freedom to go out as needed, carry it in my pocket, not be tied down to my office and still offer same order processing speed as if in my office. When on the car, on first IM of order notification I just stop in some shaded area and process the order within a couple of minutes, a breeeeeeeeeeze.

I also have a couple of "remote" apps, Teamviewer is great, to connect to my home computer and it comes handy to use when I have to upload huge files via FTP, with home cable connection it's much faster then using the cell to upload the file with. It's an easy remote connection and once connection is established I just remotely switch over to the FTP client window and make the upload.

Long e-mails are still not that practical, but voice recognition is not bad and it helps and a help desk with canned responses helps a lot, also browser based and handled using the EVO.

Not everyone is going to have the same requirements I needed and I hope some of these "learning curves" I hassled and determined to make work helps someone.

I agree your right you can do all these things using various apps, bookmarks and fiddling but it would be nice to have an actual app that was easy to navigate and just works which is what i'm used to having when using an iPhone.

I can see an app that is simple and can quickly allow me to process an order, view what has sold and change the status of a product.

Yes I can do all these things using team viewer or the standard admin screen but I don't want to have to fiddle about or use different apps or have to zoom right in so I can just about press the menu I want.

I am not suggesting in anyway that Qteam should drop everything and build an iPhone app but I know there are lots of developers out there that could throw this together in no time at all and it would make the whole process of administering your store so much easier when on the move.

[tqualizerman]

I have to throw my support in the ring for proper mobile store management. Its long overdue, given the fact that X-Cart's customer base is probably mostly small business owners doing a lot of the work themselves. Accessing the back office say on an iPad or iPhone and being able to manage inventory, orders, etc would make it that much easier.

Ideally I wouldn't want an app, because that might not gel so well given how customized each of our sites can get. I think the best route would be a responsive theme that could be customized if necessary.