The final update to LenovoLook Pro for Android is now posted on the Google Play Store.   What's new ?  Instead of relying on the user to download a database with Lenovo product info, the latest version downloads and installs eleven databases.  The search engine is thus ready to go immediately.  Next is to see if there is any interest in an iPhone/iPad version.  I set up www.gofundme.com/lenovolookpro to see if anyone will donate towards the cause.  I have exhausted my passion and especially my personal funds for all three tools (1. PC Sales Guide/Configurator....2.  LenovoLook Pro.......3. FRU to Marketing Cross Reference.  I do not plan to make any updates after this, as I have given up on Lenovo.

I have changed the way memory sockets are described for system units.  Before, the text was something like this

RAM sockets: total/free 4(2)

it is now

RAM sockets: total 4, open-yes (2)

This is to allow users of LenovoLook, the free app for Android devices and selected BlackBerry smartphones, to locate any system units which have at least one open memory socket as shipped from the factory.  So for example, if you have installed LenovoLook on your Android device, then at least one database (e.g. US-ThinkPads), you can enter a search string like this........e450, open-yes..............and LenovoLook will find and display any and all ThinkPad E450 models that have at least one open socket unless upgraded after they left the factory.

This will help when the Lenovo Multitool database is ready for release.  Using that database, you will (1) be able to look up a FRU number - e.g. a memory module removed as part of a field upgrade, (2) find the marketing option equivalent, (3) see the price & supply of the marketing option, and (4) see a list of all the system units that support that module.   Suppose you recognise one of the system unit families (e.g. 20DC ThinkPad E450) as among those you have in your inventory. Switching databases (from Lenovo Multitool)to the appropriate system unit db (again, example US ThinkPads) you can then search using the string above, and the resulting list may be suitable homes for that memory module.

It occurs to me that some users might be interested in interim updates.  After each update, I start work right away on the next, adding one new product after another, testing each one as I go.  Anyone interested in seeing a particular model should contact me, and I will send them the interim update.

Another time-saving function

Suppose you have created a rather complex configuration for a customer, with multiple hardware, software and services options.  Then you decide it would be useful/interesting to 'clone' this configuration, using a different system unit but where most/all of the options are still required.  Possible reasons include

1. withdrawal of the initial system unit
2. pricing action on either the original or the substitute system
3. supply issues
4. changing one or more concepts (rack mount versus floor-standing, warranty extension/upgrade, etc.)

Rather than go through the entire process of finding and selecting all those options again, try this.

1. Save the initial proposal.
2. Use File-->Open/Load an existing configuration to open the original.
3. When the Configuration Load window appears, double-click on the system unit in the top window.  This puts a bracket symbol in the left-most column, indicating it is to be ignored when you press Validate later.  Scroll down to see how far those brackets go.
4. Switch to the New Configuration-x window that just opened when you clicked on the system unit, and select the substitute/alternate system unit, using whatever method is easiest for you.  If there are any automatic choices that are forced when you select the substitute, make either the same choice(s) as the original, or not, as you wish.  
5. Once the substitute system unit is on the quote page, bring the Configuration Load window to the foreground, and now you can press Validate.  The Configurator engine will try to install all your choices on the new system.  Successful additions will be marked with a plus sign in the left column (you will have to scroll down in the upper window to see all the components). Any that fail will be identified in a popup message, and marked in the left-most column of the upper window, so you can examine them and take appropriate action.  Once completed, you can press Close.
6. Note that when you reload the initial configuration, the name, address and other customer information is copied to the new version when you Save the file.  Be sure to rename it so you don't overwrite the original.

This should help save you time when doing multiple "what-if" scenarios.  Each version can be presented to your customer separately.

Needs Assist Update

It is getting more and more complex trying to provide choices for wireless components.  This area is becoming very granular, and for the sake of simplicity, I have decided to separate WLAN and WWAN into two separate "needs", as opposed to the current status, where they are combined.  This will take some time as I am also in the middle of adding all the new system units from PSREF 455.  Anyone needing an interim update where this area of product specs is not a concern, please contact me directly.

Coming soon.....a FRU to Marketing Cross-reference database

Work is close to complete on a new type of database.  Instead of system units and options for various countries, this new project will contain selected FRU (service) parts and their marketing equivalents. This is an update of the concept I had many years ago, and may help solve the problem of what to do with parts left over after a field upgrade.  For example, consider a Lenovo system unit with two memory sockets, each containing a 1 GB memory module, for a total of (1+1=) 2 GB.  Any increase in total memory will require removal of at least one of them, to free up one or more sockets, and replacement by one or more larger modules (e.g. 2 GB, 4GB or 8GB).  The question then arises - what to do with the removed memory ?  Each memory module has on the back a FRU partnumber (Field Replaceable Unit), but this number cannot easily be identified as a valid option for other machines, especially for different families.  This new database, when installed on selected BlackBerry phones or Android devices in combination with the LenovoLook app, may help.  Start the app, enter the FRU number of the memory, press FIND, and you may get a hit, showing

1.   the marketing (option) partnumber
2.   a list of system units that support this option (this may be a long list, and it may include a list of situations  where use of this memory module is NOT supported, from among the first list)
3.   the current price of that option from Lenovo and/or one U.S. Business partner
4.   the supply from that U.S. Business Partner


This will help re-use memory which you purchased as part of a complete system some time ago, and can still be used in other machines with open memory sockets.  Initially the bulk of the current parts with supporting systems are memory.  More types of options may be added, on request.  These might include hard drives, optical drives,  and adapter cards.

Once you have found a match, with a list of supporting systems, you can copy-to-clipboard, and email it to your customer, right then and there - which they can use to compare with their existing inventory, to find any matching systems.  If your LenovoLook also has system unit databases created by the PC Sales Guide/Configurator, you can look up a sample system, and send that as well, which will list the number of memory sockets and if they are all filled with the standard memory.

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This database can also be used for a reverse search, starting from the other direction - you want to increase your memory.  Suppose you have a ThinkPad L520, a 7859xxx model.  If you search on 7859, it will give you a list of both partnumbers containing 7859 (e.g. 53G7859), plus those options supported on a ThinkPad 7859.  So if you need to know which memory options will increase your 7859xxx memory, this will tell you.  But there is one more piece of information you need, that of how many memory sockets are provided, and how many are used.  For that you need one of the other databases you can create using the PC Sales Guide/Configurator.  In fact, you may need two.....one for current model ThinkPads, and another for withdrawn models, since you may not know if your model is still current.  Try the current one first, and see if you can find your exact model.  The Show function will open the extended description, and you can see the number of sockets, and if they are both filled with the standard memory.

Those interested in trying the prototype FRU database should send a note to help@pscfg.com

BlackBerry version of LenovoLook now free

To make things even easier for those who would like to try LenovoLook on their BlackBerry, the app is now free.  It is a search engine, which reads databases created by PSCFG (the PC Sales Guide/Configurator tool, which is updated monthly or more frequently).  If you have not yet installed a copy of this Windows application (also free, from www.pscfg.com/downloads), there are a few sample databases on that web site.  You can create your own, with

1. current or withdrawn Lenovo system units, options, software and services
2. current prices and some supply values (possibly as many as Canada, USA, UK, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany
3. with product descriptions in English, French or German

Each database can contain one or many product families (ThinkPads, ThinkCentres, IdeaPads, ThinkStations, ThinkServers, etc.)  Or, you can load multiple databases on your smart phone.

If you have your own price/supply/SKU values for Lenovo partnumbers, please contact the Help Desk for free assistance in having PSCFG display your values.  All PSCFG needs is a text file.

What is the best feature of PSCFG ?

Opinions vary, depending on your immediate need.  PSCFG does many things, thus the name "PC SALES GUIDE/Configurator".  Probably the most powerful feature is Needs Assist.  It seems to be unique, in that you can take a series of customer requirements, plug them into Needs Assist, and PSCFG will locate all matching systems in a few seconds.  There are approx. 35 different categories of Needs, not all of which are relevant to every system.  For example, Notebook Weight is not relevant to Servers, and number of Hot Plug Bays,  if applied to Desktops, would equally find no matches.  Others might seem to be obscure, but are not.  Maximum Memory is the value for the most memory you can install in a system.  This might seem a minor issue, but if your customer requires a system get to 6 GB, perhaps later,  there is no need to propose a model with an upper limit of only 4 GB.  Setting this Need as "6 GB/Minimum" strips out all the models than don't make the cut.  Filtering such models out of a list of possible candidates can take a lot of time, unless you have something like Needs Assist, given that for the U.S. alone, in Feb/2013 there are some 1,500 current notebook models alone, spread across three families - ThinkPads, IdeaPads, and SL/Edge models.  Finding not just one model matching your requirements, but finding all of them, is a time saver of significant value.

The benefit with Needs Assist is that it searches multiple product "silos" in a single pass.  This is possible because all the product specs are arranged in a database.  Tools like the PSREF and OCM are documents, and while you can search them for instances of a text string or partnumber, they don't lend themselves to commands like "Find All".  The Needs Assist function handles that cleanly,  as well as doing multiple searches in a single pass.

Needs Assist operates by 'building' - in memory - all the system units within the family or families you have selected.  It starts with the basic chassis/cabinet, then populates each model with all the standard components, and comparing the resulting model with your list of Needs.  If a system does not match all your Needs, it is discarded and 'building' other models continues.  If it matches all your needs, it holds that model in memory, and continues building the remaining systems in the families you selected, until it has completed all of them.  Any hits are displayed in the Results panel, complete with the partnumber, one-line description, and any price/supply values.  Each of them can be expanded by using the Show Details feature, so you can compare individual features in the extended descriptions, one system against another, or against many.

Sometimes you will get no hits.  In cases like this, you may choose to adjust your Needs values slightly.  Suppose you chose a Base Memory of 4 GB/Exact Match and got no hits.  Try changing it to 4GB/Minimum, and you may well find there are multiple hits that come with 6 GB standard.  Or, suppose you selected TopSeller as a Need, and got no hits.  Press Reset to delete this one Need, and you may find matching models that are not TopSellers.

Sometimes you will get too many hits to manage easily.  Again, adjust some of the Needs up or down as appropriate.  Try setting a Maximum price, to see if that will help reduce the number of hits.

One final point is of particular benefit to Business Partners.  Suppose the customer requirements find no matches in the current models.  But there may be a matching model which was withdrawn recently.  When Lenovo withdraws a system unit, it will be moved from the current model PSREF file, to the withdrawn models file.  Just because Lenovo no longer markets that model, does not mean a Business Partner may not have one or two on the shelf, looking for a home with a customer.  Searching Withdrawn Systems may find such systems.  This is another value to showing both price & supply on the same screen, when making selections from a multiple choice menu.

How do I create a quote with different models ?

Sometimes you want to create a single customer-ready proposal that contains more than one model.  For example, a Server and 30 notebooks.  Here is one way you can do that, once you have started the PC Sales Guide/Configurator.

1. Create a configuration session with as few price/supply values as possible, typically one price, or even none.  Do this by clicking on File-->Start New Configuration, then on Pricing-->Column Selection.  Choose the lower of the two buttons at the top..... "Configured Parts List (Quote)" ..... then mark & Remove all the prices except the most important one for your customer.  Click on Apply, then Close. (If you have more than one price/supply value, you may end up with multiple copies of your proposal, one for each price/supply value.)

2. Create the first configuration you are proposing for your customer.  Add as many options, services and software as you like, and don't forget to fill in the customer details using Configuration-->Customer Information.

3. Click on File-->Export as Text.  Choose one of the Export Styles.  Try Default, then Preview to see what you will get.  Experiment with the other Export Styles, using Preview to help determine which is best for your situation.  Click on Save.

4.  Repeat steps 1 through 3 for the other model you want for this customer proposal.  Make sure you use the same Export Style as you did with the first system, and this time, tick the box marked "Append to destination" before you click Save.  Alternatively, in the Export as Text panel, you can Change the Destination file from untitled.cfd to whatever you want.  You have to do this once for each different system, so it may be simpler to use the default and rename that file after you have appended all the various models contained in your proposal.  If the proposal involves multiple individual systems, like 30 notebooks, you can reflect that by using Configuration-->System Count.  Whatever number you enter will cause the total price to be a multiple of the single item price(s).

5.  The default destination is untitled.cfd, which is a text file that you can open with Notepad.  You can Copy & Paste the contents elsewhere, or rename the file and use it as-is.  Depending on which Export Style you chose, there may be sections surplus to your requirements, which you can delete.  You can always create a new Export Style yourself, or modify one of the existing Styles, using Settings-->Export Styles.

BlackBerry/Android app now available (LenovoLook)

We have developed apps for BlackBerry and Android smart phones.  Called LenovoLookup, these apps read databases generated by the PC Sales Guide/Configurator, using the Utilities pull-down.  Choose one or more product families, one or more price/supply values, tick the box marked "Show Details", and press Build.  This creates a PDB file with all the partnumbers and extended descriptions, which is searchable by the app you install on your smart phone.  Think of the app as a combination of some of the features (but not all) available in the PC Sales Guide/Configurator, using Quick Lookup and Needs Assist.

There are some screen captures of the two versions of the app, available from

www.pscfg.com/android.htm

You can get a copy of the app from the Google Store

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inv.pdbreader&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5pbnYucGRicmVhZGVyIl0.

or the BlackBerry Store

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/17843502/?lang=en

The apps each cost $1, and the revenue therefrom will be used to fund the next version, for Apple iPhone and iPad products.  Updates to the app, if available, are free.

The search function in the app will allow for full or partial partnumbers, as well as one or many strings for text in the extended description.  Separate different strings with commas.  For example, you could enter

2400s,320gb,finger,bluetooth: yes, optimus

and the app will locate any and all system units in the current database, which have that exact processor, disk, fingerprint recognition, Bluetooth, and Optimus graphics.   Of course, if you get the French or German versions of the PC Sales Guide/Configurator, the text strings you enter will be slightly different due to the language.  You can have multiple databases installed, and switching from one to another is easy.

You can have one product family per database, or several.  One example might be "US mobiles", which could contain ThinkPads, IdeaPads, and SL/Edge models.  That way it might be easier to locate a mobile computer when you are searching through all three families as one.  For those who may occasionally want to look up the details on older models, you have three choices.  First, the current version of the PC Sales Guide/Configurator has substantial content of withdrawn system units, back as far as 2010/01.  You can generate a database of all those models which are withdrawn yourself, once you have installed a current copy of the Configurator.   Second and third, I found two old copies of the Configurator, dating back before that.  I used those to generate PDB files, and those are available (along with a current copy of the Configurator) from 

www.pscfg.com/downloads.htm

You don't need the Configurator to try them, just get a copy of the appropriate app for your smart phone and either or both of the withdrawn system PDB files.  Of course, once you get a current copy of the Configurator, you will have current products, prices and supply values, and the databases you generate will be up-to-date.

I hope you find the LenovoLookup app useful.

Download a copy

You can get a copy of this free tool from

http://www.pscfg.com/downloads.htm

Welcome

This is my first attempt at creating a blog, so it may appear somewhat primitive until I get the hang of it.  I will try to provide prompt answers to any and all questions, comments etc. about the standalone tool, PSCFG.