Mobile Data Input to Excel

[bpgolferguy]

Hello.....this is just kind of a general question.....but here's what I was wondering. I am starting a junior golf tour. I am creating the "software" to use for scoring, member database, etc in excel. It's almost done, but one of the things I have thought about from the beginning is "real time" updating of data.

Basically the way I thought it would work is one main computer is set up with the excel workbook open on it. Scores throughout the tournament would then be radio'ed in to the person manning the computer, and they would update as necessary. This will work perfectly fine, but one other thing I wondered about was using devices to store the data on the course. Now I don't know what type of devices could accomplish this....obviously each group could have a netbook or ipad, but that's a littel pricey. Is there just a cheap, touchscreen or stylus/keyboard entry "device" out there that you can use for this type of data entry? Obviously I would have to have some type of software loaded on it that would correspond to my excel workbook program I have currently.

No as far as "mobile updating".....having them connected via broadband network and as they are updated on the devices, they update in the master workbook....I think that's a little too much. But even just having a device that could be "synced" with the main computer afterwards would be neat.

Anybody have any thoughts or opinions about what I'm talking about? Or any ideas of something that could work better? Obviously the number one choice would be the mobile updating via broadband network, but that's gotta be some $$$$. Thanks everyone!

 

[dantheman9]

Why not just use excel to form a html page? (then have it loaded up to a site for people to access).
thats pretty much what i have done for a sport result system, apart from that the system is all local, and shown in a powerpoint display rather than on the web.

 

[bpgolferguy]

Now I will do that to put results on the webpage and stuff, but I was mainly talking about "accessing" it to update it via a tablet or something similar to that.....does that make sense?

 

[dantheman9]

yeah I do - you want a stand along program to run an update from the excel data, in a nice format for all to see.

I think that you would be better of getting them to use the web on there own 'smart phones', rather than stumping up for some more hardware..or as you say it could cost £££££££££££'s/ $$$$$$$$$$'s.

Then it would be up to them if they wanted real time data or not..
Or if you where going to go down the hardware route, why not just install some display screens around the place, and update them?

 

[dantheman9]

...in terms of accessing the excel file, why not set it to shared mode which can give access...but can be tempremental