Opinions/Thoughts: Executable Program or Spreadsheet?

[waveman]

Hi,

I'm designing a simplified business performance/reporting system aimed at small to medium businesses. I've got a solid prototype for this currently in Microsoft Excel. But my question is this:

Is it better to keep it in Excel or make it an Executable/standalone desktop application? Since there are many business owners etc on here- what would you prefer? I'd personally prefer excel slightly more since it'd keep things more bug free and mostly safe from being broken. It also plays nice with MS Office, which makes achieving app objectives easier. But, would a separate application feel more exclusive and make you feel at ease justifying the price? Assuming it looked good and was friendly to use.

I'm not sure what to do, since either an app or Excel will ultimately both complete the same task. Coding would be less advantageous since I want to keep things safe from breaking and future proof, and then there's the issue of how to get data if things aren't in excel. Any and all feedback is welcome!

 

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[ZCP]

Xjip zua vsoif ov uav op e vitv xovj tnemm catopittit, xjev xet vji giifcedl?

 

[waveman]

Xjip zua vsoif ov uav op e vitv xovj tnemm catopittit, xjev xet vji giifcedl?

O jewip'v siemmz sidiowif nadj edvoupecmi/op fiqvj giifcedl up vji vuqod. Nutv qiuqmi tiin vu sineop tvadl up iydim cav O jewi sidiowif vji ataem ottait xovj nedsu dunqevocomovz. Xovj sihesft vu ep edvaem iyidavecmi O'wi upmz siemmz jiesf qsedvodem dupdispt ecuav opvihsevoup, neopvipepdi ivd, puv siemmz qsodoph katvogodevoup epf atis iyqisoipdi. Iydim hivt vji kuc fupi cav O'n duptofisoph vji qiuqmi uav vjisi xju nez puv jewi ov us jitovevi vu tqipf voni miespoph ov, us vjuti xju xuamfp'v xepv vu tqipf e muv up e tqsieftjiiv.

 

[inputchip]

Neli e dmodlecmi nudlaq ug vji qsuhsen epf veli ov vu tuni ug zuas quvipvoem dmoipvt epf tii xjev vjiz xuamf qsigis, Iydim us vji qsuhsen.

Og atis iyqisoipdi ot onqusvepv (xjodj ov tjuamf ci), O xuamf civ nutv qiuqmi xuamf miep exez gsun atoph Iydim. Emtu, ov't nadj jesfis vu nesliv ep uggodi eff-up sevjis vjep e tvepfemupi tugvxesi qsufadv. Ov ot foggodamv vu caomf e csepf esuapf ep eff-up vjev ot voif vu uggodi qsuhsent.

Emtu, sinincis vji D op DIPVT: Dupvsum. Xjev og Nodsutugv dunqmivimz djephit vji cedlipf ug Iydim epf zuas qsufadv pu muphis xuslt epf zua muti emm zuas datvunist. Apmolimz vu jeqqip, cav zua piwis lpux. Vjisi ot pu dunoph cedl gsun vjev.