[larkost]

Every time MacPractice comes out with another press release MacNN seems compelled to put it on the front page. They have not released anything... and are still months away from releasing anything. They have not had any real news at all. Todays edition in this is that they are allowing "pre-orders" of an SDK for a product that no-one has seen and the website for is mearly empty marketing speak.

MacNN editors should show a little sense and not publish everything that they are given, or do the right thing and state that they are being paid to advertise for MacPractice. I am interested in the product when it is a product, but at the moment it is only vaporware and marketing releases. Please don't publish anything until it is news.

Thanks for your feedback! We do not have any sort of advertising partnership with MacPractice. Further, we do not have the type of advertising arrangement you describe with any company. We will take your criticism into consideration when selecting content for future articles.

[larkost]

Evidently this was not taken into consideration... another empty press release... another future release date... and another MacNN advertisement...

[alex_kac]

I am curious what you have against MacPractice. I just took a look and it seemed like a genuine news item of a release for a program that you don't see much of on the Mac. According to their site, the software was released. But I'd guess that with this kind of sw, you don't just buy it at their store - its probably setup for you and all that onsite or you contact them for real info (since I bet the sw is in the $$$$ range).

[larkost]

I have nothing necessarily against MacPractice... but they have been using press releases to keep themselves in the news when they have no news. This has become a common (but no less dirty) method of advertising and MacNN has fallen for the trick completely.

The product has not been released at this point. They are still months from actually releasing the product, they are only "announcing" the release... which they have done every month or so for the last half year. By dribbling this out they artificially keep themselves in the "news" (because people who should be journalists don't want to do any work and so just publish press releases verbatim, rather than working on a story). I am all for MacNN's editors paying attention to press releases, but that is not the same thing as publishing every one.

I consider this underhanded by MacPractice, and lazy by MacNN's editors.

[sideus]

MacPractice's new software was released in the 1st quarter of 2005. This initial release includes patient and insurance billing, and reports. Eclaims, scheduling and and integrated word processing. are being added in the 2nd quarter, 2005.

Looks like it was released in April.

[sideus]

http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/04...tice/index.php
MacPractice releases healthcare software for OS X
By Peter Cohen pcohen@maccentral.com

After an extensive beta test, MacPractice Inc. announced this week that it is shipping its first three healthcare practice management software applications designed for Mac OS X. MacPractice MD, MacPractice DDS and MacPractice DC are available for physicians', dentists' and chiropractors' offices respectively.

Features include integrated accounting, patient and insurance billing and tracking, patient follow up (and recalls for dentists), prescriptions, medical and dental imaging, and to-do functions. Reporting functions let you view track patient info like referrals, charges and payments, insurance plan, receivables and more. Doctors can view snapshots of patients and check their clinical images; ancillary documents can be attached to patient records in PDF or native format. Future enhancements are planned as well, with support for Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and digital radiography.

Taken from Macworld.com.

[wenger24]

I agree 1000% with Larkost. The owners of this company have an over 10 year history of pulling this kind of stunt. I should know I'm a dentist and user of the software they abandoned. Be very careful. I have been fooled before by them but never again. Tell them to show you the money NOW. DO NOT TRUST THEM. I've been following this closely and the hype is phenomenal I can't believe MacNN and others are being fooled. Listen to users and you will get the real story.

I'm in the market for new software and will not abandon the Mac platform but will look elsewere for my purchase. At this time I looking into Macdent Professional and Amac.

[Dunbar]

wenger24-

What do you know about MacDent Professional and aMac? Public or private reply would be welcome. Thanks in advance!