From: raymond@cps.msu.edu (Carl J Raymond)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.apps
Subject: Re: Looking for note taking software --- Summary
Date: 26 Aug 92 19:43:12 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Michigan State University
Originator: raymond@pacific.cps.msu.edu


  A little while back I asked about finding some note-taking software.
I got several good responses, and I want to say thanks to all who
responded, and give a brief summary.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  There were several people who mentioned InfoSelect (formerly Tornado Notes):
grady@sfu.ca (Brian Grady)
danr@ais.org (Daniel Romanchik)
dcatlas!joet@uunet.UU.NET (Joe Trott)
weiss@epx.cis.umn.edu ()
joseph@ariel.its.unimelb.EDU.AU (Joseph D'Cruz)
ferdie@coyote.datalog.com (fred jarvis)

Some excerpts: 

grady@sfu.ca (Brian Grady):

         ... I have used a commercial package called _Info
         Select_ for note taking.  I found it particularly useful
         for an annotated bibliography I was making for my
         dissertation.  It is basically a completely free-form
         database.  The way I used it was that each book / paper
         had its own entry, which could be as long as I liked and
         organized any way I wanted.  I was able to call up
         groups of entries based on any string I might have used,
         and this could easily include dates.  It's ok for basic
         information entry; fancy formatting would be more of a
         challenge.  However, the program allows you to place the
         data in files that could be used by a word processor it
         you wanted.  Hope this helps.

joseph@ariel.its.unimelb.EDU.AU (Joseph D'Cruz):

         I second the vote for InfoSelect (someome recommended
         Tornado, and mentioned that IS is the upgrade).  I use
         it for exactly the purpose you related.  You don't need
         to specify keywords, though you could, as it has a*very*
         fast string search function, and optional automatic
         dating (and time-stamping, if you want!) of all entries.
         It has a few other useful functions, in addition to
         being a TSR, which is great when you're in the middle of
         writing something on your wordprocessor and need to
         chase up a fact or reference.  It also comes with a
         disk/memory swapping module that allows you to run it in
         about 7K of main memory.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
exudeb@exu.ericsson.se (Dave Breeding):

         Take a look at "AskSam". I have been using it for
         similar purposes for about 2 years and I like it better
         than anything else I have seen.  It is currently in
         version 5.0 for DOS, and a version for Windows is
         reportedly in the works.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
<hsr4@vax.oxford.ac.uk> (Peter Brooks):

         We've been trying out a package from Blackwell
         Scientific Publications called ideaList which might be
         suitable.  It allows free-form text entry, will create
         an index of all words (so you don't have to create your
         own keys, although that does appear possible) and seems
         quite well featured.  I don't think there is an email
         address for them, but the fax number is (UK int'l code)
         865 791738 (this is also the voice line - it
         autodetects); postal address is:

		Blackwell Software
		Blackwell Scientific Publications
		Osney Mead
		Oxford
		OX2 0EL
		UK

----------------------------------------------------------------------
kl@isr.harvard.edu (Kun Lee):

         Check out NOTEBOOK II from Protem. It is a
         bibliographical database program that allows 2000
         characters free format text entry. I am not sure whether
         2000 is correct, but surely larger than that if not
         correct. I don't have the address of Protem at hand.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mto@world.std.com (Mike O'Brien)

         There's a nice program called Squarenote, which is
         designed for this very purpose.  It's billed as an "idea
         librarian".  Features easy free-form text entry,
         searchable keywords, good import/export/printing
         capabilities.  Very easy to learn to use, very
         reliable/stable.  Requires only 320k.

         From SQN Inc., 60 East Chestnut St., #342, Chicago, Il,
         60611.  Phone 312- 266-2539.  Cost for new version 4.1
         is $99.  It has been around many years and is
         well-supported.  Designed for writers, researchers,
         scholars.

         Retrieval of info by keyword is very fast.  Entire text
         can also be searched.  Highly recommended by a satisfied
         user.:-)

         Info capacity is good.  One of my Squarenote textbases
         is now 2.8 Megs and still growing.  Also have numerous
         smaller ones.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From jsteele@netcom.com Wed Aug 19 20:51:47 1992

         I have an index-card type utility that might be usable
         by your friend.  It has a searchable title of up to 76
         characters, date/time stamped with a subtitle at 76
         chars, and up to 17 lines of 78 chars each...  I (and a
         few others) have used it for a general free-form note
         taking, or just to record misc stuff.

         I also have a print program that goes along with it.  I
         have yet to create a re-index utility for it, but I
         haven't had to rebuild one yet either :)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: John Callahan <callahan@halcyon.halcyon.com>

         This may not be the answer that your looking for, but
         your friend may want to consider buying a macintosh
         powerbook so that he can run a program called
         ThoughtPattern from Bannafish software.  It sound like
         the perfect tool for the job.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

After checking out all our optiions, we settled on using a program
called "notebook," which is part of WordPerfect Office, for a number of
reasons: 

   It has a user interface that is very similar to WordPerfect, which is
what my friend uses (in fact, it's all he uses his computer for -- he's
a historian who's just getting used to working with a computer).  While
he's in Europe, he won't be able to call and ask me to walk down the
street and explain things to him, like he does now! :-)

   It's a very nice program; you can set up the data entry screen any
way you like, it has good editing features, etc.  Also, the files it
creates are WordPerfect secondary merge files, so bringing the data into
a WP document is pretty easy.

   He can get it at the univeristy discount price.

  
   
Thanks again to all those who took the time to respond.

Carl Raymond
raymond@cps.msu.edu

-- 
-----------------------------
Carl Raymond
Michigan State University
raymond@cps.msu.edu