There are a few programs I use everyday: Outlook, Word, and InfoSelect. InfoSelect
has become indispensable. I trust it to keep my student records and all the
little notes I need to function at work.
InfoSelect is an unstructured database, although you can impose quite a bit
of structure on the way you save information. We did our first review of InfoSelect
version 2 back in July 1991.
I’ve been using version 7 for about two months. It easily loaded in Windows
XP Pro and I picked up all my user files from version 6.
I was happy with InfoSelect just the way it was. Of course, a new version brings
the promise of something new. Here’s some what they did to an old favorite.
InfoSelect for Palm. I haven’t tried it. I don’t have a Palm device,
but I think this is the kind of app that would really add value to the Palm.
It also may tip the scales toward the Palm platform as various operating systems
fight for supremacy. Best of all – you can link your Palm with the InfoSelect
data on your PC. Check it out! $70. See URL at end of review.
Incorporate Pictures. There are two ways to incorporate pictures into InfoSelect
7. I have wanted a way to ad images of students into my database records. It
would be like a personnel record complete with an image of each student. That
way, when I get a call about a student several years from now, I could look
at my notes as well as a picture.
The first way uses the Insert ? Image function. When I tried the new feature
it brought the picture in inside a new note. This method won’t put it
in in your database directly. You can now cut and paste it into the database,
but you’d better crop it to size first. At this point you can’t
fiddle with it any more. InfoSelect 7 added a crop function, but it was grayed
out when I selected an image. Not sure why. I was able to rotate, resize and
adjust the quality of the image while it is in notes. That part is new.
The second way uses another new function: Insert ? File ?Attachment. This is
closer to what I want. This time an icon of my image file goes nicely in the
database block. When I want to see the image I just double-click on the icon
and I can see the source picture. Not bad.
Improved calendar. They’ve added a number of new features here: automatically
execute a program at a specific time, e-mail a reminder at a specific times,
set the snooze duration, determine how many tasks are stored in a calendar,
and the ability to drag items onto the calendar.
Since Outlook is my preferred calendar program, I was not used to using the
calendar in InfoSelect. I found the InfoSelect calendar easy to use. Then,
I tried to print the page as though for my Day Planner book. Surprise. It wasn’t
obvious how to print a calendar, much less in Day Planner format. I reviewed
the Help files. To print, you select: Tools ? Options ? Calendar ? Print. Then
select: File ? Print. That’s pretty counterintuitive.
True Boolean Searching. I do a lot of data retrieval in InfoSelect. Searching
with a single term is usually enough, but a Boolean search function would be
welcome.
It works, sort of. Let me explain.
When I searched the old way (with a single term) it showed me all the hits
with each hit highlighted. You needed to remember that sometimes there might
be two hits in a note so you’d need to scroll down before moving on to
the next note.
It depends on where you look in the Help menus as to the specific help you’ll
get. If you look under “new features,” it offers the sample “Harry
AND Florida.” That example is misleading. You don’t want quotes
around this expression. AND works in lower case as well.
You want the section of Help called Introduction to Searching.
Now, when you search with the AND you end up with all the notes pages containing
your search terms, but the search terms are not highlighted. Back to a manual
search in the notes retrieved. This feature is a work in progress.
Enhanced data protection. Select file ? Backup and it makes a copy of your
user files. The Help screen shows a dialog box allowing you to send it to another
disk. Even with “advanced user” set, I was unable to get it to
show me that dialog box. I now have lots of backups in my InfoSelect subdirectory.
Automatic spellchecking. Nice new feature. Selectable on/off. If ON, you will
see all unrecognized words with a squiggly line under it.
Compressed data files. Another useful feature.
Optional delete to recycle bin. Haven’t needed it, but a nice addition.
This list is not exhaustive. The makers of InfoSelect are always tweaking
here and there. It is about time for a facelift to bring it a little more in
line with the look of XP. I keep mentioning the Help files because I printed
all the Help files, punched holes and saved them to a notebook. And, I read
them. That’s my manual. They haven’t printed a manual in several
versions now. I miss it. The sum of all the Help files is just that. It isn’t
a manual.
I will continue to use InfoSelect as a database. This part of the review is
for the folks at Micro Logic. I really don’t need another calendar or
want it to handle my e-mail. I removed all the Web links. It doesn’t
substitute for Word when I need a memo or business letter. I visited a woodworking
store today and I saw a ShopSmith for sale on consignment. They weren’t
asking much. It is supposed to be every tool you’ll ever need “all
in one.” As a result, it didn’t do any of them exceptionally well.
Stay with core idea and keep InfoSelect the best database. I suspect your research
already shows that this is the reason people love your product.
Requires: Win 95, 98, ME XP, 2000 or NT. 16MB RAM. 12MB space on hard drive.
CD-ROM drive. Mouse.
$ 150 to download. $ 160 on CD. $110 to upgrade on CD.
www.miclog.com