I was hoping for the ability to add multiple categories to items in IS9. I think Micro Logic is looking for the Tabs (or Folders?) to serve that purpose. Something like Ariadne had would have been great.

But as someone said you are more limited since they scroll across the top. It would be nice to have the option of having them on the sides. I also would wish for more power on the Tabs like Zoot, but lately I am using them more, especially in implementing GTD. Someone on the IS groups mentioned how you could set up a template that is already toggled to a Tab. That changed my whole thinking in regards to the Tabs, and I have been using them more ever since. The Smart Tabs should be even better.

Vince

Daly de Gagne wrote:

I'll be interested in hearing more on how you progress with IS9. It does sound like
Micrologic has tried to add some new functionality.

Daly,

I have ended up buying UltraRecall and Infoselect: IS because there is no demo and UR because my trial and extended trial had long expired. Mentally, I am comparing them with Zoot as it is Zoot that will be replaced - if possible.

The thing that strikes me most about IS is the range of tools for navigating around the outline, my issue with Outline based programs is the time spent collapsing and expanding outlines as you move around. IS has a row of customised Context tabs (at the bottom of the screen) where you can save an outline in a specific state of expansion. Hit a Context tab and you are taken straight to the outline ready to work on it. Additionally you can add a horizontal row of "labelled hotspots" at the top level item allowing you to jump to specified locations in the Outline. A hot key hides or shows the viewing pane so you can easily create a row of hot spots as wide as your screen. Then there are also book marks available. AND there are tabs at the top of the screen where you can set specific rules for each tab, that will bring together in a single view all items that match the rules. Plus of course there is fast and efficient search that has always been there.

The other really useful feature for me is being able to add a "file manager" branch to the outline that gives you an Explorer style outline in IS of a selected windows folder inside IS. All the normal right click Explorer tools are then available inside IS, and it automatically updates as you add/delete files to the Windows folder that is linked.

A small thing but one that makes a massive difference to clarity is being able to separate parts of the Outline with a horizontal line. I am amazed how big a difference thst has made to knowing where I am in the Outline. Although I haven't used it yet there is an autocompetle tool which should help to add keywords into text that are consistent. I like the fact you can create small tables inside IS, I ofen want to use small tables to keep track of exam marks or hand in dates etc and Excel has always seemed an overkill, while IS seems to offer an ideal solution. I can add a small table to each outline associated with a particular module, but also I can use the rule based tabs to pull all my mark sheets into a single view for comparison.

All told while only just scratching the surface, I am pretty impressed.

I have few bugs, but then I think this still strictly a beta. Whe you select a word in the list of options in the spell checker, IS inserts the word above the word you selected. I have password protected a file and IS seems to randomly ask for the password regardless of which file I try and open.

I am also much more impressed with UR than I have been in the past, but that is for another thread.

Graham

I have a question about IS-9. One of the things I liked about an earlier version was that it did not store everything in one gigantic file, but rather it stored in separate files the contents of different topics in the same tree. However, it worked as if everything were in one gigantic file. Does Ver 9 still store info in separate files?

Also, how well does IS-9 handle graphics and tables?

Thanks!

-cassius

Hi.

I have a question about IS-9. One of the things I liked about an earlier version was that
it did not store everything in one gigantic file, but rather it stored in separate
files the contents of different topics in the same tree. However, it worked as if
everything were in one gigantic file. Does Ver 9 still store info in separate
files?

You can still split a database into several files. They must have even improved the code: In V8, Infoselect crashed when I tried to create a new database in a folder that contained a large number of databases. In V9, it does not.

Also, how well does IS-9 handle graphics and tables?

They introduced a new feature called "Image Field" that can be used to insert images in databases (by pasting, by importing or by drawing). When you select text plus images, e.g. from a web page, IS9 now handles images better: They are displayed at the correct size (in V8, images often were extremely huge).

For tables, IS has a feature called "Grid" that allows you to insert a simple spreadsheet containing numbers, calculations and text; you may even create a chart from the numbers.

Franz

Thanks!

-cassius

Graham, I can see how IS9 looks appealing -- especially the navigational elements.

I just tried IS9 read-only on an existing IS file, and found that for me the deal-killer for IS has not been remedied, to wit, the impermanency of web site urls in the selector.

I clicked on a selector web item, and the site appeared quickly. I used the links on the site to travel to other sites.

Then I moved on to another item in the selector.

When I came back to selector item for the url I had first selected and clicked on it I was taken to the *last* site I had been at -- not the site the selector item was originally set for. I have never seen any other program do this, and it is somemthing that I had long ago complained to Micro Logic about.

If anyone can show me how to get around this problem, I will probably fork out the money for a one-year subscription.

It seems clear based on what I have heard that IS9 is significantly better than IS8, and that Micro Logic may be taking consumer comments more seriously.

Daly

Daly de Gagne wrote:

When I came back to selector item for the url I had first selected and
clicked on it I was taken to the *last* site I had been at -- not the site the selector item
was originally set for. I have never seen any other program do this, and it is
somemthing that I had long ago complained to Micro Logic about.

Actually, I'd say this behavior may be desired in many cases. Let's say you are doing some research or just following some links and you have to move away from the web item to access something else in the IS file. If the web item automatically reset to the initial URL, you'd lose your place with that particular web item any time you navigated away from it. The way it is now, you can always, right-click the web item and choose "Go to initial URL" to get back to the original URL.

Of course, it is a behavior that would perhaps be best set as an option. That way, users could choose which way works best for them.

Chris

Chris, thanks for that. It does make sense. I wish the people at Micro Logic had told me that when I first wrote to them about it. Instead, my emails were ignored.

Daly

Chris Murtland wrote:

Daly de Gagne wrote:
>When I came back to selector item for the url I had first selected
and
>clicked on it I was taken to the *last* site I had been at -- not the site the
selector item
>was originally set for. I have never seen any other program do this,
and it is
>somemthing that I had long ago complained to Micro Logic
about.

Actually, I'd say this behavior may be desired in many cases. Let's say you
are doing some research or just following some links and you have to move away from the
web item to access something else in the IS file. If the web item automatically reset to
the initial URL, you'd lose your place with that particular web item any time you
navigated away from it. The way it is now, you can always, right-click the web item and
choose "Go to initial URL" to get back to the original URL.

Of course, it is a behavior
that would perhaps be best set as an option. That way, users could choose which way
works best for them.

Chris

I was hoping IS9 would include a little more power in their browser. In keeping with my theme of trying to do almost everything in IS, I am now experimenting with doing all of my browsing inside the program. Right now I use Maxthon and Firefox, and usually have 15-20 tabs open at all times. I have set up Maxthon to open all links in a new tab, and I can open multiple tabs on a page by using (still trying to figure out how to do this in Firefox).

Someone mentioned that you can drag URLs from an email or web page to the selector, and it will make a new web page. That is extremely powerful, and I have been using it extensively the past few days. That way I can have all of my web pages accessible, but they are just on the side (like iRider) as opposed to in tabs across the top. What I had asked for was the option to have a new web page open when I click on a link, or possibly using a key combination like Maxthon. That would change my browsing habits altogether. Maybe something like making IS the default browser?

The other alternative is having tabs. Unfortunately, I don't think we will see any of these until ISX.

Vince

Chris Murtland wrote:

Actually, I'd say this behavior may be desired in many cases. Let's say you
are doing some research or just following some links and you have to move away from the
web item to access something else in the IS file. If the web item automatically reset to
the initial URL, you'd lose your place with that particular web item any time you
navigated away from it. The way it is now, you can always, right-click the web item and
choose "Go to initial URL" to get back to the original URL.

Of course, it is a behavior
that would perhaps be best set as an option. That way, users could choose which way
works best for them.

Chris