Forum Posts Feed
Circus Ponies suddenly ceased business
< Next Topic | Back to topic list | Previous Topic >
Pages: ‹ First < 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >
Posted by Bob Spies
Feb 21, 2016 at 10:20 PM
In my opinion, some of the commenters here are missing a key point: CP NoteBook’s primary strength was its extremely robust handling of outline-structured data. On top of that its “multidex” allowed viewing outline data in various other ways.
Various software packages support creating a simple outline for a simple purpose; e.g., spec’ing out the structure of a document prior to writing it. But outlines are ideal for something far bigger: handling and integration of all the information, action items, and projects someone with a non-routine job (or life) deals with. I update and reference the outlines I use to “run my life” continuously during the day. There have only been a handful of software titles I’ve found over time that have been able to support that. Starting from “the beginning”: ThinkTank, More, Grandview, Noteliner, CP NoteBook, (NOT OneNote), and now out of necessity I’ve switched to OmniOutliner. Omni supports the kind of industrial-strength outlining that CP NoteBook did, although it lacks the multidex feature, which I used principally as a way of managing my to-do’s without having to manage a separate to-do list.
CP NoteBook’s ability to support attachments, tables, free-form notes, etc was all gravy—there are plenty of other options for handling those. Its truly important (and sadly under-appreciated) capability was its industrial-strength outlining.
Posted by Paul Korm
Feb 22, 2016 at 02:40 AM
No doubt Circus Ponies is a very good outliner and very good piece of software—it fell on hard times, and now, lamentably, it is exiting the stage for reasons only the owner knows for sure. So, most of the discussion here has been reaction to that situation, and, more importantly, what to do next.
Posted by Bob Spies
Feb 22, 2016 at 02:53 AM
Understood. I think there are a number of alternatives available for many of its “peripheral” capabilities. But for the industrial-strength outlining functionality at its core, the only serious substitute I’ve been able to find is OmniOutliner.
Posted by Stephen Zeoli
Feb 22, 2016 at 12:03 PM
An app that could have had the potential to replace Circus Ponies Notebook’s outlining capability was Note Suite, which sadly has also gone belly up. But I found it an excellent outliner. Similar in some ways to CPN. It also had the ability to manage tasks. In fact—just in my view—it was a more nimble outliner. And it had an excellent iOS companion app. Not sure why I’m bringing this up, other than to whine about another lost piece of software.
Steve Z.
Posted by Andy Brice
Feb 22, 2016 at 11:04 PM
Given their mortality rate, remind me never to write an outliner product…