The topic on myBase (http://www.outlinersoftware.com/topics/viewt/8305/0/why-no-love-for-mybase-my-early-review got me thinking about another application. Zoot is very powerful and is actively developed with an equally active forum. I say this because as requests are made or bugs identified, there is a corresponding update. I have toyed with Zoot for at least 10 years and have resigned it to the "It doesn't click with me" category. ConnectedText is a member.

What are your thoughts?

Jon

Zoot used to be my go-to information manager, back when it only did plain text notes. It was a great app. I think Tom Davis broke Zoot when he created Zoot XT. He not only made it work with formatted text, he has jammed everything and the kitchen sink into it. Combined with a complete lack of any help documentation, Zoot has simply become way to complex for the tasks I had relied upon it for. It is too bad, because it was really outstanding. In some ways a bit like Tinderbox, without the Map View. If Tom ever publishes a user's guide, I'll probably give it another go for info management on Windows.

Steve Z.

As evidence for my claim that Tom put everything and the kitchen sink into Zoot, just check out the home page:

http://www.zootsoftware.com/

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

Zoot used to be my go-to information manager, back when it only did
plain text notes. It was a great app. I think Tom Davis broke Zoot when
he created Zoot XT. He not only made it work with formatted text, he has
jammed everything and the kitchen sink into it. Combined with a complete
lack of any help documentation, Zoot has simply become way to complex
for the tasks I had relied upon it for. It is too bad, because it was
really outstanding. In some ways a bit like Tinderbox, without the Map
View. If Tom ever publishes a user's guide, I'll probably give it
another go for info management on Windows.

Steve Z.

You're right Steve, and it's a shame. When on Windows, I used to be a huge fan of Zoot (probably introduced to it on this forum by you).

Being on Widows, Tinderbox is not an option. You are right though - Zoot is as close as you will get. I also agree that it has become far too sprawling, although for some this might be an advantage. I seem to remember that there was a user guide or help file for version 4 or 5 that Tom claims is generally applicable to Zoot's core functions.

Jon

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

Zoot used to be my go-to information manager, back when it only did
plain text notes. It was a great app. I think Tom Davis broke Zoot when
he created Zoot XT. He not only made it work with formatted text, he has
jammed everything and the kitchen sink into it. Combined with a complete
lack of any help documentation, Zoot has simply become way to complex
for the tasks I had relied upon it for. It is too bad, because it was
really outstanding. In some ways a bit like Tinderbox, without the Map
View. If Tom ever publishes a user's guide, I'll probably give it
another go for info management on Windows.

Steve Z.

This is absolutely correct, and should serve as a cautionary note for developers everywhere - including a few on this forum.

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

Zoot used to be my go-to information manager, back when it only did
plain text notes. It was a great app. I think Tom Davis broke Zoot when
he created Zoot XT. He not only made it work with formatted text, he has
jammed everything and the kitchen sink into it. Combined with a complete
lack of any help documentation, Zoot has simply become way to complex
for the tasks I had relied upon it for. It is too bad, because it was
really outstanding. In some ways a bit like Tinderbox, without the Map
View. If Tom ever publishes a user's guide, I'll probably give it
another go for info management on Windows.

Steve Z.

Tom Davis just responded on the Zoot listserv with this about help documentation:

"I'm far enough along now that I can say with some certainty that the documentation will be done in September. I'm finally spending 90% of my time on documentation instead of coding. It's been an entire month since I've posted an update which I think is a first in 20 years of Zoot development."

So some hope for those who like the idea of Zoot, but find the lack of help documentation too huge a hurdle.

Steve Z.

Hi, I received the following message from Tom Davis; I've confirmed with him that it is OK to share here.
Now to dive into the software.



STATUS REPORT
In June I finished up the last major coding effort required to bring Zoot to the level of fit and finish I have strived for these many years. The focus of this last effort was to make sure Zoot would run on modern PC hardware (4k monitors, touchscreens, etc). Having completed this effort I was able to work exclusively on documentation and in September the long awaited help file shipped out. If you missed the excitement just run Zoot and press F1 to experience the joy and wonder!


UP NEXT
I will continue to put out bug fixes and enhancements as needed, and I have some new features I'd like to work on, but in the short term, I want to give Zoot a chance to thrive. To do that I need to attract new users and that means driving potential users to the website and convincing them to give Zoot a try. I think the best way to bring in new users is to build out the website with YouTube demos that provide a quick look at what Zoot can do, along with a series of demos that dive deeper into Zoot features. Demos can be linked to on social media, which makes them a good promotional tool, and I think they’ll help everyone get more out of Zoot.


PLEDGE DRIVE
It's been 10 years since the last time I charged an upgrade fee and the truth is I really need to generate some revenue to keep things going. I thought I’d try something different this time and go with a pledge drive. I feel like this approach will help me gauge current interest in Zoot and guide future plans. I really want Zoot to thrive and I’m hoping you do too!

DONATE
https://secure.squarespace.com/checkout/donate?donatePageId=5dcb17366d685b2e57e2672e&ss_cid=fd78fd31-f81d-42e7-b541-2c20bef44add

Are there any screenshots at all on the Zoot site? It's one of the first things I look for.

https://www.zootsoftware.com/#/screenshots/

Thank you. That's a very helpful, well-organized page of annotated screenshots.

Alexander Deliyannis wrote:

https://www.zootsoftware.com/#/screenshots/

With regard to attracting new users (see earlier posts on this topic), featuring Zoot on Bitsdujour might be a good idea.