Powerful search function and indexed content. Versatile and free-form data storage. Can import existing data.
Idiosyncratic interface that does not always follow Windows conventions. Complex features take time to learn.
If you like Info Select, you probably love it. It can serve all your PIM, e-mail, general application, and information-management needsall in one program that you may never have to leave. It is easy to get started in, but it's difficult to master. It can help make all your data more readily accessible.
Like the blind men with the elephant, a dozen users will look at Info Select and see a dozen different programs. It is versatile, powerful, and idiosyncratic; if you're willing to invest the time to learn how it works, you will be rewarded with a system that can manage all your day-to-day information. Micro Logic has an interesting pricing model for the product, too; you can buy it for $250, or you can subscribe for $50 per year, which includes any major upgrades released during your subscription.
The program has been around for years and has earned a devoted following. The current Version 8 provides a number of new features, but the underlying design principles and user interface remain the same. The screen is divided into two regions. The "selector" is on the left, and is a hierarchical representation of all the different data contained in the current "Info Base," which is Info Select's term for a collection of information. This is more than just an outline, as the lines can represent topic headings, individual notes, fields in database tables, or the records stored in those tables. The data can be contained in the Info Base file, or you can link other files to be included but stored separately. You can expand or collapse the headings to control how much of the outline you see at once.
When you select a note or other item that has content, the information appears to the right in the "workspace." If this is a text note, the workspace looks like a word processor, complete with sophisticated formatting features. A note can also contain graphics, in which case the workspace tools provide image editing and annotation functions. There is a calendar function that offers tickers, alarms, and recurring events, so you can organize your life.
Info Select also lets you create a database. It comes with some predefined examplessuch as an address bookbut you can modify the examples or create your own. You can define them to appear as one record per screen or as a table of data, as with a spreadsheet. You can define different types of fields, including text, numeric, date, and logical (yes/no). Reporting is limited and there is no multiple sort feature, but you can sort a table using a sequence of fields to get subsorts.
You can also use Info Select as your e-mail and news-group client, receiving and sending mail. If you want to use another client, you can still easily import copies of your e-mails from other programs, including Outlook, Outlook Express, and Eudora. And you can insert a drive or folder from Microsoft Windows Explorer and get a listing of its files and subfolders, which you can use as a navigation system instead of Windows Explorer without leaving Info Select.
The program indexes all the content in an Info Base, and a powerful Search function makes finding information fast and easy. As you type in a word or phrase, a graphical representation automatically shows how many remaining items match, making it easy to winnow through your information for the nuggets you seek.
Users are likely to encounter a stiff learning curve before mastering all Info Select has to offer. The program also has some limitations; it is "mouse bound" in some spots, and does not offer keyboard alternatives to mouse functions. Not all Windows navigation conventions are followed; Shift-Tab moves right instead of left in a table, and you must use Left Arrow instead. On the other hand, there are dozens of keystroke shortcuts that can speed data entry and management, once you memorize them.
Commitment to learning the program can pay off, however, with a powerful system that lets you gather tons of information at will, and then tease out the elements you want later. It has its own way of doing things, but once you learn how, it can do a lot.
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