Freedom of Information - Info Select for the Palm Organizer from Micrologic Software - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, June, 2000 by Jonathan Matzkin

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Info Select for the Palm Organizer

* Requirements: Palm III, V, or VII; PalmPilot; or Handspring Visor; desktop Info Select 5 required for Windows integration * Est. Street Price: $70 * Manufacturer: Micro Logic Corp., 201-342-6518, www.miclog.com

INFO SELECT FOR THE PALM ORGANIZER may change the way you use your PDA. Micro Logic's program adds powerful outlining features to the popular organizer, and synchronizes effectively with its sibling Info Select for Windows.

Info Select's feature set is boiled down to outlining essentials. You start by entering topics, which become outline headings, and adding text notes under them. With a simple, one-step operation, you can import existing records from the Palm's built-in memo pad, to-do list, and contact manager; each item becomes a note in your outline.

The program lets you search for virtually any kind of information in the notes, and its outline metaphor makes it easy to organize different types of data--entering contact records as text notes under an "Address Book" header, for example. Unlike the standard Palm tools, InfoSelect can assign "tickler" reminders to any record type, including to-do and memo items.

If you use Info Select for Windows, you can define main topics from the Palm outline as "syncbases"; when you sync, those topics and notes are merged with your desktop software's outline.

Info Select has a few shortcomings. We could only begin a sync from the handheld side, despite confusing desktop menus that suggested we could sync from either machine. We found little use for Info Select's template feature--it should simplify data entry by providing labels for structured records, but failed to impress us.

In the main, Info Select paints an outlining face on the Palm's built-in note-taking, contact management, and scheduling capabilities. Confirmed Info Select users will love it; newcomers may be drawn to its balance of structured and free-form data management.

[pros] Strong info handling for a variety of workstyles

[cons] Redundant Palm features; confusing PC sync

RATINGS

HOME OFFICE COMPUTING rates products on a scale of 1 to 10--with few 9's or 10's--based on value, performance, innovation (medals go to rare standouts in these areas), ease of use, and suitability for home offices. The [pros] and [cons] symbols indicate pros and cons.