It suddenly clicked for me.

[vamp07]

Wow...

Ultra Recall just clicked for me. Until know I have been on the sidelines. I had a clue of what it can do but it had not jelled for me how I could use it (I am a big fan of InfoSelect). I bet every user of Ultra Recall is going to have that moment when it all comes together if they give it enough time. I usually use a browser called iRider which is excellent. It lets you mark web pages to open every time you open the browser (pinned). Sort of like tabbed browsing but more powerful. I usually have a bunch of forums I track and all of them are pinned so they open every time. Many times I find post that I want to reply to but I may want to work on my reply a little and not post it in that session. In Ultra Recall I can create a child text template item and work on the post there, I guess I could even do it in the item notes. I can then flag it so I don't loose track of it or even create my own item attributes to keep track of these types of things. COOL!!!!. I could go on and on about this program. Whoever the main developer is behind this thing thinks allot like I do:

Lots of keyboard shortcuts of somebody like me that likes to stay with the keyboard whenever possible.

Network friendly so I can open the same database from my laptop or desktop.

Ability to hide the program in the system tray (Love the use of the esc key) and bring it back up almost instantly with WIN-Z.

Indexing of all data for fast searches.

The way the window system works letting me organize all windows wherever I want or even join them up with tabs (love the F11 key)

Ability to create new templates that define what I attributes I want to keep for that particular type of item.

The favorites menu which lets me assign shortcuts and basically allows anything to be a favorite.

Last but not least the ability to link items everywhere in the tree without creating duplicates (probably it's greatest feature but one I have not put to much use yet because my db is still relatively small).

[JeffK]

vamp07, how do you rate the ability to index documents eg Word, Excel etc. Even though IS has very fast search it is more work to get the data in there in the first place, is it not.

What about UR's ability to index webpages for fast search later. Much more functional than IS?

Hope your Epiphany continues. Your posts are very thought provoking.

Regards,

Jeff

[srdiamond]

Could you possibly explain a little more what you found you were able to do in UR that you couldn't do in other programs like InfoSelect. Maybe I didn't follow because I've never been an IS user. Which step would not have been possible in IS?

Stephen R. Diamond

Originally posted by vamp07
Wow...

Ultra Recall just clicked for me. Until know I have been on the sidelines. I had a clue of what it can do but it had not jelled for me how I could use it (I am a big fan of InfoSelect). I bet every user of Ultra Recall is going to have that moment when it all comes together if they give it enough time. I usually use a browser called iRider which is excellent. It lets you mark web pages to open every time you open the browser (pinned). Sort of like tabbed browsing but more powerful. I usually have a bunch of forums I track and all of them are pinned so they open every time. Many times I find post that I want to reply to but I may want to work on my reply a little and not post it in that session. In Ultra Recall I can create a child text template item and work on the post there, I guess I could even do it in the item notes. I can then flag it so I don't loose track of it or even create my own item attributes to keep track of these types of things. COOL!!!!. I could go on and on about this program. Whoever the main developer is behind this thing thinks allot like I do:

<Deletion>

[PureMoxie]

As a former Info Select user, I'll jump in here.

First of all, if you "attach" (their language for storing file contents into the topic outline) a Word or PDF file into Info Select, the file contents are not indexed or searchable.

Secondly, while it's possible to show HTML/web content in IS, saving from the web and then searching the pages within IS requires many steps: you have to first save the file to disk from the browser, insert this file as a web item in IS (by getting the right file:\\ URL), and then every time you search you also have to check a box to include web page items. In other words, it's too much trouble to do.

These days, the easy ability to capture material from the web is an essential for any information management app I use. While there other tools focused on this function, I like that I can use UR to integrate this with the rest of my data - possible in theory with IS, but not practical.

IS does not allow child items beneath web page items. You cannot annotate web pages. And there is no facility for saved searches or database-wide item attributes.

IS does have its merits. Having a simple calendar, and the ability to assign any item in the outline to a calendar date, does come in handy. The program's drawbacks are very significant, however, and I think it pales in comparison to UR.

[vamp07]

I'm not sold on using UR to index external content. For that I use X1 which is wonderful. I guess if it is something I am using frequently I might start managing it from within UR but the ability to search is really useful when it helps you find things you may have forgotten about. Since UR only indexes what you told it to manage in the first place it might not find what you are looking for. I think UR's approach is great and if I'm looking for something that I know I am managing from within UR I'll use UR but if I am not sure the first tool I will use is X1 or google desktop or MSN desktop or copernic desktop etc etc etc...

I do think that URs ability to index web pages that you have added to the outline regardless of if you chose to keep a copy is really awesome and will definitely come in handy. One of those things I always wished IS would do but it never did.


Originally posted by JeffK
vamp07, how do you rate the ability to index documents eg Word, Excel etc. Even though IS has very fast search it is more work to get the data in there in the first place, is it not.

What about UR's ability to index webpages for fast search later. Much more functional than IS?

Hope your Epiphany continues. Your posts are very thought provoking.

Regards,

Jeff

[vamp07]

If IS had switched it's dB to allow the same item to live in multiple places in the tree, that ability to tag an item to the calendar would have been really handy. AS I recall ecco was very good at this. The problem with IS is that creating a calendar entry for a note or whatever really creates a separate item in the calendar and then links it to the item. That all sound good but you quickly realize that if you change the date from the item it does not move the item in the calendar and instead creates a new entry. Just one of those many things in IS that is an excellent idea but was left in a half baked state.


Originally posted by PureMoxie


IS does have its merits. Having a simple calendar, and the ability to assign any item in the outline to a calendar date, does come in handy. The program's drawbacks are very significant, however, and I think it pales in comparison to UR.

[PureMoxie]

It's true that you pretty much need a total disk indexer like Google or Copernic to find those things you're not quite sure you have or where they might be. I tend to want to manage things up-front, however, and rely on a disk search program only for backup. Basically, if something is worth managing, I want it to go into UR. I've been putting all new material into UR and then adding older documents and notes only when I have occasion to look them up once. I read someone's blog once about "keeping found things found," and that's how I see UR - as a tool to consolidate and create relationships with information that has value to me.

I also really like the idea of having everything of import in one file that I can move around and backup as needed. That's why I usually opt to store the entire document in UR. Of course, my work is not exceedingly document-heavy; I will have many more email messages, tasks and notes in my UR database than documents.

[vamp07]

My worry about using that approach is that given some time you are going to end up with an outline that is filled with stuff that you rarely if ever use. Not a problem but when you are searching for something you will need to weed through all that stuff that you really never use. Guess that's why I like to use UR for everything I actively care about and everything else I can find with X1.

[PureMoxie]

It's true that the value of the information will wane (or expire) over time. I figure I can always export out branches of completed or inactive projects, for example, to keep the outline relevant.

One thing I did like about IS was the ability to have different files in the outline; inactive files could be closed and not searched or viewed unless you really needed to.

[vamp07]

Yeah not only could they be closed but you can create search barriers. Another thing nice about the IS approach is that when you search you still see your outline. This helps you only focus where you think in your outline what you want is. In UR your loose the frame of reference of the outline when doing a search.

Originally posted by PureMoxie
It's true that the value of the information will wane (or expire) over time. I figure I can always export out branches of completed or inactive projects, for example, to keep the outline relevant.

One thing I did like about IS was the ability to have different files in the outline; inactive files could be closed and not searched or viewed unless you really needed to.

[JeffK]

Thanks for this discussion. Very helpful in clarifying my thinking.

Regards,

Jeff