The Art of Business: The Software Program That Saved My Life
Warning: this article will read like a public relations placement for an obscure piece of software.
But, scout’s honor, it’s not.
It’s my personal ode to the only application I have been using continuously since I owned my first computer (a 4.77 MHz, Intel 8088, double floppy, green screen monstrosity). The software program is called Info Select, now in Version 8 from Micro Logic, Inc. I’ve been using it since 1987 when I purchased Version 2 on a 5.25-inch floppy with room to spare. I’m not even sure there was a Version 1, as Info Select evolved from an even earlier program called Tornado Notes.
Info Select is a personal information manager for the PC. (The company says it will run on a Mac under emulation, but there is no dedicated Mac version.)
The description “personal information manager” doesn’t do it justice. It’s a freeform database that lets you enter any kind of information you want: phone numbers, notes, photos, spreadsheets, tables, calendar-based schedules, shipping labels, entire books, dynamic email addresses. Then, with Google-like speed, it lets you text search every record and recall the information instantly using a familiar set of Boolean operators (“and,” “or,” etc.).
Info Select Version 8 lets you store and search all types of data and is particularly well suited for creative professionals who embrace the random and chaotic.
My Life In Notes
Over the years, I’ve compiled more than 5,000 records in my Info Select database, including the names and phone numbers of every person I have ever kept in contact with (along with notes from hundreds of phone conversations), brainstorming sessions, to-do lists, purchase information, and a whole lot more. Every day, I use Info Select dozens of times. I have saved thousands of hours over the years not having to search for that key piece of information needed at that critical moment. I simply call up Info Select, hit a few keys, and the information pops up on my screen.
But that’s just the beginning. An ingenious display system of expandable topics and subtopics makes record keeping manageable no matter how many notes you create. And a neural search technique lets you pull up names and text even when you don’t remember correct spellings.
Info Select has its drawbacks. It has a quirky interface that sometimes feels counter-intuitive, its feature set can feel like overkill, and the calendar needs polishing. But in this era of bloatware, the program has stayed amazingly fast and small (it requires only 12MB of hard drive space).
The program lets you create multiple calendars to track work and home life separately. There are audible and screen-flashing alerts and recurring event features. If you find something on the Web you like, you “”paint” the words in your Web browser, and Info Select automatically cuts and pastes them into a new note.
You can use the software to create templates, such as letterhead and custom forms, that you can send to a printer or insert into email messages. You can keep every letter and memo you’ve ever written in Info Select, ready for access by keyword search. (Admittedly, the recent advent of Google’s free desktop search utility renders this feature less valuable.)
I’m a creative right-brained type, but for disciplined left-brainers, Info Select can create structured databases, such as address lists you can use to print mass mailings.
The program can also operate as an OCR scanner, allowing you to import documents and then use text recognition to search records. You can even scan in images for archiving and quick recall. Micro Logic recently added a fully syncronizable version for the Palm Organizer.
Cult status
I know there are other freeform databases, and plenty of personal information managers, but to me they’re boxy and restricting (think Microsoft Outlook). And I’m not alone in my praise for Info Select; I’ve never met a user group more passionate, and if you read the published newspaper reviews reposted on Micro Logic’s site, you’ll see what I mean. The program has a cult following.
I also like that Info Select is one of only two products offered by a scrappy little company that has maintained its independence and vision. In fact, I’m surprised Info Select hasn’t been scooped up by the likes of Microsoft, integrated into Office, and totally ruined.
But unless that happens, I’ll keep using Info Select until the day they pry my wireless keyboard from my cold, dead fingers.
This article was last modified on December 14, 2022
This article was first published on March 28, 2005
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