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| OnePlace | Searching & Indexing |
| If computers are supposed to
make our lives easier, then why do we constantly find ourselves lost in a digital pile of
e-mail, documents, appointments and contacts? There are some people who actually enjoy
arranging their sock drawer, and they usually like to keep their computer just as
organized. But the rest of us often find ourselves forgetting in which folder we saved the
last letter to our client or whether we entered a business contact under his or her first
or last name. The organized folks at Franklin-Covey offer a good solution to these problems. They have licensed an effective software package from Enfish Corporation called OnePlace billed as a “customizable software application that automatically organizes vital information into one PC desktop.” OnePlace indexes almost every piece of information on your computer, allowing you to search and quickly locate e-mails, documents, schedules, contacts and Web sites that are related to each other. You might be thinking that searches like this can be done from the Windows “Search” function in the “Start” menu, but OnePlace takes the task of search-and-find to a new level. Once installed, the software performs a complete index of all the information on your computer, and any networked drives that you choose to include. All of your information is inventoried and cross-referenced by titles, subject lines, dates, contact names and the content of documents. When you perform a search in OnePlace for a client’s name, not only will the contact information pop up, but you will also get any letters you have written to that person, related documents, e-mails and even the ability to find a restaurant near the client’s address. OnePlace is effective at organizing your information because it works with a broad variety of applications. Not only can it index e-mail from Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, but it also can find e-mail from your America Online account. As far as documents go, OnePlace can read and organize files from Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect, as well as several other word processing programs that use a variety of file extensions. OnePlace also handles files from Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Acrobat and several graphic formats. OnePlace presents all this information in a pleasing and refreshing layout that is completely customizable. All of your information is shown in “tabs” in the main section of the program, and a navigation pane on the left gives you the ability to quickly switch to a new collection of information. The usual “File,” “Edit” and “View” menus at the top are not necessary and their elimination gives you more space to work. Each “tab” can be assigned to show specific information from appointments in Outlook to Web pages. OnePlace works closely with Microsoft Internet Explorer and uses the Internet to pull in current news stories, local weather and a host of other Web-dependent information. You can have up to five tabs showing at any one time, and you are able to change their layout with only a couple clicks of the mouse. I found the search function a breeze to use and very thorough. When I needed to find the e-mails and documents I had composed on a particular subject quickly, I used OnePlace to type in my search terms and within a few seconds I had one tab with all the documents I needed. It also gave me another tab that listed Internet links with related information. Searches performed through OnePlace are much faster than others because OnePlace indexes and categorizes all of your information beforehand. There’s no time wasted on trolling through piles of computer files when you hit the “Find” button. If you spend a majority of your time using your computer for various tasks, I highly recommend obtaining a copy of OnePlace. Even if you don’t use the program all the time, it can be a lifesaver when you need to find vital information in a few heartbeats. The program virtually takes care of itself because it checks for upgrades every time it’s put into use. Which reminds me, a broadband connection is highly recommended for this product since many of the more helpful features of OnePlace utilize the Internet. OnePlace delivers as advertised and you will be thankful when it helps you out of a bind. |
FranklinCovey Co. (800) 871-1492 www.franklincovey.com Price: $69.95 Windows 98/Me/2000/NT Reviewed by Brett Burney lives and works near Akron, Ohio. He is a regular contributor to Law.com’s Automated Lawyer. PROS CONS VERDICT |
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