Ask Sam 6 Standard Freeform Database Software - Review Of Ask Sam In PC World

ASK SAM 6 STANDARD EASY TO USE FREEFORM SEARCHABLE DATABASE
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Ask Sam 6 Standard Freeform Database Software - Review Of Ask Sam In PC World

First Look: AskSam 6 Offers Database Flexibility

Peggy Watt, PC World

Latest version of Ask Sam free-form database offers a new interface and a dynamic folder view

If your idea of a free-form database is an enormous Word document of names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses, then it's time to meet Ask Sam. A longtime user of the venerable app, I recently tested the new version 6 and found plenty to like--although first-time users will face a slight initial learning curve.

Ask Sam is a sophisticated organizer that lets you drop just about anything into a database, and then easily find it later (files can hold up to 16 terabytes' worth of data). The app's free-form structure means you don't have to parse a file's contents and reenter information into traditional database fields. Instead, it imports into fully searchable fields most document formats: text files, e-mail messages, PDF files, instant messaging transcripts, and even Web pages. It also accepts numerous database files, including dBase, FoxPro, Access, Paradox, and delimited text.

I started by importing a giant Word file of names and numbers into the Ask Sam Professional 6 shipping version I tested. Ask Sam's ability to retain the document's original appearance impressed me. My Word file remained familiar, editable, and--even better--searchable. I could also sort the results in ways that shame Word's simple search-and-find function.

Along with a new interface, version 6 adds versatile folder-management tools that let you group records by any field. Simply enter a new category into a field, and Ask Sam generates subfolders for each sortable field. You can view these dynamic folders from many perspectives, such as date, content, and keywords. New as well is the ability to import messages from PocoMail (joining Eudora, Netscape, Outlook, and Outlook Express).

Ask Sam comes with dozens of templates, including addresses, recipes, home inventory, wine lists, and movie lists. My favorite: templates that let you import, annotate, and organize Web pages. Just make sure you close the database while you merrily surf and save sites. Ask Sam and Internet Explorer (the only supported browser) don't share nicely, which causes IE to crash. Ask Sam says this problem exists only in the single-user version and will be patched.

Organizing desktops and data is an ongoing struggle for PC users. Luckily, Ask Sam makes it easy to search, sort, and organize info the way you want.

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The ideal solution to turn your information into an easy-to-use searchable database! askSam is not a traditional database. It's a whole new way to manage information. Traditional database software is designed to handle structured data. It requires you to pre-define a structure and force you to shoe-horn your information into this structure. askSam requires no predefined structure or field lengths. askSam is easy to use. You can search without learning a query language. You can create reports without programming. askSam is flexible. You can combine both free-form and fielded information in the database. askSam is the ideal application to organise your information. askSam is a different kind of database - a free-form database designed for users rather than programmers. askSam makes it easy to turn anything into a searchable database: email messages, word processing documents, text files, spreadsheets, addresses, Web pages, and more.