Anyone using ActionOutline (Action Outline) ?

[wideeyedguy]

Greetings,

Is anyone actively using ActionOutline (Green Parrots)?

I'm currently putting it through its paces during the evaluation period and seems
to fit the bill on what I'm looking for in a note-taking, info/reference source, and
outliner type app.

I have reviewed the extensive "notetaking" thread and mini-reviews.
Have tried myBase, SEONote, EverNote, TreePad Biz Ed., and spot-checked
a few others.
myBase's webCollect was not a pretty site when trying to grab web pages; not reliable
and didn't want to pay for an app that has a feature that doesn't function properly.
SEONote kept crashing intermittently and I don't experience any other third-party crashing
so not even going to continue with that one.
TreePad Biz is a close second and still considering.

I'm definitely a tree and 'tab' combo type user, unless of course I stumble onto
an app interface I've not experienced before.

So, just wanted to see if anyone else has been using AO long enough to find its weakness
and/or example of how you're using; in what capacity.

Thanks,
weg

[criss]

I did not try Action Outline, but like you I tested many double pane outliners the last weeks and settled on www.mynoteskeeper.com.
It's fast, small, full featured but not bloated, Outline + Tabs and contantly develloped. The best of the bunch IMHO.

[grapeshot]

I admit that I am a "CRIMP-er"  (Compulsive Reactive Information Management Purchaser).  However, after every software package that I've ever looked at, I have always ended up back to using the venerable old Keynote, which has been around since the last century!  (heh.) 

From what I've seen of Action Outline, it doesn't look all that different than Keynote, except with an up-to-date appearance, and maybe some fancier word processing.  Keynote is free, whereas the Lite version of Action Outline (which is presumable free, too) places some limits on its use that I could not live with.  As for the Pro version, looking at the screenshot and comparing it to the old Keynote screenshot, they look shockingly alike, except that Keynote still has the old Win98 look and feel.  Action Outliner is better looking, that's for sure. and there is a lot to be said for a good looking program.  After all, who wants to always experience a mental cringe when opening up software that you deal with daily. 

In my opinion, Keynote's one real limitation is that it can't collect Word files, or PDF documents or websites very well, and perhaps Action Outliner does this better.  Keynote can only link to these document files or sites, but it can't display them, and some people want to be able to see the entire body of their notes collection within the confines of their software, rather than to have to open them up in external applications.  Keynote's limitations are perfectly fine for me, since I write a great deal of my own notes, and only occasionally link to a website or an external document. 

Keynote, and presumably Action Outliner also, have a very quick learning curve.  I've also been looking at General Knowledgebase (to help organize all the various help files I've built up over the years for all my computer software and hardware), but it's been complicated to learn, which discourages me from opening it up as often as I should.  By contrast, with Keynote I was up and going right away, and presumably Action Outliner looks to be just as easy to learn.  (I'm the kind of person that doesn't take kindly to struggling with the GUI  on software, and just wants to be able to get on with whatever it is that I want to do with the software.)

After spending years looking at outlining and note taking software, I'm convinced that they're valuable, but I'm also convinced that the value of each software application is completely subjective AND also dependent on the type of project for which they are being used.  Some people are perfectly content with a simple Notepad document, others like a system that combines with their browser (Evernote, Google Notebook), still others like a system that interacts with Office (Microsoft One Note).  Some like a wiki style note taking system, which allows tagging, and others like a simple outliner, or outliner with tabs, and yet others like mind-mappers. 

Furthermore, if you're taking notes for a dissertation or for something of a scholarly nature, then you might want something that's better at tracking not only the information but the source of that information.  If you're simply looking for something that tracks the flotsam and jetsam of your life -- ie miscellaneous project ideas, contact info, interesting avenues for further exploration, etc. -- then a simple listing in some sort of long text document might be sufficient.  So not only is the value of note taking software dependent on each person's style of thinking, but also on the purpose of the information collecting.  All this makes selecting note taking software difficult and subjective. 

The good news is that there's at least one of every different kind to fit EVERY budget, from no-cost to extremely pricey (and which comes with commensurate hand-holding and support), and every style of thought-processing, and for every kind of need. 

[wideeyedguy]

criss & grapeshot,

Thanks for the lead on MyNotesKeeper. I'm giving it a run to see how it compares.

gs, thanks for the investment of time in your reply and the headsup on General Knowledgebase.
After I tryout MNK for a while, I'll do the same on GK.

As I mentioned, the tree/tab interface definitely seems to be my forté for operating
with notekeeping. One psychological weakness I've got to get to pretty quickly is to
stop evaluating and just be happy with the one I pick. But, since it appears that I'm going
to pay money versus opting for a freeware, I'm being more picky. As another user stated, I don't
want to chance having to move/convert my data files to another application if the one I choose
goes bust or stops being supported.

Then of course, there's a bit of an addiction effect with the try 'n see of the ones you haven't tried yet.

I was just about to dismiss your suggestion on Keynote since it's stopped being supported/developed,
but then I caught the thread on 'KeyNote NF' and am assuming that is a related app that someone
has taken the ball and running with the upkeep on it. Not savvy with the history of it and that's okay.

See you in the forums.
weg

[criss]

> Another user stated, I don't want to chance having to move/convert my data files to another
> application if the one I choose goes bust or stops being supported.

The first thing I check in a new application is, if it is possible to export the data in a usable format and on the other hand if it is easy to import data. The worst case for me is to have a big amount of data confined into a software and not be able to get it out.

[TomColvin]

KeyNote is perhaps among the top five of software that I use constantly.  I use it mainly as an information cabinet.  I tend to choose a subject and then collect infrormation on that subject for several years!  Over that period of time, I've got an incredibly useful and well organization filing cabinet on number subjects.

Occadionally, I will use it more strictly for outling.  I tried Action Outliner some years back and was disappointed.  Obviously, it's been upgraded a lot -- I'll go back and look again.

For my major history project, I'm using WhizFolder Deluxe, which I find superior in linking to all kinds of external data.

[wideeyedguy]

Briefly, if possible, help me understand what is going on with KeyNote.

I thought it was no longer being supported and developed.
Is this new KeyNote NF a new project using the original as the
jumping off platform??

??

weg

[SKA]

@weg

Just click here : http://code.google.com/p/keynote-nf/
and all will be revealed to you. Its an update to the keynote.exe, you can copy over the new exe and replace the old KN exe.  Better to rename or backit up first.

SKA

[CyberCrone]

Greetings,

Is anyone actively using ActionOutline (Green Parrots)?

This thread turned out to be mostly about Keynote (annoying) but in case original poster is still interested, I am using Action Outline and I like it better than anything I've tried so far altho I haven't tried Keynote.  It costs $34 for a completely enabled version and for me it is worth it.  The best thing about it, other than great interface and ease of use, is that you can even link to emails and phone numbers.  It lacks a couple of things I think it ought to have: a reminder function and date headings so it can be used as a journal.

I've solved the reminder need by using Notezilla.  In case you aren't familiar with this program, it's a must-have.  You can attach notes to web pages or any page on your computer, and it has a reminder function.  In effect, you can add reminders to any file, no matter what the program, and customize your reminder message.  Easy and quick to add the notes, and to remove them once you don't need the reminder anymore, and many opitons to set up schedule for reminders.  I know there are other sticky note programs out there but I've never found anything that equals Notezilla.