[comp.sys.laptops] Laptopping Tornado/InfoSelect

rstepno@eagle.wesleyan.edu (04/24/91)

Does anyone out there have a lot of experience using Tornado Notes, Tornado or
Info Select (the new version of Tornado) on a laptop?
It looks like a neat combination -- a freeform text database as a portable
Rolodex, reminder system and note-taking tool. 
Any less obvious shortcomings or suggestions of one laptop over another? (I was
thinking of one of the cheaper Tandy 7 pounders, but not sure whether I need
backlighting or a hard disk.)
Thanks for any info, tips or idle speculation.
BTW, I use QuickDex as a quickly searchable text database on my office Mac and
keep wishing I could take it on the road. With InfoSelect and a relatively
economical laptop, I should be able to do that. In fact, I've figured out how
to convert the datafiles between the two systems.
Bob Stepno
PO Box 757
Essex, CT 06426

RSTEPNO@EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU

portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) (04/25/91)

In article <1991Apr24.101802.42101@eagle.wesleyan.edu>,
rstepno@eagle.wesleyan.edu writes:
|> Does anyone out there have a lot of experience using Tornado Notes,
Tornado or
|> Info Select (the new version of Tornado) on a laptop?

I use Info Select on a Toshiba T1000XE, as a stand-alone application running
under DESQview.  Works great.  Is there anything specific you wished to know?

|> It looks like a neat combination -- a freeform text database as a portable
|> Rolodex, reminder system and note-taking tool.

I uses it as a rolodex, things-to-do reminder, place to put scraps of
information,
appointment calendar, and occasional organizer of things for work (bug lists,
etc).  Mouse support might be nice, but otherwise it's pretty good.  The search
capability works really well.

|> Any less obvious shortcomings or suggestions of one laptop over
another? (I was
|> thinking of one of the cheaper Tandy 7 pounders, but not sure whether I need
|> backlighting or a hard disk.)

Don't know.  I like my Toshiba, but the market for laptops is changing
*very* quickly.  The Toshiba has auto-resume mode, which allows you to
power down
and pop right back to where you were when you power on -- no rebooting. 
This is
a *VERY* useful feature, though occasionally it and DESQview don't get along --
about one out of ten times the machine locks up when I power up with DESQview
active.

|> BTW, I use QuickDex as a quickly searchable text database on my
office Mac and
|> keep wishing I could take it on the road. With InfoSelect and a relatively
|> economical laptop, I should be able to do that. In fact, I've figured
out how
|> to convert the datafiles between the two systems.

Info Select is a really good program; it's definitely worth the price.  I got
my copy for $55 mail order from PC Connection (their ad is in Byte and probably
other PC-oriented rags).

__
\/  Michael Portuesi   Silicon Graphics, Inc.   portuesi@sgi.com