Personal Log allows you to keep a collection of notes in a single, easy-to-use file. You can password protect this file, search it's entries, and even "speak" the entries (if you have Speech Manager" installed). Unlike other "note taking" programs, Personal Log's interface is very simple and easy to use, yet provides powerful and flexible note taking services.
Personal Log v2.0 is a major improvement over all previous versions. As you can already see, one of the major changes is the ability to insert objects, such as pictures, sounds, and file aliases, into a document. This new feature is provided by a new text engine called WASTE, which is made by Marco Piovanelli. Along with the ability to insert objects, this new text engine allows you to edit text files that are larger than 32K, a famous limitation of Apple’s SimpleText. With all these new features in the text engine, it may surprise you that text files created by WASTE are still compatible with Apple’s Text Edit text engine (and thus SimpleText and previous versions of Personal Log), though Text Edit will not recognize any inserted objects nor will it edit files greater than 32K in size.
New Features
Along with the new text engine, Personal Log has many more new features and improvements:
* Two versions available: one for the Power PC and one for the traditional 680x0 based Macintosh.
* Quickdraw GX printing when Quickdraw GX is installed.
* Ability to insert the following objects:
- Pictures - paste or drag them in from other applications)
- Sounds - paste or drag them in from other applications, or create them under the Insert Object menu item of the Edit menu. Double click them to play.
- File Aliases - drag a file from the finder to a text window and a alias object will be created in that window. Double click the alias object to tell the finder to open that file.
* Working Undo menu item under the Edit menu.
* Ability to create SimpleText or Personal Log read-only text files.
* Color text editing.
* New improved look in the Log Manager and Preferences dialogs. Many new preferences and settings available, include:
- Optional splash screen at start up.
- Printing file names at top of print outs.
- Optional use of “curly quotes.”
- Improve Subject Manager.
- Changable option to open entries as read-only or fully editable
- Use of “record button” is optional for a log.
* Ability to “digitally sign” and later verify. entries with a PowerTalk signature file (requires PowerTalk and a valid signer file). Signing of entries can optionally be made to occur whenever an entry is being recorded, or it can be done manually.
* Much better (and safer) deletion of entries from a log file.
* Ability to drag entries from one log file to another (requires Drag Manager). Can also drag the text of an entry from the log window by dragging that entry to a text window in any application that supports the Drag Manager.
* Better file sorting.
* Working window zoom box.
* User adjustable width for the subject and date columns of the log window.
* Entry text searches are no longer case sensitive.
* An entry window’s size and position information is now saved.
* Text windows now scroll when dragging text beyond the current visual range.
* Working tab key (but tab width is not user settable).
The Beta Release
This is only a beta release of Personal Log v2.0. What it doesn’t have is:
* Documentation
* Accurate and full Balloon Help
* Ability to open and upgrade Personal Log v1.x files
The final release version of Personal Log v2.0 will have all of these “problems” fixed. Also, since this is a beta version, there may be a few bugs still floating around in the code. I am fairly comfortable, though, that other the problems listed above, this beta release is pretty much the manifestation of Personal Log v2.0.
The beta 2 release fixed a problem that people with Quickdraw GX had when printing the registration form.
The beta 4 release fixed a few bus errors and added all Balloon Help. Also added support for Internet Config’s “command click URL” feature (that is, command click a URL in any Personal Log text window, and if you have Internet Config installed and set up properly, the URL will be opened. Try it on the URLs at the top of this document.) Only thing left now for final release is the manual.
The beta 5 release fixes some data loss problems when editing entries via a search results window. It also adds a feature which allows you to turn a text file into an entry directly by dragging the file from the Finder to the log file window. The file’s name will become the entry’s subject and the file’s content will become the entry’s text. Some incompatabilities with System 7.0.1 were fixed.
Shareware Info
Personal Log v2.0 has a shareware fee of US$25. For registered owners of Personal Log v1.x, the upgrade to version 2.0 will be free up to 1 June 1995. To get the free upgrade, send mail to me (e-mail is fine, send e-mail to <kamprath@earthlink.net>) with your current mailing address, your full name (as you want to re-register it), and the disk number on the disk I originally sent you when you registered. I will then mail you a new password for version 2.0. If you provide an e-mail address, I will send the registration information via e-mail. I will not mail you a new disk.
After 1 June 1995, or if you want me to mail you a new disk when the final non-beta version is released, the cost to upgrade to Personal Log v2.0 will be US$10.
If you are not a register user of Personal Log v1.x, or would like to pay the upgrade fee, mail a check or money order for the proper amount of US funds to:
Michael F. Kamprath
8635 Falmouth Ave #101
Playa del Rey, CA 90293-8200
USA
When the final version of Personal Log v2.0 is release (I’m projecting around the end of May -- writing manuals is not fun ;-), I will then mail you a disk with the release information and your registration information. If you provide an e-mail address, I will e-mail you your registration information ASAP so that you can register the beta version.
Legal
PERSONAL LOG IS PROVIDE WITH NO WARRANTEE, WRITTEN OR IMPLIED. MICHAEL F. KAMPRATH WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES INCURRED BY THE USE OR NON-USE OF PERSONAL LOG. USE OF PERSONAL LOG IMPLIES YOUR FULL ACCEPTANCE OF THIS WARRANTEE.
