InfoQube IM - Community

Submitted by thorsten on 2016/03/10 05:04

Hi Pierre,

after having experimented for 5 or 6 years with some other information managers, I have finally decided to give your product another try. Although I was surprised that the version number has not reached 1.0 yet, I would like to congratulate you for your excellent product. The only product I found to be on a comparable level and which nearly convinced me was ManagePro. Maybe, in case you do not know it yet, you might take a look at it and get some inspiration. Most features are already implemented in Infoqube and I think it has a similar approach. However, some features are implemented differently and might be a good idea for InfoQube.

After my absence of a few years from InfoQube, I still remember the concepts and the learning curve is not as steep as it was in the first place. But a fresh look sometimes helps and those are my suggestions after a couple of days living again in the InfoQube:

- pre-defined template: for version 1.0 and beginners, there should be a pre-defined set of grids and fields for the most common uses: i.e. Contacts, ToDos (Filter grid), main grid, etc. A new user should not need to learn all the concept in order to begin using the software for everyday needs.
- sync with outlook: I am aware this will be implemented soon. For me it is quite essential
- predefined "views" on grids: I have found it very useful in the mentioned ManagePro that you could have different sets of columns for one grid. I know the concept of IQ also allows this. I would suggest the option to apply column sets on grids without having to manually change the grid. Example: I would like to see my Clients-grid sometimes only with columns regarding todos, sometimes with a Gantt attached and only with project management columns and sometimes only with other custom columns. And I would like to change this with a mouse click.

Those are my first impressions and ideas for the excellent IQ. Thank you for your work, Pierre.

Kind regards
Thorsten

Comments

Hi Thorsten,

Great post! We are in identical situations! I've tried ManagePro. I also first used IQ in 2009 - 2010. I liked it a lot but gave up on it. The power was unbelievable but I found it too cumbersome to navigate and manage.

Then I decided to give it a new try in 2015. This time around I was a little wiser about developing a strategy of how to structure it, and also found IQ had gone through enormous improvements. Now I love it and can't imagine finding anything I like as much. The biggest challenge is that it's so flexible and powerful you are no longer limited to the normal paradigm of adapting your workflow to the software you are using, with IQ you can endlessly adapt it to you.

That can become a bit addictive and time consuming! I've found myself rethinking a lot of things because of it.

BTW, if you create a new database you should see an option to load predefined grids with sample data, contacts etc. I do agree that eventually there should be some out of the box configs that are as simple as possible, but for now this is the ultimate power users product, no getting around that, and it takes time to learn. Even in my use I know I'm barely scratching the surface of what it's capable of.

Also, it is now possible to activate any number of column sets with the click of your mouse. Look in the properties pane. Once you create forms, you can load the column sets for the forums by right clicking and selecting "load column set". I'm not on my PC at the moment and telling you this from memory, I believe that's how you'll do it.

Wow... thanks David. I'm really glad that IQ does the job for you !

Pierre_Admin

IQ Designer

Hi David,

thanks a lot for your very helpful and inspiring reply! Incredible that you have made very similar experiences with information managers and have even tried similar other software.

Thank you for the hint regarding forms and the column sets. I was not aware of this possibility. Very helpful.

Kind regards

Thorsten

Hi David,

I've taken the liberty to copy your post to the Testimonials board. If you have an objection, or want to modify it, just tell me, I'll make the change

Thanks again !

Pierre_Admin

IQ Designer

I am thrilled Pierre, happy to help in any way possible.

Also, FWIW in case you find it useful, this time around my first grid is a "master grid" that is nothing but items that link to all my other grids. One of the things I struggled with my first go around was having 50 grids and I found it very cumbersome that they just existed at this huge number of tabs and could not be grouped etc.

If you create an item in a grid and right click on it and select hyperlink, you can then just type the name of any grid - now that item launches that grid. So I now have a grid in which I categorize and group, and from which launch all my other grids, a custom grid navigation if you will. Perhaps you'll also find this useful as you structure IQ.

Yeah, in waiting for a real Grid navigation pane...

FYI, you can do the same with the HTML pane. You can create links to grids, fields, specific item, etc. One advantage is that the pane can be pulled out of the main IQ window.

Also, you could copy / paste the items in your grid of grids straight into the HTML pane.

Lock it on that master item so it stays put and open another HTML pane if you need one

HTH !

Pierre_Admin

IQ Designer

Pierre, very interesting! I did not know it could be done in the HTML pane as well. I'm experimenting with it right now....

Thank you David and Pierre for those helpful hints. I will experiment with those linking and master grid concepts.

Kind regards

Thorsten

[quote=David_H]

[/quote]

My strategy : a good naming scheme with an implicit hierarchical structure (2-3 levels) to it can also do wonders.

I've got 242 grids and seamlessly navigate through them using IQ's Omnibox. Any grid is never more than a few seconds away.

E.g. I'll Type :

Ctrl+F (to bring the focus to the Omnibox text box),

and then in the text box: *task

All my task grids will appear in the dropdown list

I can then add : *task*fa

And all family related tasks grids will appear in the dropdown.

select one, press enter/click : it opens or gets the focus.

Of course, that's because I structure my grids names in a specific and coherent way (specific tasks grids, specific project grids, general tasks grids etc.) -- but it's not even that structured...

That way I don't have to spend any time finding grids, remembering where they are, etc.

Disclaimer: "Testing IQ with the most advanced/complicated IQBase in the world". I.e. slower than average.

Windows 8.1

CPU: Intel i5 2.6ghz