                                 askSam
                               for Windows

                             by Tony Curro


    askSam is a difficult product to describe. It is a freeform
    information management environment, and much more. It is a word
    processor, report generator, text search and retrieval system, and
    so on. In other words it can do a lit bit of everything.

    I looked at the Windows version of this product. They also have DOS
    and NetWork versions available. The Windows version requires 2MB of
    hard disk space, and comes on 2 3.5" diskettes.

    I was up and running within minutes of installation. It comes with a
    User's Guide, and Getting Started Manual. The Getting Started book
    has installation information, and a tutorial. The tutorial consists
    of seven lessons that give you the basic concepts of askSam. I found
    the tutorial well structured, and the lessons were easy to follow.

    With askSam you can enter unstructured text, just like a word
    processor. You have support for TrueType fonts, colors, tabs,
    centering, font size and attributes and more. Everything a word
    processor can do, can be done with askSam. Insert and resize
    graphics in your database. Use OLE to include video, sounds, or
    other images. You can also time and date stamp your files, or use
    the phone dialer to make calls for you.

    You can store information in askSam in either structured data,
    freeform texts, or both. askSam has powerful import and export
    capabilities. You can use the Windows clipboard to paste information
    from any application. In addition you can directly import ASCII,
    WordPerfect, dBASE, and RTF files. I imported a dBASE file that I
    had on my system. askSam created the fields and imported the text
    within seconds. I immediately was able to search for any
    information.  When you import, askSam can automatically use any
    structure found in the information as a field. So, for example words
    like: NAME:, ADDRESS:, COMPANY:, etc. all become fields in askSam
    without any intervention on your part. However, askSam does not
    restrict you in any way. You can edit the entry form, change or add
    field names, etc., and the data will be updated. You can even manage
    information that you receive from services like CompuServe. For
    many, this makes using a database program that requires a lot of
    disk space unneccessary. askSam will it all for you at a fraction of
    the disk space.

    askSam gives you several ways to work, and search for information.
    You can use the command line (I think it is the easiest), or use the
    drop down menu.

    Entering fields in a report can be done using mouse, keyboard,
    toolbox, or drop down menu. Or, you can just type in the field names
    and position them where you want them.

    Data entry is very simple. When you select Add w/entry form, you are
    presented with the form. The cursor is in the first field in your
    form. You type the information, and then press TAB to go the next
    field.

    Create, reports, mail merge and more. You can sort, include/exclude
    data, and see the report on screen. The options are almost endless.
    For example, you can generate a report of only specific areas, or by
    entering searches, narrow it down to those who have purchased over
    $1,000 of merchandise. Using the operands: =, <=, >=, etc., you can
    tailor everything  to only what you want to see at a given time.

    Searching can be done by word, partial word, phrase, sentence,
    paragraph, etc. If you constantly used the phrase, In any event,
    entering this, and selecting phrase, it would look for these words.
    Or, look for various words within a paragraph. Say, for example, the
    word's  search and example. It will find every paragraph that
    contained these two words. Or, narrow it down even further to have
    it only search a sentence where these words appear. Use Hypertext
    searches to link information in a single database or between
    databases.

    askSam comes with several example databases, and currently ships
    with 14 file templates that include: address, Calendar, Clippings,
    E-Mail, Notes, Questionnaire, Phone Directory, and more. They have a
    BBS that users can call to get any new templates created by the
    askSam staff, or those submitted by other users. In addition there
    is no charge for downloading maintenance releases from the BBS. They
    also have excellent technical support personal. I had a couple of
    questions, and they were answered immediately. The staff is well
    versed in the product.

    askSam has several prominent writers, and others who have used this
    product to create books. It is a very simple, yet powerful product,
    that should appeal to novices as well power users. The learning
    curve for this product is almost non-existent. Spend and least an
    hour or so going through the tutorial, and you will be an expert in
    askSam. Since I installed askSam, I have found it easier to write my
    articles and reviews in it, and then export it to a text file, as I
    must for distribution of my magazine. Maybe, when I become
    'prominent,' I will see my name added to the askSam list.

    This product, once installed, really turned me on. I was amazed at
    the features and flexibility of askSam. I recommend this product to
    everyone.


                          Product Information

                           askSam for Windows

                              SRP  $395

                             askSam Systems
                             P.O. Box 1428
                            Perry, FL 32347
                              800-800-1997
                              904-584-6590
                           904-584-7481 (FAX)
