TCS - Extensis Portfolio 4

Extensis Portfolio 4

by Paula Sanders
http://www.ephemeralvisions.com
Tulsa Computer Society
From the April 1999 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter

It seems like yesterday that I first became acquainted with and wrote a review on Extensis Portfolio 3; however, it was in late 1997. I have used this program extensively to catalog my graphics and have recommended it on many occasions. Portfolio 4 adds many networking and web based features to Portfolio 3. In brief, it could be stated that Portfolio 4 opens the door to multiple user cataloging of many different media such as pictures, text, movies, sound, etc.

Since viewing of details is easier on a web page than in a 1.5" column, I hope readers will look at this article on the Tulsa Computer Society web site of http://www.tcs.org in the current I/O Port to see the various options available for this program. I have screen captured the basic interface and some of the menus.

Extensis Portfolio 4 targets individuals who need to store or access data of many different types. Portfolio 4 allows for databases to be created that can even be published on the web or seen in a slide presentation.

The requirements for use on a Macintosh are: System 7.5.3-8.5; PowerPC processor; and 6 MB application RAM. The requirements for use on a Windows system are: win 95, 98, or NT 4.0; 486 processor, 33MHz; and 32 MB system RAM. The street price for a new version of Portfolio 4 is $199.00.

Some of the highlighted features taken from Extensis literature are: Client/Server Access; Scripting for full customization; Full Scalability from Portfolio 4 to Portfolio Server (not being reviewed); Thumbnail and Keyword Extraction; Web Catalog Publishing; Over 30 file translators; Custom Field Creation through database fields; Clickable URL Fields for direct launching as well as exporting via HTML; Importing of data from other sources; Searchability with Keywords and complex criteria; Viewable Fields without application availability; Customizable Catalog Views; Slide show creations, etc.

What makes Portfolio different from many other data management products is, I believe, its ease of use, quality, and versatility. Whether one uses it as a single user or as part of a team, it can easily be adapted to different situations.

Different catalogs can be placed on CD's and with the free browser that comes with Portfolio, the catalogs can be easily distributed and viewed.

There are many information PDF's and FAQ's detailing Portfolio 4 on the Extensis web site of: http://www.extensis.com/portfolio/.

Next month, look for my review of Extensis Photographics 1.0 - a vector creation plugin for Photoshop. And look on their web site for some nice free plugin filters.



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