To find out more about the program, a demo version is available and information can be found at http://www.extensis.com. The program comes on a CD with other Extensis programs that can be accessed for demo purposes. These, then, can be later purchased to use. The Portfolio 3 program includes test files of different types of media data in order to try out and/or accelerate the learning curve for this program.

As stated, Portfolio 3 is much more than just a program to manage personal media data files. It is a cross-platform program, and can be used with moveable hard drives and over networks. It can be used by one person or be controlled by an administrator. Data can be retrieved in numerous ways. For example, key words can be set up to identify a particular file. Referencing and cross referencing is possible through customizable data fields. The program also includes a translator for 30 file formats so that documents can be opened even if the host program is not present.

The manual is very detailed and easy to follow. It explains everything from converting older Fetch files to editing a key word list. The text is illustrated with photographs of actual processing screens and dialog boxes. The information gives step by step directions on how to use this program. The writing is very clear and concise.

I have personally tried other media management programs using win 95 on my Pentium 166. Some of these programs were third party programs while others were modules included in some graphic packages. The data that I wanted to catalogue were on portable hard drives - jaz or zip drives. While some programs were cumbersome or very picky on the images they would display in thumbnail form, I found Portfolio 3 to be extremely easy to use. To transfer the data, all I had to do was drag and drop from the windows 95 explorer either a directory folder or a file onto the specific gallery window of a catalog in Portfolio 3.0.

The menus above the gallery windows allow for a lot of manipulation of the specific images. For example, under VIEW, the user can access the image by thumbnail, catalog date, extension, file name, etc.; under CATALOG, the user can update, delete, look for missing files, etc.; and under ITEM, one can edit the original, rotate a thumbnail, etc. I found it extremely easy to edit and update the various thumbnails in the catalog gallery windows that I created.

While I have only highlighted the surface of this program and, then, mainly as an individual user, I feel this is the easiest and most complete cataloging program that I have used, especially in light of its extremely reasonable price.

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