Software Review: TreePad Lite Ver. 3.00 Personal Information Manager

TreePad Lite (Version 3.0) free to download software from Freebyte.com (Almere, the Netherlands). It was very easy to download the package from Freebyte.com. Freebyte.com has also brought out similar freeware, TreePad Asia. Except one difference, both the freeware packages are identical in all respects. The difference is that 'TreePad Asia' is alone optimized for non-western fonts. I learned about TreePad Lite, software package through a Google search using key words like: 'Personal Database', 'Information Organizer.'

Well, please note that TreePad Lite can be used for all your private or commercial applications. You have every rights to distribute TreePad Lite data files without any limitations. Freebyte.com restricts copying of TreePad Lite freely under two conditions: one condition is that 'the zip file, this program and any of the accompanying files may not be changed.' The other one 'the zip file can be distributed, but it must be clear that it is distributed as freeware or shareware.'

SO WHAT IS TREEPAD LITE?

TreePad Lite is a personal database program that helps you to organize your personal information. It allows you to store notes, emails, URLs in a systematic and convenient way. It features extended search, edit, and export and import options.

INSTALLATION

Installation is simple. TreePad Lite runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, NT and XP.
The following are the files found in this software package:

1. Treepad.exe (the EXE program file)
2. manual.hjt (the TreePad manual in full - TreePad format)
3. manual.txt (the TreePad manual in full - plain text format)
4. readme.html (Description of TreePad Lite in HTML file format)
5. description.txt (a short description of TreePad Lite program)
6. fileformat.txt (explaining the TreePad file format)
7. install.exe (the installation program, automatic install is optional)
8. install.script (the script for the installation program)

Unzip all the files into specified directory. Now click Install.exe to run installation of TreePad Lite on your PC. Follow the instructions till installation is complete. There ends your job! Once installation is completed double click on Treepad.exe file and run TreePad on your PC.

USING THE PROGRAM

TreePad Lite is very simple to use and I don't think that you require a manual. The manual details the elementary functions of TreePad, such as data addition, removal, and correction. You may need manual to understand some complex features, like hyperlinks.

You can easily locate TreePad homepage. In the home page there are two parts. On the left side part TreePad shows 'tree' (the subject headings are organized into number of nodes. The nodes are organized into a physical tree like structure) and the right side part of the screen shows 'article.' The 'article' can include texts. The article is enables you to edit text as you normally do in a Word Processor or a text editor.

The node is linked to the article and the article includes the text and the right pane displays text when the corresponding node at left pane is clicked. There are nodes at peer (coordinate) level as well as child (subordinate) level. If you click the icon "+" of a tree node, the 'sub-tree' rolls out. This sub-tree also has nodes and corresponding texts. If you click on a node, you select that node, and the text inside that node will be displayed in the article in the right pane. If you click on a '+' of a node, the sub-tree of that node will be shown. If you click on a '-' of a node, the sub-tree of that node will be hidden.

It is easy to move around Tree nodes or deleted / inserted or edited or copied and pasted. You edit your text as you normally do using your standard word processing program.

MY OVERALL IMPRESSION

I really feel sorry for not knowing about the software package before now. I have to curse my poor awareness about such wonderful software. I like it. I am using it fully to store all my notes, Website URLs, Bibliography, quotations, articles, data and other texts.

MY SUGGESTION

I wish if the software package is equipped with the facility to search the text or article by a given keyword, it will be more and more useful for search.

MY RECOMMENDATION

Do you recommend this software package? Yes off course. It is a more deserving software package for writers, bloggers, researchers, students, and teachers and in fact to every body.

A very worthy product.

Source: Freebyte.com Almere, the Netherlands
Contact: www.treepad.com/support/