Software I Use :: Circus Ponies Notebook

If there is one product that can best demonstrate the creative possibilities the Mac allows, it is without a doubt Circus Ponies Notebook. Yes, it is a strange name, but it is a fantastic program. Its website describes it as “a combination outliner and free-form database that lets you clip, annotate, and share unstructured information.” Notebook takes advantage of the Mac’s simplicity and intuitiveness. When you open the program, it looks like a blank notebook. You can organize and use this program any way you want to, and the best part is that it is so easy that anyone can use it.

Notebooks can contain outline pages, free-form pages, or any combination. Its pages can contain text, graphics, audio, video, imported data — virtually anything you can imagine. You can copy and paste items into the pages, type information in directly, or even use “clipping services,” which allow you to automatically insert data into a specified notebook page, even if you are not using Notebook at the time.

One of the best features of Notebook is its automatic indexing of all information. Yes, all information placed into a Notebook is automatically placed into 14 indexes for easy location and retrieval later. These indices include: text, capitalized words, numbers, web addresses, highlighting, keywords, creation date, due date, etc. There is even a “Super Find” feature, which lets you search using multiple criteria at once.

Notebook can be used to organize information in the office or for use at trial. All of a file’s documents can be attached to a specified page, such as correspondence, pleadings, orders, etc. Witness outlines can include links to other pages or items (both within and outside Notebook). For instance, your notes on a given topic can include images, charts, audio clips, video deposition snippets, and other items for quick and easy retrieval. “NoteBook makes it easy to concentrate on what you need to present, rather than on how you should present it.”