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Virus Scan for askSam 7 Professional

A FreeForm Database for Everyone

askSam 7 turns any type of information - email, word processing documents, text files, spreadsheets, addresses, web pages - and into a searchable free-form database.

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Website Malware/Phishing Scan - askSam Systems

We've scanned ask using a variety of antivirus software and can bring you the following results.

What are people saying about askSam 7 Professional
Mr. Yoop Once again the question: Do you also offer a discount for AskSam's standard edition or is only the pro version on sale? Thank you for the clarification!

Yoop.
Oct 2 2009 at 9:20am Copy Link
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Wade Goodman Yes we also offer the Standard version through this offer at $69.95 (reg. $149.95). However, I reccomend taking advantage of the Pro offer -- Bits is the only place that we offer the Pro for under $100. Thanks.
askSam Systems - Oct 7 2009 at 4:03am Copy Link
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Chuck Willour Is the licensing per machine (installation) or per user? Also, import options are listed, but can it export to common formats?
Oct 9 2009 at 12:30am Copy Link
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Chuck Willour Also, is there any discount available on the SDK or Web Publisher?
Oct 9 2009 at 12:33am Copy Link
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Peter Margol Please can anyone coment how this is better than the fantastic UltraRecall? This software is soo much more expensive, so there must be something   better in it...
May 11 2010 at 9:17pm Copy Link
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Robert Chan Yes , I would love an answer to the same question..thanks.
May 12 2010 at 3:48am Copy Link
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Read MoreTom Colvin http://www.asksam.com/brochure.asp AskSam 7 is an amazing free-form database.  I personally don't like those databases where everything must fit into forms containing just so many characters -- much too limited for a free-wheeling writer and researcher.  In AskSam, I have built a major database of monuments and statues from all over the Philippines.  On screen, it looks rather like an illustrated book, with separate pages for each monument, individual sculptors, scans of news clippings and more.  But, like a true database, I can pull out a report about all of the statues in the province on Cebu, for example -- or all of the work by Tolentino.  I can also put it all on a CD, with an AskSam reader [if my memory is correct], for distribution to libraries all over the Philippines [which I plan to do when I feel I've completed my work]. I've used the standard version for years now, updating to every new version, which has certainly filled my needs.  But with the Pro Version, one gets full-text indexing, making this product immensely powerful, especially when one learns that almost anything can be placed into AskSam, such as all of your emails, all of your research documents, and so on. I've bought and used UltraRecall, thanks to Bits du Jour.  But it just doesn't present the material in such a beautiful way, as AskSam does.  I find my UltraRecall mostly unused, while I love firing up AskSam.
May 15 2010 at 7:20pm Copy Link
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STEVEN SHAMOSH WILL ONE LICENSE ALLOW ME TO USE ASKSAM7 ON MY OFFICE COMPUTER AND LAPTOP?
May 15 2010 at 10:47pm Copy Link
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Alan How Long has AskSam7 been out?? Their website is still showing 2009 copyright, so I'm trying to understand when the product was updated last. @Tom, can you help?
Also does anyone know if it will run off of USB drive? I can't install software of my work computer, but if it can be run from an existing USB drive without installing, I might be interested.
Alan
May 17 2010 at 12:49am Copy Link
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Tom Colvin I purchased askSam 7 at the very end of February 2009.  On 15 April 2009 Bits du Jour offered the same deal as it is offering this week.  So...  no updates for over a year.  Still, it's powerful enough, and I personally don't need any more than it currently offers.

I don't know about running off USB, but I'd doubt it.
May 17 2010 at 3:47am Copy Link
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Alan Does anyone know if it works on Win 7? I can't seem to find requirements anywhere on their site.
May 17 2010 at 8:48am Copy Link
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Read MoreWade Goodman Hi all. Thanks for the comments. askSam 7 was released in July of 2008. We have not released another full upgrade but we have released many free maintenance releases as well as our web publisher and free viewer. We continue to work on new versions of our software and have some great plans for askSam V8.

askSam is not setup to run on a thumbdrive but we do have some customers who are doing it. Our free read-only viewer will run on a thumbdrive.

We are compatible with Windows 7 -- I currently use askSam and Win7 daily.

TOM -- thanks for the great write-up on how you use askSam. I always love to hear how askSam helps people tackle information.

Wade

 
askSam Systems - May 18 2010 at 3:10am Copy Link
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Ennovy I prefer Surfulater (http://www.bitsdujour.com...urfulater/)
because of it's great features, price and support!
May 18 2010 at 5:16am Copy Link
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Read Morebvssunnydale Hi, I'm a 10+ year user of askSam and it's (by far) the most valuable & used program I own (Excel and Firefox next). For the simple way I usually use it , I tend to think it's closest competitor is Evernote but it has many more features than EverNote, and, although less portable, it can handle much more info. I don't use David Allen's GTD (Getting Things Done) system but he says all todo's should be stored in one place - for me that would be askSam (except for me ALL info is stored in askSam, todo's are .001% of it).

As a primitive example (of only how I use it), if I'm studying astronomy, for example, I'd have a page on 'Mars', 'Black Holes', 'Solar Physics', at the top of the page I'd have an underlined "INDEX" title and then under it I'd insert found articles (you can insert the entire web pages but I use Text Monkey to strip out all but the text). Anyway, I'd then insert each article under it with the contents at the top (using the articles heading line as the index listing).

For me, the trick is that the top line is the title, e.g. ASTRONOMY - MARS, and immediately under it I'd have a line which just lists the keywords/search-terms, as "astronomyx marsx planetsx" - I add the "x" suffix (which can be any letter or number so long as you're consistent) because I found that without it (and I have 100K pages) the searches give you results like Google, lots of static but not much clarity. And I like supplemental words like 'science' so if I do a search for 'marsx sciencex' I'll immediately (it's amazingly fast) go to that page, instead of finding myself on the 'CANDY - MARS' page.

This simple ability has literally doubled my productivity work (I document EVERYTHING). The only thing is, while askSam is immediately usable, you won't realize how enormously useful it is until you've put something into it, and this is more evolutionary than revolutionary. This is a great program you'll never out-grow, but you have to make the effort by putting in the info [it has many wonderful features, particularly the reporting, and structured field data entry, that I don't often use - I just wanted to let you know you CAN use it right out of the box and learn the other stuff as you go.]
May 19 2010 at 2:29am Copy Link
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K Bruns Can I use the licence code for the German version as well?
Nov 11 2010 at 8:37pm Copy Link
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Tore Hoyem This looks very interesting.

Although at first glance this looks a little like Google Desktop, Copernic Desktop, etc, I take it askSam is much more.
I'm familiar with traditional database systems such as MySQL, so I'll do a bit of reading up on this product.

One question before I download and install the trial:
Does askSam employ online activation and hardware locking, and 'infect' my system with any DRM 'feature'?
Nov 12 2010 at 12:55am Copy Link
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Read MoreTazzie I followed Peter R's advice and checked out the forum at askSam. I specifically was enlightened by this thread at
http://www.asksam.com/For...ostID=9665

The comments by "Fred," while a bit long-winded, certainly shed a lot of light on what has been happening/not happening with askSam.

This program looks like it offers a lot and something I could really use, but I'm not sure I want to spend so much on a program that seems to be, as the forum thread title indicates, in its last days. As Peter R states, it does seem that the program has been abandoned and we would be wise not to expect much in the way of bug fixes or new updates/upgrades.

Seems that the original designer left the company and now it's floating on the profits it gets from ongoing sales and service contracts ... dunno if they are putting much back into the maintenance/development of this program. A shame, really, to see a good program with lots of capability and potential neglected.

Anyway, I didn't download and try it out, cos I really can't justify the expense on such an iffy prospect. There are plenty of good programs available for my needs, even if it takes more than one program to do so.

Thanks so much, Peter, for calling our attention to this. I always check out the software websites, etc., but I don't always check the forums, and I really should do that. This is a good example of why.
Nov 13 2010 at 3:52pm Copy Link
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Wade Goodman Hi all - we have not abandoned the program. We are having some major trouble with out forums and unfortunately have not been able to respond/track properly. We are in the process of moving our forums to another system.

askSam is still being actively developed and supported. We handle support via email and phone. We are working on a new full version and have released many free maintenance releases since our last major release.
askSam Systems - Nov 15 2010 at 2:18am Copy Link
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Read MoreTazzie @ Wade ... thanks for your response. I appreciate that there is some support behind the program. However, much of the info on the website is so dated (not talking about the forums here) that it's hard to know just what to expect in terms of ongoing maintenance and development. I don't want to put my financial, time and energy resources into something that is supported, but just barely. The resources on the website look great, until one really looks at dates and such and realizes that much of it is old stuff, and it's hard to know what still applies to AS7. It's disappointing not to see some of the resource areas updated with AS7 info, other than a few areas like the manual. That itself says something about what level of maintenance/development to expect.

Maybe there are still plans to keep the program updated, but I also need to see that the support is/will be there and not just for help as needed.

I understand problems with websites, forums, etc., but when there are so many similar complaints and concerns by long-time users of AS who are obviously very strong supporters of AS and who want to see it succeed .,.. well, it's very hard to ignore that. I can't help but think that there is some truth to some/much of what they say.

I think many of the regular members here are understanding of various problems that can occur in the software industry. We are appreciative of good software and want to see those companies do well.
I'm sure that many, like me, are appreciative of the great discount that is being offered for AS through BDJ. However, we also deserve and expect value for our hard-earned dollars/euros etc.
Read 1 More Post By Tazzie
Nov 15 2010 at 3:32pm Copy Link
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Nico Westerdale Guys, I've know Wade personally for years and I can assure you that he's not going anywhere!
BitsDuJour Admin - Nov 15 2010 at 6:42pm Copy Link
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Read MoreWade Goodman I completely understand your concerns. All I know to do at this point is assure you that we are here and working hard to improve and support askSam. The reality is that we, like many businesses, have limited resources ... and sometimes it shows. I will admit that we have slacked in our online presence but we actively support current, and even some past, versions of askSam via phone and email. We are currently partnering with other platforms to help us be more efficient with our website and forums --which I hope provides the "more than help as needed" online support.

I do feel that askSam is still a solid software with many applications and benefits - I personally use it every day for organizing and searching notes, lists, research as well as transferring info to excel, reporting, mail merge and more.

I have great respect for our customers and we try our best to provide as much value for their dollars as possible in askSam.

I appreciate your feedback and hope this helps.

Wade
askSam Systems - Nov 16 2010 at 1:54am Copy Link
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Wade Goodman As for upgrades we offer free upgrades to anyone who purchases the program within 90 days of a new release. We offer free maintenance releases throughout the year to all customers. We offer discounted upgrade pricing to our customers on full releases.

We sell askSam for a very low price on BDJ. We don't offer it anywhere else for this price. The cost of a Pro version upgrade is almost equivalent to the cost of a full version on BDJ (keep in mind the pro is normally $395).

I am willing to offer BDJ customers who purchase askSam via a BDJ Deal of the Day a special upgrade price based on the price you paid here.
askSam Systems - Nov 16 2010 at 2:04am Copy Link
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Read MoreTazzie Wade, I so appreciate your responsiveness and honesty. On the basis of that and the fact that forum members have reported receiving support when needed, I will download and try AS.

Your offer of discounted upgrades is more than appreciated. Even with deep discounts such as for AS on BDJ, in the back of my mind I'm always figuring out the true cost of upgrades, which could be costly indeed without good upgrade discounts. In this economy, despite our willingness to pay for good software and not pirate it, such discounts go a long way.

Again, thanks for your courteous and postive responses. It says much for the support to be had for AS. I am looking forward to trying out AS!
Nov 16 2010 at 2:42am Copy Link
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Steven Aves Tazzie, I'll just say that I own version 6.5 and have been testing version 7 for a little over a month. Evaluate as best you can in just the few days available. So far I'm happy enough with version 7 that I'm buying this deal on Friday.

The Email support from Tech has been prompt and honest.
Steve
Nov 16 2010 at 3:57am Copy Link
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Alan What's the licensing like for Pro version? I have 2 laptops, but I would be the only one using it.

I actually have a desktop at work, but I'm not allowed to install software on it, so is it possible to run AskSam from a USB flash drive/portable driver??

Thanks,
Alan
Read 1 More Post By Alan
Nov 16 2010 at 6:19am Copy Link
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Free Offer AskSam for Free:

See for free offer:
http://web.softcity.com/u...hoffer.php
Nov 16 2010 at 6:45am Copy Link
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Steven Aves The "free" version is the standard AskSam. The deal Friday is the professional.
Nov 16 2010 at 7:19am Copy Link
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Read MoreGlen Hilton Sounds like a useful app though askSam encountered a problem the moment it was opened after installation. This same problem was repeated after a 2nd install. Unable to trial. XP2


askSam 7.0askSam 7.0
askSam 7.0 has encountered a problem and needs to
close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

If you were in the middle of something, the information you were working on
might be lost.
For more information about this error, click here.
askSam 7.0askSam 7.0
Error signature
AppName: asksam.exe AppVer: 7.0.2.143 ModName: asksam.exe
ModVer: 7.0.2.143 Offset: 001c040a


To view technical information about the error report, click here.
Nov 16 2010 at 9:04am Copy Link
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Read MoreWade Goodman Licensing is technically for one machine per license but if both machines belong to and are used by you then you can install in two locations.

askSam can run from a flash drive as long as the proper system files are available on the host computer. If the system files are not available you can download and run once a special EXE we have created to install these files on the host computer.

I will add SurfSaver to the order page. How does $9.95 sound (reg. $19.95)?

The free askSam offer requires that you register for an account on SoftCity.com and is a limited support Standard version of askSam.

About the install problem: If you will send a note to techasksam.com (so we can contact you directly) I will make sure someone has a look at the problem. As soon as I know the issue I'll report back here.
askSam Systems - Nov 16 2010 at 12:50pm Copy Link
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Read MoreFree Offer Well,
Wade says: " Licensing is technically for one machine per license but if both machines belong to and are used by you then you can install in two locations."

- If there is no DRM involved it sounds interesting.
- I see the prof. version has much more to offer.

At the moment they are still in busines, and trying to stay in business. They are not active anymore on the forums but support is still given.

Can you confirm their is no DRM involved? (Just in case the company goes down)
In that case I'm gonna download the demo to try the stabilty of the product
Nov 16 2010 at 7:01pm Copy Link
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Tore Hoyem Downloaded and installed it in a VM last night and played around with it for a few minutes.
I wasn't able to get a good feel for it as a tool, but it certainly still seems quite interesting.
I agree with Free Offer above; if there is no DRM I believe I'll make a purchase, even though I don't have an immediate need for it, right now.

My short session did give me an impression that the User Interface would benefit from a workover, though.
Nov 16 2010 at 8:29pm Copy Link
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Read MoreTazzie @ Wade ... I am finding AS to be very useful, and SurfSaver looks like it would be a great tool to use with AS. Would SS be compatible with Win7, esp 64bit?

I envy researchers the internet and tools like AS and SS ... I had my computer (hmmm Win 3.1???) when I did my dissertation, but that was all that was available back in the stone age LOL.

AS and SS would be good tools to market to grad schools ... if education discounts are offered and these programs along maybe with Citation (and others?) offered in a bundle ... it could be very attractive to grad students, let alone faculty who do research. Just a thought ... :)
Nov 16 2010 at 8:37pm Copy Link
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Tore Hoyem Quick question for Wade:
Seeing that AS allows you to import web pages, is there anything SS does better, or is all SS functionality found in AS?

If they compliment each other, is there any kind of integration between them? Failing that, does AS read/import SS files?
Nov 16 2010 at 10:15pm Copy Link
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Read MoreThomas Short Hello Wade,

several things. You say that you've got problems with your forum whereas in fact the forum works fine, anybody can post there how he pleases, which would give you the occasion to answer to real users there even if really you had internal problems and had no possibility to post there as the owner. But then, there ain't any such posts from yourself or other AS owners/developers lately, neither under your AS staff signature, nor as normal users but explaining technical access difficulties and then answering to the real users' questions on a technical level. So the real problem is the forum's contents, and by transferring it to another comp it would be a fresh start, without those ugly postings there?

For a fresh start, would it not be extremely helpful to have another, fresh intermediate release, where 143/147 - which seems to be on the market for a year or more - would be replaced by 150 or 7.1 and in which technical problems would be resolved? For example, many modern web pages cannot be stored correctly into AS 7.0 (143/147), and many people out there would be happy to have an information manager into which those web sites could be stored, like they can in many other modern information managers, be them Surfulater, Ultra Recall, or Evernote?

But then, are you, Wade, the developer, or are you the marketing director? From posts in that forum - in the above-mentioned thread there, last days in life cycle, I understand that the developer has left one year ago, doing other things now, but seems not be developing AS 8, or even AS 7.1 currently.

Thus, people should perhaps be informed if there is real manpower onboard in order to further develop AS, and informed in a way they can count on. Since you promise there will be AS 8, will there not be any AS 7.1, with the actual user interface but with no-faults web sites storage capacity? And then, when will AS 8 be released?

And since AS 7 is three years old, can we have some indications about the features of AS 8? I mean, if there is no AS 7.1, you must have been working on AS 8 for more than 2 years know, and there should exist some intermediate results from your programming efforts, right?

Thus, would it be possible to have an AS 8 beta version, in order to see there is indeed some progress from AS 7.0 (143/147) waiting?

If there is more to it than what's called vapor ware, I would indeed like to buy, but how, seeing the state of affairs - including the link in your forum: "In the past 3 days the most viewed thread is "Anybody home?' - that photo is frightening, you know?

Thus, just saying, I, Wade, promise this and promise that, would not really take my fears off me, regarding AS' future, and I say this as a guy who'd would like to buy in the end...
Nov 16 2010 at 10:25pm Copy Link
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Thomas Short and I say this as somebody who really would like to buy in the end, I wrote, but this has been clipped from my post.

So, please, Wade, let's have some real guarantees for not spending our money into something doomed, and buying will be a pleasure. Could that be done? I'm really looking forward to this.
Nov 16 2010 at 10:34pm Copy Link
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Cathy Gould @Tore: I used SurfSaver for years, loved it.The difference between SS & AS, at least back then, was that SS was more of an accumulator, very much like Office OneNote. AS does the heavy lifting in making a database from the aggregate.

Of course, that all may have changed, and some kind soul will enlighten us both!
Read 1 More Post By Cathy Gould
Nov 17 2010 at 6:41pm Copy Link
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Read MoreFree Offer Installed the demo

Tried to import RTF documents:

- Many times I get error: AskSam not responding
- All times the RTF documents are multiplied in AskSam
- All times the RTF imported documents are incomplete

Looked in the AskSam forums. See many (old) import problems still remain in 2010. Hmm...
Nov 17 2010 at 9:07pm Copy Link
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Read MoreWade Goodman Thomas - I'm not sure what guarantees I can give except saying that we have seen many changes at askSam over the past few years but we continue to improve our product to the best of our resources and abilities. We have released many versions of AS7 since its official release --we just didn't call them 7.1. I do not have a release date for AS8 at this time but there will be a beta available soon with features like calculations, PDF viewer, Spreadsheet viewer, EXIF import capability, Auto TOC generator, and more. As for our forums, the problems we are having are not in posting but in admin - mainly our follow-up/reminder system along with many other admin issues. I'm not trying to make excuses - we should get better at our forum response -- it just became difficult to track so we began trying to move our forums which turned into a nightmare and somehow it just went downhill. We are doing our best now to improve the process we use to maintain our forums.

Cathy - SS is an IE plug-in to collect web pages. It is accessed only from within IE and serves as a quick and simple way to store, organize and search web pages. askSam adds the database capability, custom fields, unlimited notes, multiple formats (like WORD, PDF, etc), more advanced searching, reports, etc.

I am not familiar with incomplete import of RTF documents and am not sure what you mean by "multiplied" But, if you will send an email with more infomration about these issues to techasksam.com I will have someone get a solution to you.
askSam Systems - Nov 18 2010 at 3:03am Copy Link
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Tazzie @ Wade ... any plans to make SS compatible with Firefox and other browsers? I use Firefox pretty much exclusively ... with all my Firefox extensions and mods, it pretty much blows IE away and I can't see myself using IE more, even for the benefits that using SS would bring.
Nov 18 2010 at 8:57am Copy Link
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Max F What's the difference between InfoSelect (which I am using up to now) and AskSam?
Nov 18 2010 at 7:51pm Copy Link
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Sarah K Hi, is a version in other languages possible - german, french, russian ...?
Nov 18 2010 at 9:00pm Copy Link
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Free Offer Answers about DRM (see questions above) are not given yet.

Without a clear answer how the license is proctected, I have to assume that DRM is involved which is a no go for me...

Thanks
Nov 18 2010 at 11:18pm Copy Link
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Free Offer Didn't look at the policy which answers the question about DRM.
Sorry....
Nov 18 2010 at 11:21pm Copy Link
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Daly de Gagne I'd like to believe Wade about forum difficulties. I do remember a time when AskSam staff posted regularly to the forum. If Fred and others can post there, why can't the management of the company? If AskSam is such a great program, why can't management use its database to track action on the forum? This is a 6 for a 9, and stretches my credulity to a breaking point. A careful reading of the forum reveals significant issues making AskSam work, which have persisted across time and with seemingly little correction.
Nov 19 2010 at 1:00am Copy Link
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An Aside @ Daly

Props on 'credulity'!

It's a cool word. and used properly ;-)
Nov 19 2010 at 1:06am Copy Link
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Warren Russell Has anyone used both Zoot and askSam who can compare the two? I have paid for Zoot, but askSam has always intrigued me: $100 is still a lot of money for some of us, and I would be using it only at home.

What time does this offer end? Somehow I missed this offer earlier, and I have to leave for work in a few minutes and won't be home till late.
Read 1 More Post By Warren Russell
Nov 19 2010 at 1:48am Copy Link
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Tore Hoyem I'm still feeling quite torn on this.
On one hand the application seems useful and the offer is very good. On the other hand $100 is a tidy sum for 'hobby use', as it would be in my case.

Wade, if you could spend a few minutes sharing your thoughts on how you see AS evolving over the next 12 months, it might help a lot of us decide.

I'm not asking for any promises, just your thoughts.
Nov 19 2010 at 2:44am Copy Link
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Read MoreI.E. Finis Some thought of mine. There are programs that don't come here, others do regularly. AS has been here 3 or 4 times (5th times today? Only fourth?) I think, with prof. version or standard version, but in demand, the other version was equally available at the discounted price.

Other programs also come here regularly, but each time, they come with an (even slightly) improved version. I think AS is the only program that has been the chuzpe to sell here, 4 times the same program...

So if Wade is right and there has indeed an AS 8 been in the making for some time now, AS 8 Early Stage Version will appear here by springtime, Standard for some, and Prof for 99 dollars, and we all will happily buy.
Nov 19 2010 at 3:04am Copy Link
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David Dinwiddie Can this program be used to directly import and archive Thunderbird and Outlook messages including attachments? If so, which versions of Outlook and Thunderbird are supported?
Nov 19 2010 at 3:42am Copy Link
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Randall Schoonhoven Wow. I'm fairly new to BDJ, and it seems a great service, but from all indications this "deal" is no deal at all. I've looked at AS several times in the last few years, and always shied away because of the continuing unaddressed technical problems and complete lack of response in their forum. Resource limitations and forum admin issues don't begin to cover YEARS of complete and utter neglect of their user community. It seems like a great concept, and like many of you, I'd like to buy it, but until they (re)establish a solid track record of support and genuine updates, I'll be staying away.
Nov 19 2010 at 6:39am Copy Link
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bvssunnydale If the measure of a good program is simple utility, then this is the best program EVER. It has its pains, they don't update it often enough, the "retail" price is too high, the 'indexing' (quick search) feature should be part of the cheaper non-pro version, there's a lot of indexing, packing and re-packing, there's no USB version (this is getting more and more important to me) but you can put your entire life into it, without worry, and find everything instantly. askSam makes me look like a genius at work and single-handedly makes me as productive as two people; there are tricks, you won't notice the improvement immediately [the more you put in it the more valuable it becomes] - you have to backup, backup, backup [but you should be doing that anyway].. if a computer program could be 'the man' this program is 'the man', who is simple, modest, fast and amazingly useful. Just my opinion (as a 10 year+ user).
Nov 19 2010 at 6:54am Copy Link
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Read MoreWarren Russell Tore, your first paragraph is an excellent description of my situation. "Hobby use" is what it would come down to. That, combined with the cost and the considerable concern about support issues makes this a very "iffy" decision, especially considering the fact that I already own Zoot and myBase (which I have yet to use).

Several years ago, I went through a long, long, period of frustration with a large, established, "reputable" company that had similar complaints and lack of response in its forums for a Palm productivity application I was trying to use. Personal contacts with company personnel were all very cordial, with glowing promises for the future. Many months later, with numerous serious bugs still unaddressed, I finally gave up and replaced the software. So Wade, you and your company may be different, but how can we know?

Since I won't have time today to give the software a good working out, as good as it looks, I'm feeling more and more hesitant.
Read 1 More Post By Warren Russell
Nov 19 2010 at 6:59am Copy Link
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Read MoreWade Goodman Apologies to the all here -- I am traveling today and have not had solid connection to address all the posts here. I feel bad -- I know it's the "big day". A few quick things...

SS ie IE only and for now we are not planning other browsers. Sorry!

I'm not familiar enough to speak to the differences between AS, InfoSelect and Zoot.

I'm not sure what else I can say about the forum. We had problems. Those problems do not keep us from posting. We are working on new and better ways to support our forums. We are still very active with email and phone support. I promise :-)

Yes we can import Thunderbird and Outlook - as far know all versions will import (although I don't use Thunderbird import personally).

We will continue to update askSam with new features in the future. An earlier post here mentions some of the new features. We usually focus our efforts on improving searching and data collection ability as well as fixing issues.

Sorry to be so brief.
askSam Systems - Nov 19 2010 at 8:44am Copy Link
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Warren Russell Agree on "credulity" (Hi, Daly!) But "6 for a 9"? I can guess what it means, but I'm an old-man Canadian/American (and former linguist and editor) who hasn't heard it. Is it a Briticism? What is the exact meaning?
Nov 19 2010 at 8:52am Copy Link
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Nico Westerdale @Randall I think Wade has addressed this issue, askSam is still 100% supported and will continue to be so.

@Warren
cre·du·li·ty/kr?'d(y)o?olite/
Noun: A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true.
I use it, but I grew up in England too!
BitsDuJour Admin - Nov 19 2010 at 9:37am Copy Link
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Warren Russell @Nico
I know "credulity" -- it was "6 for a 9" I was asking about.

Thanks, though!
Nov 19 2010 at 10:01am Copy Link
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Nico Westerdale Oh I see! I've no clue what "6 for a 9" is either!
BitsDuJour Admin - Nov 19 2010 at 10:59am Copy Link
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Read MoreTazzie Hi all!

I've wanted to respond sooner, but an extremely painful broken rib has made typing rather difficult the past two days. However, I just had to put in a few more cents worth of my thoughts ;)

I don't think I've agonized this much over a decision since I've been active on BDJ, and that shows I recognize the huge potential for askSam. However, it is still hard for me to invest in software on the basis of promises when there is little to back up those promises. I'm just not sure that having phone and email support would be sufficient.

Wade says that "We usually focus our efforts on improving searching and data collection ability as well as fixing issues." There's no mention of an effort or plans to actually develop and implement NEW features. Maybe it's felt on their part that AS can rest on its laurels and that fixing and improving current features is "good enuf," but I can't help but want ongoing new development as well, esp with what I would have to invest in the program.

I really want to put some faith into the company and the program, and the current users of AS do testify as to it's worthiness. Again, however, it's a question of how much faith I can afford to put out when there's little to no basis for it at this point other than promises.

I could go ahead and buy it and trust in the word of current users, but do I want to settle for just bug fixing and improvements ... is the program truly worth that much (or little?). There a lot of other good programs that probably could offer much of what AS does, if the same level of use and practice is applied to them to extract the maxiumum benefits from them. Programs from companies with good track records for ongoing development and innovation. Probably also some peace of mind ... I can't miss what I didn't have with AS.

@ Warren ... regarding the categories ... this is probably more for Nico/Roger to answer since BDJ set up the categories for use here. Perhaps the database category has more of a emphasis on search capability, whereas the Organization/PIM is more of linking information and organizing it ... just some thoughts off the top of my head. Maybe this is a potential forum topic???

@ Nico ... I thought Warren was asking the meaning of "6 for 9" ... I have no idea what that means, either, so if anyone can add some enlightenment, it would be much appreciated! I am a writer and voracious bookworm, but this is a new phrase for me.

One last comment regarding AS (for now, anyway :/) ... limiting it to IE only is pretty much a deal breaker in the end for me as the straw that broke the camels back. IE in no way can approach the functionality that I've built up with Firefox and the specific combinations of extensions that I use with it. Some of my favorite programs have FF extensions that further enhance the functionality of FF and my overall productivity. More and more programs are following suit, and it really makes a difference; ie., Ultra Recall, Evernote, Surfulater, among others. I've made it a practice to request this feature from the developers of programs I use, and as more people request this since FF is so popular, it will become a more common feature.

@Wade ... I am truly sorry that AS doesn't seem to be a viable option for me right now. Perhaps all the feedback here is something that the team behind AS can take into consideration when planning the future of AS. The survival of a software program, let alone growth, depends on expanding the user base. That expansion isn't likely to happen, at least not at a pace that is needed, if the program and it's user support does not meet the needs/desires of potential new users. Although AS does offer a lot to begin with, at the price point it is at now users will expect even more, especially on an ongoing basis. Users like those of us here on BDJ are buying into the total package, not just the program itself. Some might go for promises, but not for long. Many of us just can't afford promises, let alone are willing to gamble on them.

Anyway, best wishes with AS. I truly hope your team will be able to realize the full potential of AS.
Nov 19 2010 at 11:04am Copy Link
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Read MoreWarren Russell @tazzie
I mostly agree with you, but I personally would rather see the bugs fixed than features added. I'm a long-time user of The Bat! email software, which used to be great, but after several years of promises, IMAP still does not work well enough for my purposes, and other bugs are plentiful -- but new features are constantly being added.

In this case, the company is VERY active in the forums, but I think the emphasis is misplaced.

I would rather a program work well for what I need it to do; if it does, I'll be happy. Especially in the case of a program like askSam, the upgrade fees are high enough that I would may well stick with the current version, anyway (although my resistance does tend to break down often :-)). The only exception would be when a new OS creates incompatibilities; in that case I definitely want a new version!

Warren
Nov 19 2010 at 11:51am Copy Link
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Glen Hilton Just a quick note to let others know AS email support in the last couple of days has been good RE XP2 error message. Not resolved though working on a solution.. Perhaps if an AS V8 upgrade was offered to BDJ users who purchased AS V7 today it may have sealed the deal for many. In 3 months we we'll be out of luck.. Unable to trial V7 properly this time around so we'll have to wait until a future offer because like many others that intend to use it on a private-home basis $395 is way out of the question.
Nov 19 2010 at 12:01pm Copy Link
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Read MoreTazzie @ Warren, you make a good point. I guess for me my expectations are higher based on the supposed functionality of the program as well as its price point. If I knew for sure V8 was coming out soon, I would have no problem getting v7, since it would take time to learn the program and explore all its potential. Then again, you bring up another issue with a new OS. I hate to be stuck in the position of worrying and hoping that a timely upgrade would be done to ensure compatibility with a new OS. Granted, I don't always jump immediately on the new OS bandwagon and will often wait for initial bugs to be worked out and for programs I depend on to upgrade. Again, the issue comes back to past history and confidence that a new upgrade for compatibility would be issued in a timely manner, with timely being the keyword here.

Oh well ... it's pretty much moot for me at this point, anyway, since AS won't be functional with Firefox, which I am not willing to give up.

I must say that I do appreciate all the different perspectives, experiences and comments shared by everyone here. That's one of the things I've come to appreciate about BDJ besides the great software offered!
Nov 19 2010 at 1:12pm Copy Link
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Read MoreWarren Russell @tazzie, you're right, the lack of Firefox compatibility is pretty much the final dealbreaker for me, too -- especially the fact that there are no plans to add that functionality! In fact, in today's world, I think it's important to be compatible with the other major browsers, as well. I've used Chrome also, and would use it more except that I like Firefox's flexibility with all the available addons.

As for OSs, I prefer to wait for the initial bugs to be worked out was well (I don't buy a first-year model car, either), but price (at least with Microsoft) also holds me back from upgrading. I just finally upgraded to Windows 7, and yes, some of my applications didn't work and had to be upgraded. And when there is no compatible version, it's very upsetting. I upgraded to 64-bit Vista about 3 years ago, and some applications I had used previously are STILL not 64-bit compatible!

BTW, sorry about the broken rib! I know from experience how painful that can be. I wish you a speedy recovery.

Thanks for your painful, but very helpful, posts.

Now I guess I will register the free version of askSam Standard so that I can at least play around with it a little and see if it's worth considering in the future -- although I think that the Pro version's full-text searching is a pretty critical feature for this softward.
Nov 19 2010 at 6:13pm Copy Link
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Bob Waits Besides FF And chrome functionality, the other two dealbreakers for me were that it is not cross platform and no online synching. I run Windows XP and different distribution of Linux on my desktop, netbook and notebook...and eventually Chrome OS. I think I will settle for Tomboy, which is free and will soon have an online version.
Nov 20 2010 at 4:59am Copy Link
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Roberto anybody switched from ultrarecall to asksam and can give us some advice/review? thanks in advance.
Jun 5 2011 at 11:25pm Copy Link
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David What's new vs 6.1?
Jun 7 2011 at 1:14am Copy Link
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TopDog David appears to be 400+ fixes and a few additions.

follow this link - http://www.asksam.com/whatsfixed7.asp
Jun 7 2011 at 7:55am Copy Link
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Stephane M Hi,
I am also a user of UltraRecall like Roberto and any comparison/highlights between askSam and UltraRecall would be appreciate. Thanks.
Jun 8 2011 at 5:07pm Copy Link
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Tazzie Keep in mind that free upgrades are provided for only 3 months. After that, it's full price, apparently, which is pretty hefty.

askSam 7's manual dates it to 2008. Given that version 7 is at least about three years old, the discount is pretty steep, and free upgrades are for only three months after which you pay full price .... call me cynical, but I can't help but wonder if an impending upgrade is in the works.
Jun 8 2011 at 6:32pm Copy Link
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Michael Crosson AskSam has always offered generous discounts for existing customers who wish to upgrade to new major versions. Here's the page for upgrade pricing:

https://www.asksam.com/on...q=upgrade7

To the best of my recollection, minor updates were always free in the past.
Jun 8 2011 at 6:56pm Copy Link
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Randall Schoonhoven Really, I would like to buy in to this, but the last significant update was two years ago now! Anyone considering this would do well to load and read the old comments from prior offers.
Jun 8 2011 at 7:08pm Copy Link
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Read MoreWade Goodman Thanks for your comment on the BDJ site. I understand your concern. I have been attempting to post the following reply to your comment on BDJ but am unable to do so. I thought I would email you directly. I will continue to try to upload this reply...

"Hi. AS7 has been available fir some time biw but we have released several free maintenance versions during that time. We are working on V8 but do not have a release date at this time. We have a great relationship with BDJ and have offered AS7 several times here. It's true that we will upgrade you for free if we release within 3 months of your purchase. However, if we release after 3 months we do offer upgrade pricing - not full price. We will extend the free upgrade offer to BDJ customers for 6 months. If we release after 6 months we will offer you 50% off the upgrade price. This will only be valid for customers who purchase during this BDJ offer.  Hope that helps.
askSam Systems - Jun 8 2011 at 7:09pm Copy Link
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Wade Goodman Hi. AS7 has been available fir some time biw but we have released several free maintenance versions during that time. We are working on V8 but do not have a release date at this time. We have a great relationship with BDJ and have offered AS7 several times here. It's true that we will upgrade you for free if we release within 3 months of your purchase. However, if we release after 3 months we do offer upgrade pricing - not full price. We will extend the free upgrade offer to BDJ customers for 6 months. If we release after 6 months we will offer you 50% off the upgrade price. This will only be valid for customers who purchase during this BDJ offer.  Hope that helps.
askSam Systems - Jun 8 2011 at 7:10pm Copy Link
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Wade Goodman Apologies for the double post. I am having some trouble submitting.
askSam Systems - Jun 8 2011 at 7:13pm Copy Link
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David Powelstock Here is an interesting thread regarding user experience with AskSam: http://bit.ly/iMiR7c.
Jun 9 2011 at 3:02am Copy Link
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Wade Goodman Hi David. I briefly read over the comments in the link you posted. I believe I addressed most of the issues in my last post here on BDJ. Let me know if you have any specifics though. I know we have had many forum issues but as mentioned in that link we do have a responsive support team (techasksam.com). If you encounter problems or have questions after your purchase askSam you can always reach them at techasksam.com. Thanks. Wade.
askSam Systems - Jun 9 2011 at 4:30am Copy Link
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Nico Westerdale Guys we always appreciate long thoughtful posts, however we draw the line at name calling. If you want your posts to remain up please read the "rules" link below.
BitsDuJour Admin - Jun 9 2011 at 5:22am Copy Link
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Wearsie Jackson IMHO this is quite a nice discount. I've downloaded the trial and that of Ultra recall. I think I like UR a little better. -- Weerz
Jun 9 2011 at 3:37pm Copy Link
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Mike James Would love to see this great offer repeated as I missed out last time. Any chances of a repeat please?
Oct 7 2011 at 11:22pm Copy Link
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Ralph Bressler Does AS work with Firefox when saving/collecting web pages?
Nov 11 2011 at 12:36am Copy Link
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bvssunnydale This is my absolutely most valuable favorite program (been using for over 10 years now). My entire life is saved into this (emails, school lecture notes, news, internet articles of all kinds - I only save text to make it more portable). My boss thinks I'm a genius because every tiny work details is immediately accessible. I would suggest you develop your own personal keywords (eg any given 'page' in my askSam has multiple search terms, so 'John Doe, Plumber' have the heading if 'John Doe - Plumber' but the second line would be a list of keywords like "doet" & "plumbert' - The extra letter "T" at the end, after 20K pages, helps narrow down the search.). Further, I'd recommend a text "clean-up utility (like the free version of "Text Monkey" to strip internet text prior to saving) and an abbreviation program (like Shortkeys) to speed up text entry (when you absolutely must type). There's really no other program like this [and I'm not paid to say this, really!].
Nov 11 2011 at 4:40am Copy Link
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Read MoreRalph Bressler Since there was still no answer to my post above, I decided to find the answer for myself. I downloaded and installed the program and began to look "around". I was REALLY impressed! The interface was fine and the options and capabilities staggering. I began to think about all the ways I could use this program. Then I began to search for how to save a web page. I found it and went to Firefox. There was no option to save on the right-click menu as the instructions said there would be. I went to another site thinking that might be the problem. No luck! I tried using IE and it worked. I went back to Firefox and it began to dawn on me. This program does NOT SUPPORT Firefox!

The developer is trying to tell people that the program is supported and a new version is under development and it doesn't even support a Firefox! This may not be a major use for me but it is an indication of where this program is going and it is a DEAL KILLER. I believe that all potential buyers should seriously consider this point before buying.

I will wait for askSam 8 if it ever arrives and HAS Firefox support. Will there be an offer on BDJ?
Nov 11 2011 at 5:19am Copy Link
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Read MoreMichael Sanders Dear Sam,

I'm a little confused. Will this version enable me to publish web pages with this as a result...

http://www.asksam.com/ebo...-oxley.ask

or this...

http://www.asksam.com/afltl/

Or do I need "askSam Web Publisher 7" in addition to this software for $1495?

Yours truly,
Potential Buyer
Nov 11 2011 at 6:26am Copy Link
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Jean Sibe What are the advantages compared to Ultra Recall and MS OneNote?
Nov 11 2011 at 7:16am Copy Link
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Mark Lynam @Jean Yeah, I'm wondering that, too. And for that matter, Evernote.

As well, what's the advantage versus X1 Professional Client?
Nov 11 2011 at 9:24am Copy Link
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barney Barnes Y'know, I'd really like to take advantage of this offer, but the site must be really, really busy ... been trying to get there since 0700 (it's now 1330), but the site always times out.
Nov 11 2011 at 11:44am Copy Link
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Ralph Bressler Why have there been no answers to our concerns from the "developer"? Time grows short and I would like to make an informed decision. I WANT askSam but I use Firefox! What do I do? Do I buy Ultra Recall?
Read 1 More Post By Ralph Bressler
Nov 11 2011 at 12:29pm Copy Link
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Read MoreWade Goodman Hi all - My apologies. I am traveling and have not been able to be online much today. I'll try to answer briefly.

- Unfortunately our web save does not support firefox - we're IE only.

- Thanks to bvssunnydale -- maybe we should make you an honoray member of our marketing team :-)

- askSam has another product called the Web Publisher that allows you to publish askSam pages to the web like the one you mentioned here. Call our office, 800-800-1997, and we can discuss a special BDJ price if you're interested.

- I would say that the main advantages of askSam are customizable fields -- I can create any number of data fields to organize my infomation and each document can have it's own set of fields. I like the use of database files to organize information. We have a strong report generator and ability to export iinformation to a variety of formats.

- No idea why the web page is timing out on you. I just checked it and can access it with no problem. I will have someone check into this though.

Sorry for the brevity. I will try to check in a few more times this evening if there are further questions.
askSam Systems - Nov 11 2011 at 1:04pm Copy Link
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Wade Goodman Apologies for the typos - I pressed enter before doing my edits.
askSam Systems - Nov 11 2011 at 1:05pm Copy Link
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bvssunnydale The FULL comments are un-readable (I'm using Chrome), what's up with that? This is the best program EVER.. and gets more valuable as you put more stuff in it [you have to put stuff in it]. You know how David Allen with his GTD (Getting Things Done) method says you have to have a place to STORE stuff - this it. And you can be up and running with it in minutes.. It's not a PIM strictly speaking [it could be used as one but I don't think that's it's main purpose] - this is for storing, organizing, retrieving information at lightning speed. Couldn't. live. without.it.
Nov 11 2011 at 3:11pm Copy Link
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biz kat want to buy but cannot get to page. have tried for the last 30 minutes. about 7PM CA time
Nov 11 2011 at 7:07pm Copy Link
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Stew Cam askSam 7 was released in mid 2008. It was a great program in its day but is is still going anywhere?
Nov 11 2011 at 7:29pm Copy Link
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Roger Thomasson @ bvsunnydale

Are you referring to the BDJ comments? If so, would you mind sending me a screenshot at roger@bitsdujour.com so we can take a closer look?

Thanks!

-r
BitsDuJour Admin - Nov 11 2011 at 7:31pm Copy Link
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Christina Reuter AskSam Developer -- Problem!

I intended to buy Ultra Recall Pro for $100. So, your offer is most opportune...EXCEPT I would like trying a trial or demo version before committing to your database. ..BUT after several attempts to access your web site, nothing...just this "Oops! Internet Explorer could not connect to www.asksam.com" MAYBE you should consider extending your offer on account of this problem with your website. There is less than 2 hours left...and, well, I want to try askSam first...or at least read some details at your web site.
Nov 11 2011 at 8:08pm Copy Link
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Read MoreJim McGowan I cannot reach the AskSam site at all. I've been trying for the last hour and a half - nothing, not even a server error; just blank pages. Not timing out either. Anyone know the IP address so we can try using that instead of the URL? Perhaps the DNS resolution isn't working?

I am very tentatively considering askSam at this time. I am concerned like many because even with the large discount, the price is high, and the development is still in question - not only in the comments here but in other forums I frequent. Plus the non-support of Firefox hurts this app more than a little. After readking the 84 "Old Comments" above, nothing that was questioned then seems to have been resolved at all.

Decisions, decisions...

Jim
Read 1 More Post By Jim McGowan
Nov 11 2011 at 8:36pm Copy Link
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Gerard Booth I have the same problem, cannopt purchase as the BUY NOW link does not work.
Nov 11 2011 at 11:37pm Copy Link
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Wade Goodman Hi all - I am very sorry for the download problems you are experiencing. We are working to correct this issue. I have extended this offer through the weekend.
askSam Systems - Nov 12 2011 at 6:27am Copy Link
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Wade Goodman I will respond back here as soon as we have these issues corrected.
askSam Systems - Nov 12 2011 at 6:31am Copy Link
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Jim McGowan Thank you Wade, though the Bits page still says that the offer has expired. And your website is still down. Confirmed again at http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

Have you tried to get to the asksam.com site? If you are getting anything it is your cache because the site is presently not showing up on the web at all.

Jim
Read 1 More Post By Jim McGowan
Nov 12 2011 at 6:35am Copy Link
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Read MoreWally L 1hr 15 mins till expiry and l cant reach the www.asksam.com website, consequently NEiTHER the Standard or Professional order windows are opening all my browser is saying is:

"The connection has timed out:

The server at www.asksam.com is taking too long to respond.

* The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try again in a few moments.

* If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network connection.

* If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure that Firefox is permitted to access the Web."
Nov 12 2011 at 7:43am Copy Link
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Gerard Booth Same result here
Nov 12 2011 at 9:51am Copy Link
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Read MoreRoger Thomasson Hey folks, Wade is going to leave the promotion active through the weekend. Thanks Wade!

Here is the purchase link for both the Pro and Standard versions:

http://tinyurl.com/854kd95

Enjoy, and sorry for the trouble!

-r
BitsDuJour Admin - Nov 12 2011 at 10:45am Copy Link
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