The KR OnDisc SoftBase program can run on the Windows, Macintosh, or MS‐DOS software platforms. The program can run straight off of the CD without installation, or can be installed on the hard drive. I could not locate the requirements for installation for any of the software platforms. However, I ran across a statement in the SoftBase brochure that promised easy installation with minimal free space needed. I ran the program off of the CD without installation. Yet, when I attempted installation for this review, I ran into problems which did not have easy solutions. The brochure provided no help.
The KR OnDisc SoftBase search program represents a new approach to “technology search” databases. The program offers third‐party reviews and analyses regarding over 200 business, computer, technical, trade, and consumer publications. Using high‐speed search features, KR OnDisc brings mountains of useful information right to your PC. This is a software technology dream. There is a wide and vast list of topics that the KR OnDisc can search through — from accounting, to data warehousing, to local area networks (LANs), to word processing. This search engine lets you carefully and skillfully navigate through the thick sources the program will deliver to you. You can select from a variety of search methods, including “Product Name Options”, “Company Name Options”, and “Geographic Location Options,” to “Free Text Word Search”, “Author Name”, and “Journal Name.” Searches can become very meticulous and detailed.
Once you retrieve the information, there are many ways to view the results. Under “Display,” a list of options reveals different approaches you can take to dissect the information. You can view results in the “Complete Record” or you can just view the mailing addresses of the companies that the information came from. There is also an option to create a “User‐Defined Format” or a “User‐Defined Report” to view the results in a distinct way.
While all these functions sound great in theory, KR OnDisc SoftBase has a delivery problem. Judging ease of use on a scale of 1‐10, this program earns itself a 3. All the features mentioned above probably do exist; however, I could not find any predictable patterns concerning the hibernation instincts of these functions. Simply put, I could not figure out how or when to use even half of them.
The search is the easiest part of the process (when it cooperates); but after the results are found, a mysterious abyss of confusion seeps out and baffles the user with complicated jargon and hard to decipher “Display” options. Now, while I may be getting carried away with the “Twilight Zone” analogies, there is definite merit to my observations. The OnDisc is a complicated program to use ‐ especially for beginners ‐ and there is not a sufficient structure throughout the program that can help you figure out what it is exactly that you are doing.
The Help function is not particularly helpful, for the complications are such that exploring them here only gets you more lost and confused. I am confident that if you devoted the time, energy, and frustration to understanding this program, then you could take advantage of all its options and features and it would hold its weight. The question is, are you willing to devote that time, energy, and frustration to learning this program when the same information is available on the Internet or through other search engines? Experienced users of DIALOG and other KR products might feel differently; but I am not among them.
Overall, the program boasts a 100+ fastball but will walk the bases loaded before it delivers. It is very good at testing patience, a skill not very helpful in the world of computer software. It does, however, offer a great deal of useful information that is all conveniently compiled together in one place. The subscription price is rather high for a service that barely edges out the Internet. I think each company will have to decide whether or not KR OnDisc SoftBase can be a useful tool for its particular situation.
