Virus Scan for Black Hole Organizer

Robert Bull Is this the same product as sold by Lincoln Beach Software?

Nov 22 2012 at 12:42pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Yes, It was originally developed by Lincoln Beach Software. We bought the rights and source code from them. We have been working on it and have released this under our product line. We offer full support on this and all of our products. I personally had been using this software for the last decade or so. When it became available, it was in our best interest to purchase it and bring it back to life and current once again.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 22 2012 at 3:03pm Copy Link

1

Mariusz Lewandowski Unfortunately, Alt+c and Alt+l are hotkeys reserved for text formatting (center and left). Thus I cannot use Polish "c" and "l" characters in BHO docs.
A prompt reply from Chris:
"Sorry, there is currently not a way to turn the formatting off. I have added this request to the possible to do list for a future release. Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Chris"

Nov 23 2012 at 1:57am Copy Link

0

Bill Maslen Excellent to see this app up and running again! I'll be investing, certainly.

Nov 23 2012 at 7:32am Copy Link

0

GB B I'm giving the trial version a spin. In the spell check options it looks like it's possible to add more dictionaries but I can't find any information about how to do so in the Help file. I need Spanish and Portuguese dictionaries. Could you please comment on this? Thanks.

Nov 23 2012 at 11:39am Copy Link

0

Robert Bull Thanks for the confirmation... it looks like the same version number is still on Lincoln Beach's Web site. Will my Lincoln Beach registration code still work? What changes have you made? I last used it some years ago, and found making internal links from one note to another tedious because you had to page through a pop-up of all titles to find the one you wanted, no sensible search at that point.

Nov 23 2012 at 12:19pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre They actually are linking to the current version from our web site, as they no longer are selling it. The current version is 3.30, which is a step up from the version they last had available.
No, your old codes from them will not work, as the protection scheme has been changed.
We worked on mostly fixing bugs in the software for the initial build and have a list of ideas and options we are planning on implementing in the next release.
I should note, that this deal through BitsDuJour is for the same version we sell on our site and it does include a full year of Support, along with all the Upgrades and Updates that come out for a period of 1 year. Which obviously means when version 4 comes out, you will get that at no charge, assuming you purchase this deal. Hope this helps.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 23 2012 at 1:49pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre You can obtain other dictionaries from here:
http://www.addictivesoftw.../dicts.htm

Just save the ones you need and unzip them into a folder of your choice or to here: C:\Program Files (x86)\BlackHole (if using W7 64bit) or C:\Program Files\BlackHole if not 64 bit.

Then in the program, just click on the Tools menu, then Spell Check Options. In the Dictionaries section, click on the locate Dictionaries and it will prompt you to browse to the folder that you stored the dictionaries in. Just select them and they will be added to the programs options.

Sorry for not adding this to the documentation, as I believe it just shows you the screen for this.

If you have any other support questions, please visit our Help Desk located at: http://help.starre.com

There is also a set of Knowledge Books that has a lot of answers there.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 23 2012 at 2:09pm Copy Link

0

Bob McLain Is it possible to delete one or more of the default columns, e.g., Last Edited, Reminder, etc.? I don't need them, and they get in the way. Or, if not, is it possible to rearrange their order?

Nov 25 2012 at 4:13am Copy Link

0

Alexander Deliyannis Chris, your note on the free upgrade to the next major version makes this offering one of the most attractive I've seen in BdJ. I purchased the software and was positively surprised by the overall shopping experience. Nevertheless, can you provide some teaser info on what new features one can expect in version 4?

Nov 25 2012 at 5:03am Copy Link

0

Gren Bingham What does "web enabled" mean?

Can I store in the cloud and retrieve from my Android, iPhone, Win7 using. a browser interface?

Your description is very unclear about platforms etd. ... I have used InfoSelect for years and I am looking for a "web enabled" version of it. Very fast searches, because it indexes all strings starting at two letters, but sadly I am stuck with Win.

Nov 25 2012 at 5:58am Copy Link

0

G M I have scanned and saved documents as "PDF" files.
Question: can I Drag & Drop them, or import them into BHO?
Please advise, Thank you

Pal-369

Nov 25 2012 at 6:04am Copy Link

0

Stephen Kreyling Will there be support for encryption on the database?

Nov 25 2012 at 7:50am Copy Link

0

Nadin please tell me whether it is possible translation of the program into Russian?

Nov 25 2012 at 8:27am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Bob, you cannot actually delete columns that are in the database, but you can hide them by clicking on the header column, and dragging it to the left to hide the column. Of course you can add new columns and delete those if you do.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 25 2012 at 8:43am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Alexander, We do this for all our software, and I agree, normally you get a chopped version or one about to be upgrade so you purchase the upgrade at a higher price. Sorry no teaser, will have to wait to see... Glad you were happy with the experience so far.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 25 2012 at 8:44am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Gren, you cannot store and access in the cloud or using Android, iPhone, etc. This is a windows only desktop application at the present time.
Web Enabled would mean is content that can be accessed with a web browser. Such as links, pages, email links, etc.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 25 2012 at 8:48am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Gert, no, but you can create links in the program to point to them and access by clicking on the links.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 25 2012 at 8:49am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Stephen, Not at this time but you can password protect the databases.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 25 2012 at 8:50am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Nadin, Not at this time, we are looking into translating future versions.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 25 2012 at 8:51am Copy Link

0

Charlotte Sinclaire Note to GREN BINGHAM: I LOVE InfoSelect but have not been able to use it since Win 7, unless in Virtual mode, which is too much trouble. I've tried myriad organizers since then, and I am trying BlackHole now. Jury is still out, but the cost is reasonable, so I'll probably purchase and experiment later. But I'd like to know what you meant by "sadly I am stuck with Win," in relation to InfoSelect -- and it seems there was finally an update to InfoSelect, but it was so expensive compared to other options, I could not consider it. The best ting about it, though, or one of the best, is the search function -- quicker and easier than anything I ever tried. THAT is what I keep looking for in the softwares I investigate. Not how BlackHole works, though, so again, I'll try this but will keep looking for that InfoSelect ease (I used InfoSelect when it was still Tornado in DOS format!).

Nov 25 2012 at 8:58am Copy Link

0

Charlotte Sinclaire Note to GREN BINGHAM: I LOVE InfoSelect but have not been able to use it since Win 7, unless in Virtual mode, which is too much trouble. I've tried myriad organizers since then, and I am trying BlackHole now. Jury is still out, but the cost is reasonable, so I'll probably purchase and experiment later. But I'd like to know what you meant by "sadly I am stuck with Win," in relation to InfoSelect -- and it seems there was finally an update to InfoSelect, but it was so expensive compared to other options, I could not consider it. The best thing about it, though, or one of the best, is the search function -- quicker and easier than anything I ever tried. THAT is what I keep looking for in the softwares I investigate. Not how BlackHole works, though, so again, I'll try this program but will keep looking for that InfoSelect ease (btw, I first used InfoSelect when it was still Tornado in DOS format!).

Nov 25 2012 at 9:01am Copy Link

0

Edward Smith Charlotte, I am in exactly the same boat as you re:Infoselect.

I would try this first (the price is right), and if this does not do what you need, you might want to try MyInfo or Notefrog (both available at through Bits). I use both, and both are excellent, but I am going to buy this too becase I think it has great potential and I think it is good to help good and reasonable software developers.

That said, I do wish it would handle pdf, doc and xls files, not just txt and rtf, but as noted above you can use a link.

I noted in my short time using it today it does not search words in the base or subbase categories. It appears to start at the document level. I see this as a potential problem if word search of base and sub-base categories cannot be turned on. I don't see a way so far, but I will keep looking . . .

Nov 25 2012 at 10:04am Copy Link

0

Charlotte Sinclaire Edward, I am addicted to trying organizing software.I'll bet I have at least a dozen diff programs that I have picked up in my effort to replace InfoSelect. I haven't seen MyInfo, (will look for it) but I purchased NoteFrog from Bits a long time ago and do like it. I think you are right that BlackHole does not search until document level, and I too see that as a potential problem. But I, like you, will give it a try. I have purchased it now. At this price, it is, as you say, worth supporting the developers, and also a good chance to get to know the company and see how their customer support holds up, etc. I am also always glad to support Bits du Jour, as I have found some of my most favorite programs and utilities through this site. So -- onward we go, organizing, organizing, organizing!

Nov 25 2012 at 10:22am Copy Link

0

Emil Kucera Does it support unicode characters?

Nov 25 2012 at 10:26am Copy Link

0

Bob McLain Chris: Dragging the column titles into oblivion works just fine. Thanks for the tip. I bought a license, and look forward to v4.

Nov 25 2012 at 11:32am Copy Link

0

A. Goyal I have MS Notes which does a decent job at organizing and searching for info. Is Black Hole going to help me any differently? If so, I would be happy to consider the small investment today!

Nov 25 2012 at 11:38am Copy Link

0

S B Black Hole Organizer looks interesting.
BHO has more than is stated. Here's a bit more information on BHO from Starresoft's website: support.starresoft.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=9

Edward, Charlotte, et al.,
I, too, used the incredibly powerful InfoSelect for several years. (before that, I used Arabesque's pioneering ECCO Pro as long as I could).

I'm currently using Smereka's TreeProjects and I like it (personaldatabase.org, bitsdujour.com/software/treeprojects/).

TP has a very nice search (with highlighted search terms in results), and will even capture web pages dragged from browsers. I find it clean and responsive.

TP's current incarnation is wonderful for keeping information (text, formatted text, files, web pages, multiple categories, multiple places in the folder hierarchy, easy viewing, templates, tags, versioning, encryption, multiple databases, etc.), but does not have calendar/alarm functions.

Nov 25 2012 at 11:55am Copy Link

0

Alan I already purchased, but have a quick question. I had already just upgraded Ultra Recall but it's a lot more complex to setup.

Does BHO have any kind of template arrangement so I can setup contacts, etc?

Nov 25 2012 at 6:57pm Copy Link

0

Shilo Keane can I insert hyperlinks to web addresses, I don't see it in the trial only bookmark url.

Nov 25 2012 at 7:05pm Copy Link

0

Alexander Deliyannis @ Charlotte, Edward, SB an others interested in outliners and information management software: if you haven't already seen it, do check out the forum http://www.outlinersoftware.com It's been going on for years and all the software mentioned here has been discussed there at times, along with a lot more.
@ Shilo: yes you can; I tried it and it works.

Nov 25 2012 at 8:47pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Shilo, you can use the Bookmark URL's which are setup in the Address Book, or of course you can key them into the document section.
Alan, No, there is not a template to use for setting up the documents.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Nov 25 2012 at 9:22pm Copy Link

0

Alexander Deliyannis @ Alan, Chris: it seems to me that custom columns could be used for contact management. The document title would be the contact's full name, and custom columns could be set up for the company and other details one might want to sort on.

Nov 25 2012 at 9:36pm Copy Link

0

Charlotte Sinclaire @Alexander -- thanks for the great link!

Nov 26 2012 at 8:05am Copy Link

0

Danny Not for Windows 8.1 ?

Jan 1 2015 at 3:21am Copy Link

0

User1 @ Danny: It looks like the publisher hasn't updated the description. Other download sites (Softpedia, supershareware, windows8downloads, etc. list "Windows All".

There is an *ancient* article at http://www.tucows.com/article/2073 that gives a pretty good rundown of what it does.

This looks like a very useful, good quality product for $5.

The trial is fully functional for 30 days, so we can check it out before buying this.

Jan 1 2015 at 5:39am Copy Link

0

Danny Thank you!

What will it cost to upgrade to a future new version after 12 months from the purchase?

Jan 1 2015 at 7:12am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre $14.95 for the upgrade.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 1 2015 at 7:18am Copy Link

1

Chris Starre We use it with Windows 8.1 also. Have no issues.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 1 2015 at 7:19am Copy Link

1

User1 Sure. There's also a possibility of picking up a new version on a future discount like this BDJ.

I'm not concerned with that, since this version is functional indefinitely, and updates rarely come out. It may do what i need it to do as it is. This version has been around since 2012 I think.

Jan 1 2015 at 7:24am Copy Link

1

Danny $14.95 for the upgrade

That is less than 50% off! Just too expensive for existing customers! Sorry, but that is my thought about this!

Jan 1 2015 at 7:28am Copy Link

0

John Hood Downloaded the Trial. It installed. When clicking on the desktop created icon, mouse spins but program will not load. Restarted machine 3 times.

I have a Win 7 x64 bit machine.

Can't buy program if cannot load/start it. What might be stopping it from loading? Install yes, but startup no.

John

Jan 1 2015 at 12:48pm Copy Link

0

Merle One Can(t buy this deal, I get an error message saying "chose option "."." !!!!

Jan 2 2015 at 12:44am Copy Link

0

SKY I tried buying this product at the full price, just to see who the payment processor is, so that I will not be disappointed when the discount is active (because I cannot use a few of them, and saw that the purchase is handled by Fastspring, so it is ok). But...

When I wanted to proceed, there was a page where I could add an USB Drive option at an extra cost, and when I click on it, I could proceed, when I do not click on it, a warning says: "(!) Choose an option for ''." and there is no option "." and I cannot proceed & buy it.

Are we forced to buy an USB drive or is this a glitch which needs to be corrected? TY for a reply before the deal is on.

Jan 2 2015 at 1:00am Copy Link

0

Judith Caillier I get an error message ("Choose an option for ''. ") and can't go to the order page.
Tried in both Firefox and Chrome.

Jan 2 2015 at 1:10am Copy Link

0

Niels Erik Karkov Me too - same problem - choose an option for

Jan 2 2015 at 1:14am Copy Link

0

HarBri Me too. Can't buy the software without also buying the USB drive so had to withdraw from the purchase.

Jan 2 2015 at 2:25am Copy Link

0

Jan HEROUT "The Conversation": There are some custommers

I get an error message ("Choose an option for ''. ") and can't go to the order page.
Tried in both Firefox and Chrome.

Me too - same problem - choose an option for

Me too. Can't buy the software without also buying the USB drive so had to withdraw from the purchase.

Where is your support ???

John

Jan 2 2015 at 2:45am Copy Link

1

Tim Parsons There are a lot of products that offer similar capabilities to this: two that spring to mind are AllMyNotes and RightNote.

It's not at all obvious what BHO has that sets it ahead of its competition -- particularly given that both the above appear to be being developed enthusiastically -- and neither the lone screenshot above, nor the website, nor the knowledgebase, appear to help in this regard.

So: what does BHO have that sets it apart from its competition?

Jan 2 2015 at 5:10am Copy Link

0

George Cohen me too, re requirement to purchase usb drive. Very odd.

Jan 2 2015 at 5:14am Copy Link

0

Doug Atkinson StarreSoft needs to investigate the order page - I got the same error, but did find a possible fix:

I went to FastSpring's main page for StarreSoft products (http://sites.fastspring.com/starre/) and scrolled down to BHO. If you select "Add to Order", you get to the same faulty page. However, if you click on "Order Now", it brings you to a page where you can enter payment details (https://sites.fastspring....nstant/bho).

I didn't try ordering yet, though, so I'm not sure if this page will work either. I think I purchased this a long time ago, but hadn't used it - I'll need to dig into it to find out what makes it different...

Jan 2 2015 at 5:24am Copy Link

0

Danny What is that ? : USB Drive € 12,79 ??????????????

Jan 2 2015 at 5:31am Copy Link

0

Sandro Perotti @Doug Atkinson
This doesn't work either. It lets you enter your information but you end up in a "Choose an option for ''. page all the same.

Jan 2 2015 at 5:35am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Sorry about this, there was a configuration error in the payment processor. This has been fixed.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 5:37am Copy Link

1

Danny Oh well, go for CintaNotes, continuous updates and good services! :-P

Jan 2 2015 at 5:40am Copy Link

0

Doug Atkinson Thanks, Chris. Turns out I already have a license for this version.
This is an "all in one database" type application, where your notes exist in a single file. Some of these tools provide a separate file for each note. Which approach you like may depend on your preferences, each has their pros and cons. It edits in RTF format, and you can add images.

Jan 2 2015 at 6:12am Copy Link

1

K. Christoph Nice to see you !
Can I use it as portable version ?
Thanks !

Jan 2 2015 at 6:43am Copy Link

0

Geoffrey User I bought this program many, many years ago when it was being developed by Lincoln Beach software but then re-purchased in 2012 when it was on offer at Bits du Jour on the basis that an upgrade from version 3.30 would be forthcoming in the not-too-distant future. Over two years later, no sign of an upgrade - is there still a planned upgrade and, if so, when can it be expected?

Jan 2 2015 at 6:44am Copy Link

0

K. Christoph @Tim Parsons
You've forgot "MyNotesKeeper" !
I like it.
New Version will come next month.

Jan 2 2015 at 6:48am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Yes, you can install it directly to a flash drive and run it from there.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 6:55am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Yes, we are working on getting an upgrade out. It has been really hard to come up with options to upgrade a product that works so well. Should be out this year. BTW, all who purchase this will get the upgrade at no cost.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 6:58am Copy Link

0

Roderick Nicolson Hmmm! Tried to order but it cancelled it for some unknown reason.
I've never before heard of an order being cancelled before it was even made.

Jan 2 2015 at 7:26am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Might have something to do with either cc, or address, or something of the like. Sorry, we do not handle the payment processing in house, this is done by FastSpring a 3rd party processor.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 7:34am Copy Link

0

Merle One This can also happen due to a timeout, if you wait too long on a given page. Just a suggestion.

Jan 2 2015 at 9:17am Copy Link

0

Tim Parsons @Danny : Cintanotes is a great product but probably not a direct competitor: BHO is a semi-structured database, where you make optionally formatted notes in a tree that you create yourself; Cintanotes is entirely unstructured, doesn't do much in the way of formatting and handles categories via tags. RightNote tries to do tagging too (and does it quite well) so sits between the two (and looks like a better product based on the little I've been able to find out.)

So far, the only reason I can see for BHO compared to many others is the fact that it's a three pane organiser, where most are two. It seems to have a number of disadvantages, particularly if the issue of pasting in richtext from elsewhere stripping out any formatting still holds. But I'm still hoping we might get an official response to my earlier request for a feature comparison... and it'd be nice to get an idea of the planned innovations for the next version too!

Jan 2 2015 at 9:27am Copy Link

1

Chris Starre Cannot do a feature comparison as I have no personal knowledge of Cintanotes outside of the fact it is a $39.00 product. Sorry.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 9:53am Copy Link

1

Danny What is that ? : USB Drive € 12,79 ?

Jan 2 2015 at 11:17am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre @Danny - It was an option to purchase it sent on USB Flash Drive. This has been corrected and removed at this time.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 11:40am Copy Link

0

Merle One Hi, I was able to finalize my purchase but I have received no key, no download link for a license version. Is it normal ? Thanks.

Jan 2 2015 at 12:54pm Copy Link

0

B Kampa Paid via Paypal then got a screen saying "order not accepted". It's already cleared my bank and Paypal has emailed me the receipt. Nothing from either fastspring or starresoft. I would caution everyone to decide if they really wish to throw their five bucks down this black hole.

Jan 2 2015 at 4:03pm Copy Link

0

User1 I placed the order, paid with Paypal. Had the email conf, Reg code, and download link in 1-2 minutes. Maybe Chris Starre can determine why some people are having issues ordering.
I'm sure he'll make it good even after the excellent promo expires.

Jan 2 2015 at 4:54pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre @Merle One, if you have an issue, please contact our Help Desk located at:
http://help.starre.com

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 5:15pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre @B Kamba, if you have an issue, please contact our Help Desk located at:
http://help.starre.com Not sure about the issue. Have only had a couple of issues today. Please contact us there so we can look up the order by email address. If it did in fact go through, more than likely it contained an incorrect email address.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 5:19pm Copy Link

0

B Kampa Just received from Paypal "Transaction 3JW82352LF996231A Status: Canceled The seller canceled this payment, and the money has been returned to your account.

The charge to my account has been reversed. Don't understand the problem but not worth the hastle for 5 bucks.

Jan 2 2015 at 5:30pm Copy Link

0

Bob McLain I remember trialing BHO a couple of years ago and thought that it was solid software that did what it claimed to do, without bells or whistles. I have a use for it now, and the price can't be beat. The transaction went smoothly for me.

Jan 2 2015 at 6:32pm Copy Link

0

Michael R. Just played a little around with your software...

One little question:
Is it possible to reorder tables by the alphabetical/numerical value of one column?

Jan 2 2015 at 7:18pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre @Michael R. Not sure exactly what you mean. Are you talking about the tables as in the databases, or are you referring to categories, or the documents?

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 7:52pm Copy Link

0

Michael R. @Chris

Sorry for being not specific enough.I was referring about tables inside a document.

E.g. I would like create a document, where I - beside other information - store a list of my bought programs. Column 1 should contain the program-name, column 2 the price, .... After having entered the data, I would like to be able to sort this table either by the program-names or by it's price

Jan 2 2015 at 8:35pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre @Michael R. Gotcha, sorry this cannot be done. What I did myself was just create a category of purchased software. Within that category, I just create separate documents containing each of the purchased products, and include their registration info and web site along with the email from the company and such. I find it most helpful.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 8:59pm Copy Link

0

Michael R. @ Chris
Thanks for the answer and your recommendation: I did what you proposed already (in Thunderbird).
Than perhaps in a next version? I think, this would be quite usefull (and not so hard to implement)..

Jan 2 2015 at 9:21pm Copy Link

0

Chris How do you enter you registration info? I have Windows 8.1 64 bit. There is no folder for the program in the start menu so I can't click the register thing there as your site suggests.

Thanks.....

Edited to say I had to reboot to find the folder in the start menu and was able to register it.

Jan 2 2015 at 10:51pm Copy Link

1

Great News! Starre Enterprises, Inc. has agreed to extend this deal for another day - Enjoy!

BitsDuJour Admin - Jan 3 2015 at 12:11am Copy Link

2

Danny @Chris Starre,

Within a year a new version - 4.00 comes out?

Jan 3 2015 at 12:27am Copy Link

0

Chris @ Danny

Chris wrote this above:

Yes, we are working on getting an upgrade out. It has been really hard to come up with options to upgrade a product that works so well. Should be out this year. BTW, all who purchase this will get the upgrade at no cost.

Jan 3 2015 at 1:17am Copy Link

2

Merle One @Chris Starre : just wrote to Starre Support with my receipt number.

Jan 3 2015 at 2:11am Copy Link

0

Stew Cam Bought this today - straightforward purchase and received link to registered version within minutes. Have tried it out and feel that at five bucks it is a bargain. It is not in the same league as some other venerable notetaking software like Info Select, UltraRecall, MyInfo or RightNote. However, it does the job and can be run portable as well. Am sceptical that there will ever be a substantial new version but would be happy for Starre to prove me wrong!

Jan 3 2015 at 4:01am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre @Danny Yes.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 3 2015 at 7:32am Copy Link

1

Lito I bought this version a couple of years back (2012 IIRC) but don't use it. It works fine in Win7 x64 and it works as expected but IIRC it was missing some features that I wanted like being able to copy web pages directly from my browser without doing a select then copy, open BHO, and paste so I ended up going to a different one that supported the feature. For the price it's a nice program to have around and it can do basic reminders and contact lists, but it doesn't do any encryption so if you want to keep a password list or something else that might have sensitive info that you wouldn't want other people to be able to access if your machine was stolen, this isn't the program to use for that data. If you just want to use it as a basic reminder, and note taker, it works for that.

I don't really expect any updates to these organizer programs. Most of the ones I own now haven't been updated in years. They all work fine but there hasn't been any that truly have been upgraded in terms of functionality. They have all been pretty much stagnant. Still this particular one is in serious need of encryption. The simple password lock to block access from the program itself is not good enough for this kind of program anymore IMHO. I really need a organizer that can encrypt only parts of the database and prompt me for a password when accessing those bits leaving the rest unencrypted. Not separated databases one encrypted and one not (like how most organizers are setup).

Jan 3 2015 at 8:54am Copy Link

1

Leroy User I have used this program, successfully, since 1988! It was created by a gentleman named Harold Holmes,, Lincoln Beach software. I have seen many updates, and, today with the Windows 10, Preview Evaluation OS installed, it continues to be one of my 3 favorite and essential programs. As stated by some of the Commentators here, there are many, many updates Could be included and appreciated. But...? I would like to have it 'Sync' with some of my other devices, for one. But, for simply being able to copy, paste and create important, non sensitive information into a 'note like' application, However I have included just about any and everything, type of information imaginable, in this program, and have used security programs to lock my PC. To date I haven't been able to find anything else comparable, that fits my needs, and or manner of use. Also, in looking at the currently listed version I wasn't able to find any updated features, not available in the Lincoln Beach, Version 3.22 copy that I acquired, installed in 2010. All said, with the benefits that I have gotten, continues to get from the BHO, I would highly recommend it to others who simply want to keep track of a lot of 'usual' activities and notes that can be easily catalogued and retrieved, and a program that carries a very small footprint.for resource use.And, simply to support and show my faith in the merits and importance of this program, I have purchased the registered copy of this program, with hopes that reasonable updates will be maintained.

Jan 3 2015 at 12:23pm Copy Link

1

Bill Sech Have version 1.54. Still works. The "Floater" (desktop icon that looks like a black hole that gave the thing its name, to drag and drop text files on that automatically get loaded as a note in Black Hole) is still there and still works. I have had this program since around 1999, or 1998. Never upgraded it since 1.54. I use other more feature rich organizers now, however this is still a good program for text notes that just simply works.

Jan 3 2015 at 11:29pm Copy Link

1

Kelly Hamblin I was reading the older comments and found a post that claimed the search function starts at the document level and did not search base or sub-base. Has that been fixed?

Also: In the screenshot, I don't see a way to quickly format the font, only a menu item named formatting. I will assume (perhaps foolishly) that CTRL+B will produce bold, that CTRL+I will produce italics, and that CTRL+U will underline. Is there a strikeout option on the drop-down menu?

Apr 28 2017 at 6:40am Copy Link

0

bvssunnydale Hi, a few questions - Can this be run as portable app? Can the "Document name" field headers (Document Name, Reminder, Last Edited, Date Created) be changed (I'd only need 'Document Name' header)? What's the capacity of the database in terms of file size? ' Is there a sample file just to see how quickly it can search? Are there shortcuts to allow collapse/expansion of category field (like an outliner)? I did download the trail but am thinking that others might have these questions too. Thanks very much.

Apr 28 2017 at 7:24am Copy Link

0

bvssunnydale Hi, I'm trying the trial and CTRL-F only searches the current document, F3 searches the current database but doesn't go to the position in the document, it just opens an intrusive list that you have to close to see the document/position of the search term. Is there a way just to use F3 and go to each document, then next one found? Thanks.

Apr 28 2017 at 7:31am Copy Link

0

Guy Good I purchased this software near the end of 2012 and it was version 3.30 at that time. There was never an update that I saw until this offer. Is the upgrade from version 3.30 to version 4.00 a free upgrade or a reduced upgrade price?

Apr 28 2017 at 8:00am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Guy, sorry the regular upgrade price is $14.95, so it does save you to purchase here. There is not a free upgrade unless you purchased within the last 365 days.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Apr 28 2017 at 8:30am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre bvsunnydale, Yes you can run as a portable app. No, you cannot change the headings. Don't really know the capacity, outside of probably hard drive space. No, there is not a large database we have to run the search options, but it is pretty darn fast at least in my opinion. There is not a collapse, expand keyboard shortcut. Sorry this is not a feature in the software.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Apr 28 2017 at 8:37am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Kelly, Yes you can use the CtrlB, U, I, but there is not a shortcut for strikeout, but can be selected under the font option.

Correct, it only searches the documents.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Apr 28 2017 at 8:39am Copy Link

0

William Henry Is this a database manager?
Can I cut snippets off a webpage and save them as an HTML document.
There was a program called NetSnippets where the user could save the entire page or snip off the part you wanted to save then they could be edited, pasted in a document, and printed as a web page. Alas they are no longer in business.

Apr 28 2017 at 10:07pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre You can save the snippets or html code, but it does not save them directly as an HTML file, it would save it into a document, which of course could be edited, and used to copy and paste back into something like an HTML editor or something like that. You can break down different code into multiple categories to sort and store for recall. So I do not think it is exactly what you are looking for, but try it out as it is a fully functional trial.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Apr 28 2017 at 10:24pm Copy Link

0

Geoffrey User Once the version 4 trial is installed (Windows 10, 64-bit) I receive constant error messages: "FlashFiler: Invalid directory. ($2722/10018)". Any ideas? Also, I seem to recall that when version 3.30 was previously offered on Bits, it included an upgrade to "the next version"?

Apr 29 2017 at 4:38am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Not sure what is causing your issue Geoffrey, I run this software on five W10 64bit machines here daily without any problems.
All of our software comes with a full year (365 days) of Support/Upgrades/Updates from date of purchase. I believe the last offer on this software was over two years ago, so a free upgrade is not available. Sorry.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Apr 29 2017 at 7:34am Copy Link

0

Paul I was just about to purchase but I didn't appreciate the answer to Geoffrey, considering you can scroll up a little bit in the comments and clearly find the following comment:

"Chris Starre Yes, we are working on getting an upgrade out. It has been really hard to come up with options to upgrade a product that works so well. Should be out this year. BTW, all who purchase this will get the upgrade at no cost.
Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Jan 2 2015 at 6:58am"

Apr 29 2017 at 8:33am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Paul, of course that was for an upgrade that was supposed to be out in 2015, which unfortunately did not happen. This is 2017. Also, the original deal back then was a price of $4.95. We cannot offer free upgrades for almost 2 1/2 years, as we will quickly go out of business. If you decide not to purchase at this time, we understand. Have a blessed day!

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Apr 29 2017 at 12:00pm Copy Link

0

Paul The #1 thing that's important for any business is trust. You chose the price and you chose to promise people an update that "never happened", but later found out that wasn't a good business decision and swept it under the rug? That is actually legally called "bait and switch" and it's illegal here in the states. You promise someone an update if they buy now then never give them what you promised. If I was one of those that fell for that I would be speaking to my attorney. More than that it's not good moral business practice to do things like that so I understand if that's how you want to run your business. Good luck to you.

Apr 29 2017 at 7:09pm Copy Link

1

J S Regarding Details in "The Fine Print"

Question 1: Do You consider 'Minor Updates' (example: v1.00 to v1.99, v2.00 to 2.99) to be classed THE SAME as 'Major Upgrades' (example: v1 to v2, v2 to v3 etc) ?

"The Fine Print" tab on this page says: Quote "... Upgrades to future versions of the software will be free for 12 months. ..." End Quote

Question 2: Is the 12 months from 'Time of Purchase' OR, 12 months from time of License being Activated by eMAiL, because these two (2) events may not be the same time

Apr 30 2017 at 12:00am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre All Major upgrades from version numbers - 1.xx to 2.xx are free for 12 months from date of purchase. All minor updates are free for the version you have purchased or upgraded to during that same time frame. So, if you purchased version say 4.xx today, and version 5.xx came out within those 365 days, you would be eligible for a free upgrade/update all the way to 5.99. Hope this helps.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - Apr 30 2017 at 6:01am Copy Link

0

ian User Hi... why was Black Hole Organizer offered at a discounted price of $12.75 I think, on Bits du Jour - you got 119 folk who said they'd take you up on this deal. Then you promote the day the deal on Bits du jour and invite folk to buy it at $24.95? !! - Interested to know how that works?
"Say what you're going to do, do what you say and finish what you start"
Its not the money its the principle.

Apr 30 2017 at 11:57am Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Ian, the discount was only available through Bits Du Jour and was available on 4/28-4/29. If the site still says 12.75 I am sorry, but this is under the BitsDuJour control and there is nothing we control on their site. I would contact Bits for an explanation.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - May 1 2017 at 8:32am Copy Link

0

ian User Chris..I've asked Bits du Jour to look into it - I said I wanted the deal and mailed them long before it went 'live' - expecting to hear from them when it was actually "on offer" - I heard no more from them.. period - I wonder how many of the other 118 folk who wanted to buy were also let down? - by my calcs that could be up to US$1400 in lost sales - OUCH!
Cheers
Ian

May 1 2017 at 1:42pm Copy Link

0

Chris Starre Ian, if you wish to shoot me an email directly at support

starre.com I will make sure you are notified. Also will let you know if there is anything we can do. Sorry for the troubles.

Starre Enterprises, Inc. - May 1 2017 at 2:44pm Copy Link

0

Virus Scan for Black Hole Organizer

Manage Notes, Snippets, Tasks, and Documents

Download Virus Scan - Black Hole Organizer

Website Malware/Phishing Scan - Starre Enterprises, Inc.

Website 100% Clean Badges

What are people saying about Black Hole Organizer