OmniOutliner
OmniOutliner as a calculation sheet
29/11/08 08:41 Filed in: OmniOutliner
Traveling for business has many advantages, but it
also causes many problems. One of my biggest
problems is making sure that my work is portable so
I can carry on working on the same task wherever I
am in the world. I find this a particular problem
for calculations. Normally I would only ever do my
calculations by hand including computer input and
output where necessary, but when traveling I would
have to carry too much paper with me to do this.
Typically if calculations are prepared on a computer, they are normally prepared in Excel or Word. I find neither of these options ideal. With Word files I simply have to spend too much time formatting and adjusting the layout of the document so that it works. Excel might initially seem to be ideal for preparing calculations, the problem is it takes so much effort to work with excel that it takes a lot of concentration away from the production of calculations. The format of the calculations is also very difficult to work with being so reliant on brackets.
My solution has been to use Omnioutliner Pro. Like all applications from the Omni Group, this is an application whose power is hidden beneath a deceptively simple to use exterior. For those who haven't used it, Omnioutliner is an outlining application, working much like word in outline view. It does however have a few neat tricks such as the addition of columns, formatting that can vary depending on the column or the outline level and the ability to quickly and easily move items entries or groups of entries around.
It also has another bonus feature - Linkback. For those who have never used it it can be a real bonus working with documents that are likely to change, something which calculations seem to do more often than would be ideal. As an example, you can create a diagram in Omnigraffle, paste it into Omnioutliner and then when you next double click the diagram in Omnioutliner it opens again in Omnigraffle ready to be ammended. The neat trick is that you don't even have to save a copy of the original Omnigraffle file, the file is stored with the Omnioutliner file. This works with a wide variety of applications, and not just applications from the Omnigroup, as long as the applications support Linkback.
Download it here.
Typically if calculations are prepared on a computer, they are normally prepared in Excel or Word. I find neither of these options ideal. With Word files I simply have to spend too much time formatting and adjusting the layout of the document so that it works. Excel might initially seem to be ideal for preparing calculations, the problem is it takes so much effort to work with excel that it takes a lot of concentration away from the production of calculations. The format of the calculations is also very difficult to work with being so reliant on brackets.
My solution has been to use Omnioutliner Pro. Like all applications from the Omni Group, this is an application whose power is hidden beneath a deceptively simple to use exterior. For those who haven't used it, Omnioutliner is an outlining application, working much like word in outline view. It does however have a few neat tricks such as the addition of columns, formatting that can vary depending on the column or the outline level and the ability to quickly and easily move items entries or groups of entries around.
It also has another bonus feature - Linkback. For those who have never used it it can be a real bonus working with documents that are likely to change, something which calculations seem to do more often than would be ideal. As an example, you can create a diagram in Omnigraffle, paste it into Omnioutliner and then when you next double click the diagram in Omnioutliner it opens again in Omnigraffle ready to be ammended. The neat trick is that you don't even have to save a copy of the original Omnigraffle file, the file is stored with the Omnioutliner file. This works with a wide variety of applications, and not just applications from the Omnigroup, as long as the applications support Linkback.
Download it here.