Montage - Introduction

Montage ─ Windows productivity software

	IdeaXchg \| Montage \| Intro \| Products \| Buy \| Download \| Help \| Contact \| Contents

IdeaXchg

Montage

Introduction

Introduction - What is Montage?

Montage is a general-purpose utility program that runs on any PC with Windows 95 or a later version of Windows. More than just a quick application launcher, it's a convenient way of organizing information and overcoming Windows limitations, so you can work more productively.

First of all, Montage is a time-saver that, with a single click, recreates your preferred way of working with a group of programs, folders, and documents, whether it's a regular daily activity or one of many projects you work on only occasionally. Montage saves you the time of finding and launching each program or document, rearranging windows, and performing other steps to get back to where you last left off. Conversely, it lets you to stop working on a project with one click, automatically closing an entire group of applications, while retaining the necessary information to return to that activity at some later time.

Montage is also a visual organizer, keeping track of all kinds of information in files called "montages". Each montage contains a customized arrangement of icons representing a special kind of "Shortcut", similar to a Windows shortcut, but with a number of enhancements. For example, a Montage Shortcut can not only launch an application, but also it monitors and controls the application, adding a number of unique capabilities.

You can store many montages throughout the filing system, and any number of these can be open at the same time. Each open montage has its own main window (aka a Montage Desktop window), similar to the Windows desktop, but contained within a separate top-level window.

Montages can be interconnected to form a large, yet manageable network of ideas, where you can swiftly navigate from one topic to any related topic, regardless of screen space limitations.

Montage helps you work faster Launch and arrange multiple application windows in one step, or close a group of programs with a single click, automatically saving and restoring window layouts. The sample screen on the right shows the result of opening a simple montage, such as one might use on a daily basis, which launches an Explorer window, Outlook Express (for email), a to-do list in Notepad, and the Windows Calculator.
Montage gives you elbow room Reduce screen clutter and make it easier to work with multiple windows, even when display space is severely limited. Montage provides the kind of screen organizing capabilities you need to enjoy the benefits of a "paperless office". The screen shot shows a dozen neatly arranged windows, all opened as a result of opening a single main montage. In this case, one of the applications launched by the main montage was another instance of Montage, which in turn opened yet another montage.
Montage manages activities, not just static information Organize and integrate not just information, but how you use it, so you can switch instantly from one activity to another, regardless of how many projects you have or how recently you've worked on them. This screen is one of a sample series that starts with a typical main montage, then opening a montage on the general subject of astronomy (the screen shot shown at right), and from there going to a montage of Hubble deep space graphics, finally ending with a graphic design montage, used to work on an idea for creating a logo design.
Montage makes your information and workplace portable Take your office with you, whether you're giving presentations on the road, shuttling between home and office, or moving to a new machine. Montage's portability features help you manage storage and backups, or publish and deliver your knowledge to others in a more useful, flexible form than any conventional document. This screen illustrates how a PowerPoint presentation might be enhanced by packaging it, along with related documents and references, into a portable montage.

[Unframe]

Montage helps you work faster

Montage gives you elbow room

Montage manages activities, not just static information

Montage makes your information and workplace portable