Informant – Review
By App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: Informant
Version #: 1.5
Date Released: 2008-10-16
Developer:
Price: 1.99
User Rating:
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A few weeks ago I came down kind of hard on an app called OneSeek. The concept was good (it tried to bring numerous search engines into a single app) but the execution was lousy (no caching of information and it used standard sites rather than iPhone optimized ones). The developer promised that an update would bring those features and more but we are still waiting to see it.
At the same time I downloaded this app but still had it in my review cue when today’s update arrive. I’m glad I waited since this update is huge. It turns this app into what OneSeek could have been but isn’t… yet.
Informant is a great way to use a variety of different search engines on your iPhone or iPod touch. Among the sites that it offers direct access to are Google, Yahoo, MSN, Wikipedia, Google maps, and more. It offers a nice, easy to use search window. To use it, you input the word or phrase you want to search and then either immediately tap one of the search engine icons to do a search, or e-mail the search results to yourself or someone else. If you choose to e-mail the results of the search, you can also add in Notes so that you can remind yourself or someone else, why you did a search in the first place.
I wasn’t impressed with the first version of informant. I am, however, very impressed with this new one. The new version of the application is fast, provides access to eight different search engines, has a redesigned interface that is far easier to use, offers the option to get search results immediately (the original version only allowed you to e-mail the results), and has a number of settings to optimize the ease with which you can send search results by e-mail. I also like the fact that there is a tab for choosing which of the search engines are used when you do an "quick search". For example, I have my version of the application set to only search Google and Wikipedia. Someone else might want a different combination like MSN and Yahoo. With a few taps of the screen you can set it to search only those areas you choose to search.
An additional thing that I like about this application that I did not find in any other search application I used last week, is the fact that when you do an immediate search, it opens up the results in an optimized window rather than the traditional site that is next to impossible to read. All in all, this is a terrific search application. There is, however, one feature I don’t like at all. The whole "secret agent thing" that the application uses for both the terminology and the icons makes a powerful application feel more than a bit juvenile. For example, the guy wearing the dark hat, sunglasses and trenchcoat, and the constant use of "Intel". Looking past this aspect of it, however, yields a powerful application that’s worth a look.
Quick Take
Value: Very high
Would I Buy Again: yes
Learning Curve: minimal
Who Is It For: anyone who does searches from their handheld
What I Like: works quite well, yields iPhone optimized websites, new options in this updated version make it far easier and quicker to use
What I Don’t: the whole "secret agent" thing
Final Statement: this is definitely an application worth a look
Informant will do the footwork for you.
Open Informant and type in the person, place, or thing you want to research. When you tap "Prepare Research" , Informant will pass the information you want to Mail so you can email it to yourself for later consumption. When you press'Send'in Mail, it will either send it immediately, or if you're offline, queue it up for later delivery.
Next time you retrieve your email, Informant will pop into your inbox, both reminding you of your query, and giving you a head-start with links to the sites you had selected earlier.
If you don't have PUSH email (like MobileMe), it is recommended that you set your device to check for mail Hourly in'Settings'on your home screen. This will ensure that if you are offline, the email will be sent automatically next time you are connected.
O U R T A K E . . .
