v5 Portfolio Network, Desktop and Browser

Portfolio Network is the main version of Portfolio and allows full creation and use of Catalogue files. The program can be scripted (using AppleScript or Visual Basic). The PortWeb plug-in and freeware Browser are included on the product CD or can be downloaded separately.

The Network version, is as the name implies, also the 'client' for Client/Server style operation with or without the addition of Portfolio Server. Using Network you can - with appropriate file sharing permissions - share your catalogues with other Portfolio users on your network. The Catalogue will intelligently lock records when in use. The more users are sharing the file, the slower searches will become. If you routinely have several users accessing the same database, you should consider upgrading to the Portfolio Server edition.

When you run Portfolio on a network, the application checks the network to see how many copies of Portfolio with the same serial number are running. If the program finds that more duplicate serial numbers are in use than are in the site license agreement, an alert box appears. Click "OK" to close the alert box. Another user must quit Portfolio before you can launch the copy that you want to use.

Portfolio Desktop, in simple terms, is Network 'Lite'. It has the same Catalogue functionality as Portfolio Network but has no support for scripting (automation) and does not include PortWeb. The Desktop Edition is identical to Network Edition except for the following changes:

• It is not scriptable.
• It cannot connect to Portfolio Server.
• It cannot search across multiple catalogues at one time.
• It opens catalogues exclusively. That means you can open catalogues that reside on a network share, but no one else (Desktop, Network, or Browser) will be able to use the catalogue until you close it.

It can create as many catalogues as you want, and you can open them all at the same time. You will just have to do a search for each catalogue to find what you are looking for. Additionally, catalogues made in Portfolio Desktop and Network are identical, so you can open them in either version.

Portfolio Browser is a version of the main app (it's the same install size!) which allows a restricted set of functions within the normal Portfolio screen interface. The Browser is a read-only version of Network Edition that opens catalogues exclusively. So, again, no one else will be able to use the catalogue while it is opened by Browser. It also cannot connect to Portfolio Server, but it is scriptable. Portfolio Desktop or Network demos which have exceeded their 30 day demo period will still work but function as a Browser version.

The distribution ZIP file for Browser includes a 'Quick Start Guide' PDF and PDFs explaining how to go about putting your Catalogues on CD-ROM.

The browser can be run from CD, allowing users to distribute their Catalogues on auto playing CDs. The Browser is formally part of the Network product and above but it should be possible to use it with Catalogues produced by the Desktop version.

Question: v5 Portfolio Network, Desktop and Browser [FAQ00010.htm]
Last Update:- 02 June 2006

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