askSam and the REAL Leonardo

askSam has posted Leonardo Da Vinci's Complete Notebooks in a free, searchable askSam database. The REAL Leonardo (not the Hollywood DiCaprio) thus joins Hamlet, HIPAA, and the published opinions of John Roberts -- in all the database company has built a library of almost two dozen texts available for searching online or for download along with its free askSam reader app.

askSam, in case you're not familiar with it, is a database manager that is especially good at handling freeform text. It's one of those PC apps that's been around forever, and it's worth the reminder that it's still as good as always.It's currently up to Version 6.0, and available in a couple of versions and configurations -- Web Publisher, for example, installs on a server to make it easy way to transmogrify large documents into searchable Web content. SurfSaver is a personal research tool that grabs Web pages and builds offline archives. Jerry Olsen reviewed askSam Professionalin his Hot Apps column here last April.

The Da Vinci file doesn't contain the sketches and illustrations, alas, but it's refreshing to stop reading about our politicians and spend a few minutes with a mind that's really working. See http://www.asksam.com/ebooks/Davinci/.

(Incidently, anybody gray of hair enough to remember what the SAM in "askSam" stands for? Check VSAM.)