CNET Editors' review
Efficient Diary is an attractive diary application that lets you record and organize diary entries in a variety of ways. The program's sleek design and useful features give it a definite edge over the traditional paper diary or alternatives like password-protected Word documents.
The program's interface is well organized and nice to look at, resembling the familiar Microsoft Outlook, and the built-in Help file is well written and thorough. You can customize your diary entries with a full range of colors, fonts, sizes, and effects. You can also insert images and attach documents to diary entries. You can select a header from a drop-down menu that reflects either your mood or the current weather. Entries can be organized into user-defined groups that are fully searchable, making it easy to find specific items from the past. We like that you can change the program's color scheme, allowing for a bit of personalization, and password protection certainly beats the old locking book cover of days past. Overall, we found Efficient Diary quite easy and pleasurable to use, both when it came to writing entries and managing them. The program isn't particularly heavy on features, but it offers all the important ones, and we can't think of glaring omissions. It's true that it doesn't support audio or video entries, which seem to be growing in popularity, but for a text-based diary, it's a great choice.
Efficient Diary is free. The program installs and uninstalls without issues. We recommend this program to all users.
Publisher's Description
From EfficientSoftware.net:
Efficient Diary is a completely free while still beautiful, easy-to-use and powerful electronic diary software package. With its unique and powerful flash full-text search technique, you can simply enter a word in the diary to quickly find the corresponding entries. The product has a strong edit function similar to that of Microsoft Word. You can insert various items such as tables, pictures, emotions, URLs or even attachments. You can set the background color, background picture of each diary entry separately so your diary can be rich and colorful. The login password is encrypted by the irreversible algorithm of SHA; besides, the content of the file itself is encrypted so that your private information is fully protected. Except for managing diary entries by date, you can also manage it by hierarchical grouping. There is a Recycle Bin in the software so you do not need to worry that you may delete a diary entry by mistake. It also provides various unique features such as you can specify a weather icon and an emotion icon for each diary entry, can specify importance for diary entries, and can copy and paste diary entries.
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All versions:
4.3 starsout of 12 votes
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Current version:
0 stars Be the first to review this product -
My rating:
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"I Love This Diary"
Version: Efficient Diary 3.0 Build 316
Pros
Very easy and simple. Like Word.
Cons
I Haven't any dislikes.
Summary
You Must LOVE this diary so much!!!
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"The Graphics in this program are raggedy!! Ugh!"
Version: Efficient Diary 3.0 Build 315
Pros
Supposedly stores password protected information.
Cons
This is a wanna-be program, with unoriginal raggedy, ugly graphics, (supposedly XP and Vista style - I don't buy it -too ugly and too rough to be XP or Vista Style)and emoticons that are very horribly poor quality. As soon as I installed it I went right back around and took this *hit off my machine.
Summary
Piece of crap don't waste your time with this garbage!
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"Great for privately letting out a profane rage."
Version: Efficient Diary 1.98 Build 102
Pros
Good interface, good data organization, easy to use, fun to enter your daily thoughts + other things.
Cons
Lacks a spell check in the free version, Pro version is worth about a buck instead of 25.
Summary
Nice, can be fun.
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"Nice interface, versatile program"
Version: Efficient Diary 1.98 Build 102
Pros
Customizable, attractive interface, well organized, easy to use
Cons
Cleverly in the so called free edition there is no Spell Check included....clicking the Spell Check button will pop up a message for you to buy the Pro version for $25....not very nice, since it means there is no really usable free version.
Summary
Get it if you don't mind having no Spell Check.
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"Wonderfull"
Version: Efficient Diary 1.95 build 92
Pros
This is a great program. I had no issues installing it on win 7. Works great, easy to use and configure to the way you want it. It does not have spell check, but that does come with the paid program
Cons
I found none so far.
Summary
I am so glad that I dl this program. It has helped me tremendously. You can set up separate folders and groups. I love it
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"Great diary product!"
Version: Efficient Diary 1.95 build 92
Pros
-Easy to edit and use
-you can add almost anything into your entry
-password protect systemCons
-no free spell checking
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"a bit fiddley"
Version: Efficient Diary 1.91 Build 82
Pros
layout is good
Cons
more appealing layout and flip
Summary
a great idea
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"Amazing Diary."
Version: Efficient Diary 1.85 build 76
Pros
I've downloaded this software today. I find it simple awesome.
I think it has the perfect features.... may be not very high fashioned. But exactly what a true diary writer needs. All u creators of this software- thank you so much.Cons
Nothing as of now.
Summary
Real Efficient.
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"Just what I was looking for!"
Version: Efficient Diary 1.76 build 65
Pros
I just downloaded this program and already entered my first entry. It was so simple and easy to do and I love all the different fonts and the cute little emoticons. So far, so good!
Cons
The interface styles are kind of limited and you can't create your own that I can tell but other than that I can't find anything wrong with it yet.
Summary
I adore the fact that you can put a mood (or the weather) and a title on each entry and even make multiple entries for the same day if you want too. This is a great program all the way around and I am thouroghly enjoying it so far!
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"Does what a Diary is supposed to do, and well..."
Version: Efficient Diary 1.76 build 65
Pros
Well laid out, with good search and sorting functions. Easy to make an entry and save it without any fuss. Apply "group" label to make sorting easier. Full featured text editor including font and color control. Even supports tables and graphics.
Cons
Not much. Time stamp is done automatically, but hidden. Have to go to "Show Details" in "View" menu to see time stamp.
Summary
I've only started using this in the last month, but I find the only challenge to using this program is actually remembering to put the entries in. Handy pick lists make it easy to track the weather or one's mood on a daily basis. Absolutely one of the finest crafted free programs out there. It is versatile and will prove useful for tracking personal and professional day to day activities.
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