Views, Insight warm up to Web, multimedia publishing. (Folio Corp Folio Views 4.0, Enigma Inc Insight Into Information 3.5) (Software Review)(Evaluation)

Folio Views and Insight into Information offer two distinct approaches to electronic-document publishing. Views is record-centric and highlights powerful, speedy search tools, making the program especially suited for publishers of text databases that are designed for users who need to access data quickly. In contrast, Insight is document-centric and specializes in the easy conversion of existing files into attractively formatted electronic documents -- a more appropriate solution for publishers of document databases.

Folio Views 4.0: VERY GOOD

Pros: Easy-to-use interface; powerful searching capabilities; API for custom-designing interface; good compression.

Cons: Difficult to customize conversion scripts; limited options for updating infobases; must send shadow file to distribute incremental infobase updates.

Folio Corp., Provo, Utah; (800) 543-6546; (801) 229-6700; fax: (801) 229-6787; http://www.folio.com.

Price: Folio Views, $295; Folio Builder, $1,995; Folio Publisher, $1,995; Folio Integrator, $495; Folio siteDirector, $9,995.

Platforms: Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows NT 3.5, 4.x.

Insight into Information 3.5: GOOD

Pros: Easy, powerful conversion of formatted documents; Macintosh client available; good control over reader interface.

Cons: Awkward handling of conversion errors; no API for customizing …