History

David Dunham is asked to submit an outline for a game. Instead, he begins working on an outline processor.

The original prototype is an application. Scott Shwarts of Symmetry Corp. suggests turning it into a desk accessory (a small program that could coexist with another application).

1986

Symmetry releases Acta 1.0 as a desk accessory.

Symmetry releases version 1.1 (the first commercial program with “smart quotes” — the first program was David Dunham's shareware desk accessory miniWRITER).

Symmetry releases version 1.2 (which finally added printing).

1987

Version 1.3 is bundled with Living Videotext's MORE.

Symmetry releases version 2.0 of the desk accessory.

1988

Symmetry releases Acta Advantage, now rewritten as an application, and version 3.0 of the desk accessory.

1991

Symmetry develops and releases Acta 7, taking advantage of many System 7 features.

1993

Portfolio Software releases a new version under the name Dyno Notepad 1.0. (This is the version re-released as Classic 1.0.)

Portfolio releases a version for Windows 3.1.

1994

Portfolio develops a Newton outliner, which is published by Starcore.

Portfolio renames the product Day-to-Day Notepad.

1995

Portfolio files for bankruptcy and loses publishing rights.

1997

Symmetry releases Acta Pro in Japan.

1999

A Sharp releases Macintosh version (as Classic 1.0).

A Sharp releases Acta Importer for Spotlight, so users of Mac OS X 10.4 can search Acta outlines.

A Sharp develops Opal, an entirely new outliner inspired by Acta.

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