I am just going to repost a response that I wrote to a question on another Forum since we're moving the discussion on ilookix to its proper place.
Please ask questions about ilookix and don't ask its users to answer for the hyperbole on the website.
Most of us have corresponded with the developers directly when we have questions and do get direct responses that assist us in doing our jobs. I use the word 'direct' liberally. As you have seen in a few things written by Jim, he never uses 5 words when 20 will do <img src="images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="Very Happy" title="Very Happy" /> He is a bit eccentric.
Siggi is a real person that I have met personally at a conference. I believe when I met him that he had changed jobs from one LE agency to another and was being forced to choose between FTK and EnCase and he was trying to get his new agency to allow him to use ilookix. Good for him, everyone should be able to use the software that they are the most comfortable with, as long as it is not incompetent at what it does.
I have no idea whether Siggi was successful but he was doing it because he has used it for years and it is a really good program, not because he believed all the advertising hype on the website.
This is the quote from the other forum, written by me, another real user. The offer to answer questions about the actual software stands.
Itisfunny that ILook users are generally very quiet, other than a few who are writing and quoting from stuff taken from the website. I think someone already pointed out that most vendors have their own hyperbole and that users should check things out for themselves. I don't think it is limited to perlustro. There is astroturfing all over the forums - great term, btw - maybe I live under a rock but I had never heard it before. . . .
I think that there is so little penetration into the market for ILook, other than to previous users (people like TWhip and I, and other long time ILook users I have met over the years) that there is no need for forums on how to use it. Current users are very happy with it, as far as I know and most have either been using it for a decade or so, or work with people who have been using it for a long time and have shown them how to use it. If you have ever had training in forensics, then you should be able to understand ILook, it is laid out in the same manner as most other forensic suites, displaying files, hex views, logs, file systems, categories of files, etc., etc. It is very easy and intuitive to use, and very customizable and powerful. There has also been training available from different entities over the years but the developers do not feel that training in the use of software is a sustainable model for a forensic software development company and that forensic training is better left to forensic training companies.
Perlustro would benefit greatly from a professional web designer, a marketing team and a professional technical writer to update the help manual and the online help system. But all they have is a small core of developers who really care about a product that gets right to the root of the file system and displays everything available for the user to make use of as extensively as they are capable of. And they have a core of users that really like the software and know how to use it.
I have a very small business connection to Perlustro as I recognized how badly they needed their help manual updated and I offered to do that for them in return for assistance purchasing a Windows based system to run ILook, and the software needed to work with it (ILook, Windows 7 Ultimate, Word, Acrobat, a few small utilities). I have an Apple ecosystem at home <img src="images/smiles/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /> .
I think the investment in equipment and software is split about 50/50 between Perlustro and I and is about $5000. I'm making about 10 cents an hour. <img src="images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif" alt="Rolling Eyes" title="Rolling Eyes" /> But the main benefit to me is that I get to learn how to use ILook really, really, well while I am putting it through its paces so I can include screen shots and verify information that is in the manual. But I am working full time and the process is going to take a very long time. If the developers hit the big time with ILook, or any or their other projects, then they can replace me with a real technical writer, but in the meantime, they are just a small American company and I am essentially, a volunteer.
Anyways, like I said, the developers are a bit eccentric, but they write great software and have great customer service.
If anyone has any questions about the software and would like an answer from me, an actual user of ILook in real cases, I'd be happy to take this offline or move it to a forum more suited to the topic.
Debbie
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