How do you track phone/contacts on your PC?

[222fbj]

I'm going thru my annual 'cant find a phone number - need a new phone list' ritual.  I'd like a simple database type app that is small enough to keep open without eating too much ram.  It also has to import/export is some common format like csv.  Something with PC+Linux versions would be a bonus but not required.  Features I'd like to avoid...

• un-modifiable forms - The standard home/biz tab format does not work well for me - I'd rather have one 'form' with flexible fields - especially email > 1 or 2 email fields are not enough.
• built in calendar/task management/etc
• memory hog
• pictures (dont need/want them in a phone list)

Any suggestions?

[Steven Avery]

Hi,

  My answer might surprise you.  I have put aside Time & Chaos, Essential PIM and all the others.

  I figure an address book is really a phone book, with the capability to sometimes add other information,
mostly ad hoc, and I use my bookmark program.

  I simply use "addy" as a keyword with Powermarks, and various complementary keywords that
I use "Steven" "puter" "Messianic" for categories, and the person's or org's name. I can keyword
the state or whatever, so when I put in "addy NC" .. my North Carolina addies come up.  And  I
take the web page of the person and keyword it from that page, or find any reasonable webpage,
like from a 411/Yellow-Pages address book.  For extra notes I use the note area, although I grant
that is not elegant.

  The keyword metaphor is perfect for flexible address books, and I end up with the related link
a click away.  I probably would not switch back to a PIM unless it had a similar function, although
I will use a PIM for calendar and To-Do (actually I use my "events" keyword as a Powermark calendar,
however that I will be willing to "turn in" for a dedicated program, maybe Agenda-at-Once).  Granted
I won't have drag-and-drop to a ToDo list, like in my mostly dormant Time & Chaos.  (good program,
no knock intended, but the To-Do is rudimentary, one reason I gave up for now looking for the truly
strong, integrated, PIM/Addy-ToDo-Calender).

  Only problem.  Powermarks is no longer developed.   So all sorts of additional integration is not
likely to happen, eg. dialing.   However I have many thousand links and a couple of hundred with
the keyword "addy".  I can find any phone# very quickly without going into a new program. All day,
all the time. Plus everything is very portable from one puter to another or to .html.  Small footprint.
Oh, virtually instantaneous, I have the priority of Powermarks set to Real-Time (usually it is idling
anyway, and it can never run Firefox-wild) so that there is no virtual-memory or any type
of startup lag. Actually, this works so good that I doubt I will change any of this for a long time,
even if also using a PIM for auxiliary reasons (e.g. fancy printouts, dialers). Oh, let me add that
usually this is extremely quick on adding new listings, I do have a little method for viewing in
"alphabetical" order mixed in with the keyword metaphor

Shalom,
Steven Avery

[222fbj]

Thanks Steven - I'm looking for new/better ideas like that.  Powermarks looks good but since its marked for 'end of life' AND it is not freeware... that's makes it tough for me to choose as a new app.

[kartal]

maybe try this ?

http://www.customaddressbook.com/

[cmpm]

If you have caller id with your phone company and a caller id capable modem you can use one of these in this thread. I've taken down the program that was on my site though. But YAC and Call Alert would be the first to look at for me.

I know YAC keeps a log in a notepad of calls that come in.

https://www.donation...dex.php?topic=8370.0

[Steven Avery]

Thanks Steven - I'm looking for new/better ideas like that.  Powermarks looks good but since its marked for 'end of life' AND it is not freeware... that's makes it tough for me to choose as a new app.

-222fbj (April 18, 2008, 11:18 AM)

Understood.  Actually I used the freeware version for a long time, really it only lacked an import function and it took a few seconds more to load up.  And the author is aware of folks still registering and is just trying to be fair to recent registrants and any newbies.

Personally I think this will be like Ecco, but more so.  Many years could go by before a comparable software shows up.  My PIM-life was revolutionized when I realized I didn't need a specialty-PIM  . And I am very happy with the version as is, although I understand the psychological difficulty of starting anew with a product that is in a development sense wound down.

Shalom,
Steven

[SKA]

Open Contacts (Free, portable, light version - Contacts Express available):

http://www.fonlow.com/opencontacts/

SKA