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Super lite PIM? Address book?
sabot7726:
I'm an emergency / 911 dispatcher and several times during the day I need to very quickly transfer a call or look up a number or address while several things are going on at the same time.
Currently we've been using a number of loose papers filled with this kind of info, but as you can guess they very quickly get outdated, torn, lost, edited, scribbled on, etc. The built in address book on the phone system is extremely clunky with no search function whatsoever, so that's no help.
I've been daydreaming of a simple, yet extremely efficient application that can allow me to put all this info at my fingertips but so far all the PIM and Address book software I've been trying out are *way* too overpowered for what I'm looking for. I'm hoping if I list out the small wishlist I have that someone can point me in the right direction or just whip it up :P
If I could wave a magic wand I'd create something like FARR or nDroid but made to scan a couple files of info and return matching lines rather than various directories returning matching files.
For example I could hit a hotkey to start the program, start typing Smith and any line in the file that matches what I type would show up as I type (rather than a submit button).
I'd also need just an input text box that would allow me to copy paste info into it to add to the file of phone numbers, emails and whatever other misc info.
Extra credit would be a way to arrow key up and down the list of results and be able to hit a hotkey like alt-e to edit that line directly rather than having to manually go edit the overall file.
Extra extra credit would be if the program could convert urls and email addresses to links which would be displayed if that line matched the search query somehow.
Anyone know of a program that can do this that I can try out?
I wish I had better programming skills, this seems like something someone can make very quickly if they were so inclined :p
nogojoe:
I'm an emergency / 911 dispatcher and several times during the day I need to very quickly transfer a call or look up a number or address while several things are going on at the same time.
Currently we've been using a number of loose papers filled with this kind of info, but as you can guess they very quickly get outdated, torn, lost, edited, scribbled on, etc. The built in address book on the phone system is extremely clunky with no search function whatsoever, so that's no help.
I've been daydreaming of a simple, yet extremely efficient application that can allow me to put all this info at my fingertips but so far all the PIM and Address book software I've been trying out are *way* too overpowered for what I'm looking for. I'm hoping if I list out the small wishlist I have that someone can point me in the right direction or just whip it up :P
If I could wave a magic wand I'd create something like FARR or nDroid but made to scan a couple files of info and return matching lines rather than various directories returning matching files.
For example I could hit a hotkey to start the program, start typing Smith and any line in the file that matches what I type would show up as I type (rather than a submit button).
I'd also need just an input text box that would allow me to copy paste info into it to add to the file of phone numbers, emails and whatever other misc info.
Extra credit would be a way to arrow key up and down the list of results and be able to hit a hotkey like alt-e to edit that line directly rather than having to manually go edit the overall file.
Extra extra credit would be if the program could convert urls and email addresses to links which would be displayed if that line matched the search query somehow.
Anyone know of a program that can do this that I can try out?
I wish I had better programming skills, this seems like something someone can make very quickly if they were so inclined :p
-sabot7726 (May 08, 2008, 05:15 PM)
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Can I suggest Yeahwrite.
www.wordplace.com
The addresss feature within yeahwrite has some of the requirements the you are after such as typing the first letters of a surname will bring you straight to that person/s . The up/down arrows will scroll through that persons address and you can enter/edit what you want.
All though it is a Word processor as such I think you will enjoy using it‘s features.
30 names are on immediate view as soon as you open the address book.
those 30 names have their Full Name--Work Phone--Work Ext--Home Phone--Company Name instantly available on that page.(or whatever you want to put under those headings)
Scroll down the page or enter the surnames first initials and it comes up with that name or those similar.
Hit enter on the name you want and use the up/down arrows and you can edit any part of the
Address to your hearts desire.
Add comments if you wish as well .
Love to hear your response after you have tried this program as I think its the very thing you want.
It has a free lite version but I don’t know it’s limitations as the website is apparently down at present.
From memory the program is small enough to be downloaded onto a floppy disk.
Extremely fast loading up and one of its features is automatic saving of work done/entered.
Oops just about forgot TABBED address books which can be right there available with a click of the mouse.
Entries can be transferred easily from one tabbed address book to another.
The search/find feature will pick any thing that you want right through all the tabbed address books etc.
Either a part of the email nickname or even part of the isp’s name very efficient
This is my second edit after reading your posts again.
I have espoused on the address book part of yeahwrite you will love the rest of the progams features as a copy and paste info .
Under the general tab you can copy and paste info.
It automatically saves info you paste under the headings of DATE DESCRIPTION TEXT again 30 entries are available for immediate viewing on opening the that tab. The text heading shows the 1st line of what you have saved the decription heading of that entry you can edit at a later date to suit your own needs
I think I have opened the Yeahwrite pasted-saved info closed again in under 4 seconds knowing that the info will be readily available the next time I open yeahwrite without having to look all over the place for it.
I’m back again for my third edit
If you use the address book in yeahwrite and under the companyname put reference to the data that you wish to locate such as Smith **** (****your reference) you will see a button at the bottom right of the page which says SORT click on that and it will bring the company name to the foremost heading allowing it to be accessed the way that you have described in your posting.
Now I realise how good yeahwrite is with its tab features.
You have an Address tab for addresses alone with the suname as the foremost entry Put all your info addresses,notes etc and under the company name put the surname and your ref.
Now have a second tab which you alter as above by changing the foremost entry via the sort button to the company namei.....it will bring the company name to the foremost heading allowing it to be accessed the way that you have described in your posting.
Now when you make a data entry in the first address tab you copy it to the second tab (it’s very easily done) five seconds at the most.
And another feature is the tab can be color coded to suit what you like so that one tab can be a light blue and the other a light green so that you will know in which tab you are in.
So you will have one tab for surname reference and one tab for company name(your reference) for searching.
this will be the nearest that a program will get to your needs without someone writing one specifically.
ENJOY
nogojoe.
sabot7726:
Hrm it looks a little over the top for my uses, plus it was last updated in 1999, that's kinda scary :p
nogojoe:
MayHrm it looks a little over the top for my uses, plus it was last updated in 1999, that's kinda scary :p
-sabot7726 (May 08, 2008, 08:42 PM)
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Well you can some thing made that will be buggy is that what you want it is very hard to get the exact program that you want.
You asked for speed easy entry, easy access to info etc
It is sound, read the reviews it is well made and doesn’t need updating for the sake of updating ,read who the people are who made this program and the reasons why they did.
How can you say it is over the top if you haven’t tried it.Are you scared to try it.
You have come on here asking for something and I,ve tried to help at least give it a go or are you not “techie“ enough to have a go
I am willing to answer any problems about the program to help you.
nogojoe
allen:
Maybe they figured . . . if it does everything it's supposed to, why cram more crap in? I hate software that isn't updated, but then . . . realistically . . . it's usually features I don't need + bugs :)
I used yeahwrite obsessively back in '98 or '99, absolutely adored it. I was trying to remember the name of it a few weeks back, but couldn't . . . so thanks nogojoe! Time to download it and take a walk down memory lane.
Sabot--It's really not so much an "over the top" application, though all the colorful tabs can give that impression. The reason its file size remains so small is that it's not so much feature-intensive as functionally flexible. All those eye-boggling tabs aren't different features so much as slightly tweaked ways of using the internal editor. Pretty much everything in it does the same thing, it's just divided up into pre-defined sections to give you an idea how to use it. It's ultimately a union of a simplified word processor and a simplified spread sheet application. It's really quite simple and intuitive, as I remember it. And cheap, 19.99 for life (after all, if it's never updated you'll never pay an upgrade fee :)
As for your issue, sabot, have you considered giving Evernote a try? It might work well . . . and the current beta version 3.0 syncs online so you can access the same data via the software, your online enabled phone, or any web browser.
Currently we've been using a number of loose papers filled with this kind of info, but as you can guess they very quickly get outdated, torn, lost, edited, scribbled on, etc. The built in address book on the phone system is extremely clunky with no search function whatsoever, so that's no help.
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With evernote, you could actually photograph/scan in those hand written notes and they'd be searchable. Evernote has a pretty impressive OCR indexer. The aforementioned online sync capabilities would make it somewhat usable with a smart phone type device, for added convenience.
I've been daydreaming of a simple, yet extremely efficient application that can allow me to put all this info at my fingertips but so far all the PIM and Address book software I've been trying out are *way* too overpowered for what I'm looking for. I'm hoping if I list out the small wishlist I have that someone can point me in the right direction or just whip it up
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Using Evernote 3, moreso than evernote 2, is extremely simple/straight forward. Just jot down notes which can be tagged, can optionally add checkboxes for todo stuff, and it's all find-as-you-type search.
I'd also need just an input text box that would allow me to copy paste info into it to add to the file of phone numbers, emails and whatever other misc info.
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It comes with a "Universal Clipper" add on -- highlight any text, hit a hot key and that text will be inserted into evernote as a new note -- which you can then tag or edit as necessary.
Extra credit would be a way to arrow key up and down the list of results and be able to hit a hotkey like alt-e to edit that line directly rather than having to manually go edit the overall file.
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If you make each entry its own note rather than compiling them all in a single note this would pretty much be inherently there for you.
Drop me an e-mail and I'll send you an invite to try the Beta. For what you described as your needs, I think it might be a really good option for consideration. It doesn't cost anything at present and what it will cost later on down the road is not yet known. Something per month per the amount of storage you need, I guess.
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