Picks: Reviews of Black Hole Organizer, AnyNotes, C-Organizer Pro, and more

I've received quite a few emails asking me to review software that you can use to get organized and keep notes. So, just for you, here's a roundup of some programs that take different approaches to keeping track of things. -- Doc

Black Hole Organizer, by Lincoln Beach Software,Inc. This is a really innovative free form database that lets you keep all kinds of information. You can keep notes, links to Web pages, phone numbers, and lots more. The programs editor is full-featured, so you can have text that's bold, italic, and underlined. You can even highlight things that are important. Easily create new categories, new documents, and can even move documents between categories easily. If you wish you can even have multiple sub-categories. The program gives you a lot of flexibility, and I like that! Black Hole Organizer makes it easy to divide your data into groups that make sense to you. One of the features I really like is the "floater." The floater can sit on your desktop where it's out of the way. Then, say you have an email address that you've copied to the clipboard. All you have to do is right-click on the floater, select the "Create Message From Clipboard" option, select the category where you want to clip to be added, and the contents of the clip in the clipboard is added to your database. It's just that easy! You can also drag files to the floater and they become part of your database. You never have to remember to "save" your work. Black Hole Organizer does that for you automatically. It sits on my desktop all day long, ready to accept new data quickly and easily. Black Hole Organizer, by Lincoln Beach Software, is really handy on the Internet as well. You can store email addresses, Web page URL's, and it even has a built-in emailer. Send information to others right from within the program. Another cool feature lets you create links that lead to other files. So, for example, you can create a link within Black Hole that will open a Word document! Very cool. Black Hole Organizer is a great tool for keeping track of all your information. So, take the time to give it a try -- you won't be disappointed!

System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista

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AnyNotes 4.01, by TaurSoft is a personal information manager or PIM, that's really easy to work with. The program lets you store text and graphics in a format where you can view it and find it easily. In testing it out I saved Web pages, photos, and pages of text. Is has a nice search function that helps you find what you're looking for in a snap. I like the fact that the program lets you have multiple databases as well. This is a great feature for keeping different types of data separate or for letting a number of people each have their own database. AnyNotes also has a version for Pocket PC that you can put on your phone. Slick. You can sync the data between your desktop and your phone and take things with you. Speaking of taking things with you, the program also has a nice calendar function so you can keep up with appointments, birthdays, and the like. You can have links that take you to files or Web sites, import and export data, print any of your data, and password protect your data as well. AnyNotes has lots of cool features. It's intuitive and easy-to-use, making it perfect for both new and experienced users. Give it a try, I recommend it.

System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP

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C-Organizer Pro 3.6.0, by CSoftLab is another PIM or personal information manager that simply loaded with neat features. The program has a really nice user interface and is easy-to-use, perfect for users with all levels of experience. It also has versions for both Palm and Pocket PC devices so you can take all s your information with you. In addition, you can also share the data on your network so multiple people can access it. That makes C- Organizer amazingly flexible. In testing it out I had several of us all putting information in at the same time and it worked perfectly. That's a great feature for use in businesses or at home. You can use C-Organizer to manage to-do lists, addresses, appointments, bookmarks, and passwords. Keep notes, remember birthdays, and schedule events that are recurring. Another cool feature is the ability to send you an email reminder to alert you of something. Now that's service and I could go on and on. You can import, export, sort, and link to files from within the program. C-Organizer is powerful and yet easy-to-use with lots of extras under-the-hood. So, if you're looking for something to help you manage all your time, this might just be your solutions. Give it a try, I recommend it.

System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP

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askSam is a powerful, freeform database that can help you keep track of all your information. And, it can utilize data from a wide variety of sources. Type it in, or you can also import a wide variety of formats like HTML, text files, Rich Text Format (RTF) files, and even documents from Word, Excel, and more. Heck, you can even put your old email messages into the program, and then search through them.

System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP

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VIP Team To Do List lets you manage projects and keep track of exactly where each piece of the puzzle is. I like the fact that it clearly shows you the status of each item and who is responsible for it. No guess work, just facts. The program also shows you a percentage that indicates how close, or far away, you are to completion. The program lets you set deadlines and then be able to track how close are to meeting those deadlines. You can also see quite easily who you need to talk with about any part of a project. If you look at the screen shot you can see all kinds of valuable information. How much time left before each item is due to be finished? Who is responsible? What date did a task begin on? VIP Team To Do List makes any project easier by letting you break it down into parts. Think about it. If you take a project, like building a bridge, it can seem overwhelming. Ahh, but if you break it down into all of the little things that have to be done, you can better see the project as a whole. Order steel, order cable, order bolts, order paint, and so on. Make someone responsible for all the component parts. It goes from being a bridge to being a series of things to do that will lead to a bridge. VIP Team To Do List is a powerful program geared toward businesses.

System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista

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If you have a question on how to do something on the computer you can ask me and I'll review some software that will give you a solution to your problem. You can email me by clicking HERE You may not receive a reply, but all requests will be considered.