Wednesday, June 25, 1997

Programs that manage your information

By NOAH MATTHEWS / Knight-Ridder Newspapers

For keeping track of collections or other information, you can use a program designed specifically to manage a particular kind of data - a program devoted to keeping track of books or baseball cards or compact discs. Or you can use a program that you customize for each chore you want it to perform.

The first kind of program is easy to work with but may not include fields for some vital information or may not produce quite the reports you need. The second kind of program takes more planning when you set it up, and you're likely to make a few false starts. But in the end you have exactly the layout, the lists and the graphically appealing reports you want.

With shareware, you can find out at modest cost if you have the patience to make the second kind of program work. If you don't, you can go back to keeping records on paper or with a ready-made program for managing your kind of business or collection.

If you do, register the program or switch to a commercial program such as FileMaker Pro, which comes in first-rate versions for both Macintoshes and IBM compatibles.

Windows and Windows 95 users might start with Infodex, which came out in a new version in May. It has all the features of the best commercial programs. You can add, delete or resize fields easily. You can import and export information. You can search for data easily and thoroughly. You can sort information in any way you like. You can select the fields to be included in a printed report. If you decide to make it a permanent resident on your computer, registration costs only $39.95.

Look for IDEXW101.ZIP on computer bulletin boards or on the Internet at ftp://fs001.infi.net/pub/sjmercury/shareware/052597/ - and the other programs reviewed in today's column are there also.

If you prefer working in DOS, as a lot of us still do, look for EB111.ZIP. That's the name of the archive that stores Easy Base. It's a sophisticated program that can be used to write almost any business application. It will run under Windows, too. Registration costs $59. There's even an advanced, more expensive version that allows a software developer to write a customized program and distribute it complete with an installation setup.

To see if a more specialized data-base manager will serve you best, consider two Windows programs: Client Tracks (CLNTRK20.ZIP) and NameBase (NAME200.ZIP) Client Tracks is designed for managing business contacts and appointments as well as income and expenses. NameBase focuses on the most common use for a database manager: keeping track of names, addresses, phone numbers and notes. It's flexible and powerful, and it enables the user to print records, labels and envelopes. It will even dial the phone for you.

(For copies of all the Managing Your Data programs for IBM-compatibles, send $12, plus tax for Californians, to Shareware, P.O. Box 7037, Long Beach, CA 90807. Credit cards: (800) 395-7797. Fax (562) 426-0110)