Now Up-to-Date & Contact 3.9

Now Up-to-Date & Contact 3.9

Power On Software continues to revise Now Up-to-Date & Contact by adding Mac OS 9.x compatibility, new Internet features and Palm hand-held hot sync capabilities. It also adds a “QuickMerge” function to import contacts into merged Word and WordPerfect documents.

Now’s Web Publisher enables users to publish calendars and address books on the Internet using the Versit standard data exchange format. This feature should work well for multi-location law offices to enable them to view public calendar events over the Internet. It also may be used to provide information to clients on client-specific dates and times via the Internet.

Other new Internet features include a preferences control panel that configures Now Up-to-Date & Contact to work with your default Web browser and e-mail application, and thus ease integration among applications. Once preferences are established, Web links and e-mail addresses can be attached to contacts. Contacts can be configured to log all e-mail messages sent to specific contacts/clients by both date and time. However, the program requires you to copy and paste each e-mail message to retain a full copy of its contents. E-mail notes can be published to a public server for office-wide viewing or made private for access only on the attorney’s computer.

Now Up-to-Date & Contact’s QuickNet feature enables law offices to search the Internet to locate published e-mail addresses, phone numbers, ZIP+4 codes and street addresses directly from Contact via your Web browser. For example, if you choose the “Get Street Map” submenu, Contact will access Web information corresponding to the contact’s currently selected address and display a map of the specific area. The map can be copied, printed, and directions to the address from another location can be displayed and printed.

One thing that is of interest to law firms is the QuickMerge feature, which combines Contact data with any existing or custom templates provided by Word 5.0 and 6.0 and WordPerfect 3.5.x. Power On provides step-by-step instructions on how to create templates for each application in an addendum manual.

One of the most interesting new features in 3.9 is Palm handheld hot sync capability. Power On augments the Palm Desktop with its own more capable integrated contact/calendar suite and interfaces with the handheld’s database using the information in Now Up-to-Date & Contact. It installs specialized conduits into the Palm software folder to permit users to hot sync Now data with their Palm or compatible device. Categories, events, contacts, banner and other items for Now Up-to-Date & Contact can be synchronized with the handheld. Public categories and hidden events are directly mapped to the Palm’s designated secret events and links between events and contacts are preserved and accessed via a menu.

You’ll need Palm OS 3.0 or higher, and Palm Desktop Version 2.0 or higher. Any USB-equipped Macs require Palm’s USB software, which is a free download at their Web site. The hot sync software is well implemented and customizable. It includes safeguards to make certain that your primary desktop database is not overwritten by the Palm handheld database.

Now Up-to-Date & Contact retains its simplified data entry fields, ease of use, and solid integration. The intelligent scheduler “QuickPad” simplifies event scheduling and cataloging information for Now Up-to-Date & Contact. The program’s extensive “to-do” list features, reminders, notes, events, and find functions make the program extremely easy to use, versatile and customizable. Telephone calls can be timed, documents can be attached and launched from Contact, and information can either be made public or protected.

While enhancing an already robust integrated calendaring and contact management, Power On has not yet addressed basic legal specific features. The programs do not, for example, provide a means to establish specific calendar templates for fast track cases, or practice specific calendaring and control. If you are looking for a good PIM/contact/calendar manager, this is your ticket, but if your office has certain docket management and practice specific calendaring needs, you should probably pass.

Power On Software
(800) 344-9160
www.poweronsoftware.com

Mac OS 7.6-9, Palm OS 3 or higher

$89.95 online version; $39.95 for upgrade

Reviewed by David Saraceno, attorney, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Aug/Sep '00 Issue

PROS
Inexpensive, customizable and very easy to use.

CONS
Lacks law office-specific features.

VERDICT
An inexpensive, integrated, robust, customizable PIM that lacks automated calendaring, contact and docket control for practice and docket-specific cases.