Three trailblazers in the world of personal information managers return this winter with updated versions brimming with new features.
Full Contact 3.0. With version 3.0, expected to ship in late November, Full Contact has a new publisher -- Pitch Software -- but the same development team that created the original product. Among the highlights of this new version are "smart linking" of events, notes, and other items to one another; Macintosh Drag and Drop support; small-workgroup connectivity via publish-and-subscribe; and a built-in word processor with mail-merge functionality. $199; upgrade from earlier versions, $40. 408-374-5504.
TouchBase & DateBook 4.2. With its third publisher in two years, this PIM tag team moved from Aldus to Adobe before finding a home at Now Software. Unlike Now's Contact/Up-to-Date workgroup combo, TouchBase & DateBook are targeted at individuals and at small businesses. Version 4.2 gets a big speed boost, thanks to the addition of PowerPC-native code. A CD-ROM version of the product includes a load of reference information (all in TouchBase & DateBook format) geared for travelers, from city guides to a directory of toll-free telephone numbers. $50; CD-ROM version, $70; upgrade from any previous version, $20; CD-ROM upgrade, $30. 800-544-2599 or 503-274-2800.
ACT! 2.5. Unlike its brethren, Symantec's ACT! hasn't changed publishers, but ACT! 2.5 does offer a changed interface, which allows users to open multiple windows simultaneously. A one-button data-synchronization feature has been added to make reconciling databases on desktop and portable machines easier. ACT! 2.5 also supports the attachment of files to contact records via drag-and-drop and includes an Apple Guide-based quick-start guide. $170; upgrade, $50. 800-441-7243 or 503-334-6054.
