Scan & Fix 50 registry issues FREECNET Editors' review
OpenContacts is a contact management program that has many useful features. Unfortunately, the unintuitive interface makes the program somewhat frustrating to use.
Is OpenContacts impossible to master? Not at all. But contact management programs tend to be pretty intuitive, allowing users to perform basic functions like adding contacts right off the bat. OpenContacts requires more work, more clicking around and skimming the Help file. The interface, made up of multiple little windows and plenty of drop-down menus, does not make it particularly easy to add or edit information. That said, with a bit of experimentation, most users should be able to get the hang of it.
But why bother, when there are other, more intuitive programs out there? OpenContacts has some pretty cool features that aren't always found in contact management programs. We loved that we could click on an address and go directly to the location in Google Maps, and that Skype users are able to make calls to contacts from within the program. We also appreciated the ability to cross reference people and businesses; after entering George Smith and the ABC Widget Co. separately, we could create an association between the two. This is a great time-saver if you have multiple contacts who work for the same organization.
OpenContacts is free. It comes as a ZIP file, installs desktop icons without icons, and leaves folders behind upon removal. We recommend this program for intermediate and advanced users, or novice users who don't mind taking some time to figure things out.
Publisher's Description
From Fonlow:
Open Contacts is an advanced address book program for managing contact info of individuals and organizations with relationships. The program was designed for people who want to improve dynamic interactions with contacts. The program can interact with e-mail programs, Web browsers, Phone Dialer, Skype, and Google Maps. With SyncML Client for Open Contacts, you may synchronize contact info with a smart phone, PDA, and Web address books.
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All versions:
3.3 starsout of 26 votes
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Current version:
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My rating:
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"Very poor, "unintuitive" doesn't describe it."
Version: Open Contacts 6.1.2.712
Pros
At a minimum, it works. You can add and search your contacts. You can also associate companies with contacts, which is useful.
Cons
It is SO difficult to use, unless you want to spend a lot of time figuring things out with a lot of trial and error, because the help is also poor. Obviously, programmers designed this and did not get feedback from actual users.
Summary
There are better free options out there that are effective and easy to use, e.g. Zoho's online CRM. Unless you want to make a career figuring out how to use this, save yourself time and headache and move onto something else.
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"Does a useful job."
Version: Open Contacts 6.1.0.700
Pros
Was simple to use. Once you recognise that you can alter the Field name in each record - conversion to Englist style Addressing was simple enough.
Cons
A Global choice of address formats would be brilliant. Having to change formats each record makes a painful job heavier.
Summary
With a few tweaks, I'd happily pay for it
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"does what it should"
Version: Open Contacts 6.0.8.695
Pros
it is free
Cons
does not have any yet
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"i'm furious, hate it, angry, dissapointed, unhelped!"
Version: Open Contacts 6.0.8.695
Pros
It was a simple program and free and 2 years of no problems working with it.
BUT...?Cons
1. Not any support, not any answering by mail....NOTHING!
2. Stupid questions after installing Open Contacts (where to install the working dir?)!
3. No possibility to convert the backupfile after a problem with the software.Summary
After 2 years working with it on different computers and saving backupfiles, I lost all my contacts for my bussiness. Not any version will import my backup file anymore. Even re-installing doesn't work. Other persons has tried installing the latest and oldest versions to try rescue my co,tacts but nothing seem to help. 2 years of work is gone and it seems 4ever. Mailing to them is seless, no help, not any answering. Great! I hope that anyone think before use it! Not any software is great if it works only for a few years. I grab all the errors and send it to them bu after all these weeks of fustration there is still NO answer. Thank you for no answering!
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"LOST MY DATABASE"
Version: Open Contacts 5.3.10.654
Pros
not much...it's free, but watch out
Cons
Clunky to use. After two weeks, I went to open it and it couldn't find my data. Went searching thru the program files, and what's the funky cartoon character images in the "FILES" directory?? I think this is pure BS
Summary
Piece of crap
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"Best Free Program I've found"
Version: Open Contacts 5.3.10.654
Pros
It's FREE
import/export with mapping capabilities
numerous features and fields, including notes
can create user defined fields
can have numerous categories
very impressive help menu that really helps rather than confusesCons
can't see all contacts at once in preview, just by search criteria, like "A's" to bring up a list of contacts in the preview screen
can't periodically save your work other than to save an individual contact or close the program
double click nameSummary
You have to double click their name in the preview screen to bring up their contact info, rather than single-clicking, but I can get over that and the other cons for a program this feature rich and FREE. It's the best one I've seen for free, so it's worth a small learning curve for all the functionality. I've only found this good of a contact manager in a paid version. It's maps fields differently than the paid ones, too. Again, it's worth viewing the quick "help" on it, and with pictures to explain in their help section, you get it down fast. I usually go for programs that work much like other, more expensive paid versions that I'm used to using, but this time I went for the no cost version. In my opinion, even with the few flaws, this one gets five stars since it's the best available for the price of nothing. I'd like to see a new version that allows you to "preview" every contact in your list with a forwards and backwards arrow to move to the next one you want to view, but otherwise, this will certainly fit my needs and most likely the needs of anyone really on a personal or business level. I'm using it for business and really needed good functionality with lots of options for customization. If that's what you need, this will deliver!
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"I find Open Contacts very easy to use."
Version: Open Contacts 5.3.10.654
Pros
I like the easy open and one click I have the list I want
Cons
As of now I see none.
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"Not Quite what I was looking for"
Version: Open Contacts 5.3.5.622
Pros
Lots of conversion options.
Able to import multi vcf filesCons
Interface is very clunky. Really would like to do more intuitive batch activity on contacts.
Summary
Promising free middleware for manipulating contacts. Worth a further look
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"Nice Software with Some Good Features"
Version: Open Contacts 5.3.5.622
Pros
Robust functionality, for example, nice link to google maps and ability to quickly customize text field labels for desired information.
Cons
Could not figure out how to create a custom date field. It has a default birthdate field, but, for example, no anniversary field.
Summary
I was looking for a Contact Management tool primarily for extended family and friends. I tried to read through all of the contact management software descriptions available on this site and first tried Open Contacts and then Kurlo. For keeping track of family / friends info, I liked Kurlo better for its UI, the ease in seeing extended family info (spouse/child info grouped together), the ability to add custom date fields to track upcoming events (ex. "Graduation" or "Dinner") and its ability to subset address lists into groupings (ex. "Christmas Card List 2009").
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"virus embedded"
Version: Open Contacts 5.3.1.605
Pros
its free...
Cons
virus embedded
Summary
virus embedded
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