Dynodex for Windows. (Portfolio Software Inc's contacts database software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
by Kim Havlena

Tired of thumbing through the Rolodex every time you need a name or number? Dynodex, a contacts database, can save you from this hassle and offer some options - such as printing address books and dialing your telephone - that may prove very useful to your business.

Dynodex is a Windows database application that manages the names, numbers, and addresses of those crucial to your business's operation, as well as any notes you may want to keep track of. It can print such things as address books, mailing labels, rotary cards, and envelopes. Phone-dialing options are also available. All you need to begin are an IBM PC or compatible computer, 2MB of RAM, a hard drive with 2MB of available space, a VGA display, DOS version 3.1 or higher, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher, a floppy drive, and a Microsoft-compatible mouse.

The Icon Palette at the top of the screen allows you to toggle back and forth between previously recorded data or enter information for a new record. You may then proceed to delete or edit the record, or you can search, select, and sort the records by specific data. There's also a List window that shows, in alphabetical order, all the records you've recorded. You can highlight the name you wish to look up, click your mouse, and voila! There it is before your eyes. For information such as the names of cities, states, and countries, there's a drop-down list box you can open with your mouse. It will allow you to highlight and click on the information you want to enter so that you don't have to type it yourself. The date can also be added to a record simply by clicking on the calendar shown in the Icon Palette.

Records may be listed by either the business name or the name of the contact person. You can mark records with a check mark if you wish to keep some of them separated from the rest to point out important information. Information can also be copied and pasted to the Clipboard so that you can transfer it somewhere else, such as a letter or label. Another shortcut that Dynodex offers is entering data by using shorthand keys. With city names, for example, you can simply enter the letter A, and the name Aspen will appear in the city field. Options like this make Dynodex quite a timesaver.

If you need to make changes to a large number of records and don't want to enter the data manually, Dynodex will change each record globally if you simply tell it what to find and the correction that should be made. If you're not sure of the exact spelling of a word, you can use a question mark as a placeholder for a letter, and Dynodex will locate words that could fit your example.

If you want to share files, Dynodex for Windows is compatible with Dynodex for the Apple Macintosh. Dynodex can also import information from software applications such as Microsoft Word and other Windows wordprocessing programs so that you won't have to waste time retyping data.

Dynodex is a complete contacts database, with all the options a successful business should have. For all the time that Dynodex will save you and the intuitiveness it provides, it is well worth the low suggested retail price.