Time to ACT?

[Andy Sjostrom]

<a href="http://www.pinpointtools.com/products/ta-pocketpc.htm">http://www.pinpointtools.com/products/ta-pocketpc.htm</a><br /><br />Trans/ACT for Pocket PC goes to beta! Features include:<br /><br />"• Download ALL types of ACT! data: contacts, groups (the full group records, not just "categories"), notes, histories, sales/opportunities and calendars. <br />• Get ALL your fields! All custom ACT! contact and group fields are automatically created on the Pocket PC and downloaded from ACT!. You're not limited to just a few user fields like in other products. What use is a customized ACT! database if you can't use it on your Pocket PC? <br />Create custom screen layouts for the Pocket PC, like you can now with ACT!. <br />• Control how much data to download to your Pocket PC: select a single group and/or set the number of notes, histories, sales and activities to download. No need to export the contacts you want to a temporary ACT! database first. <br />• Use the familiar ACT! menus, buttons and terminology. No need to learn a separate system and figure out how to "map" your ACT! data into some other kind of database. It looks and works like ACT!."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/act_01.gif" />

[EricMCarson]

I have been an avid ACT! user for 5 years now and have always been looking for a way to port my ACT! data over to my handheld device since Symantec discontinued the Windows CE product (which only worked on the early H/PCs). I have requested testing information, but see no other place to download this product for beta testing. How do I get a copy?

[Don Sorcinelli]

I was a serious ACT! user for a number of years. I eventually gave up on it when I moved to the PocketPC. It wasn't so much whether or not I could get the data over to my PPC (the synch tools available did that), but the fact that the ACT! UI is a key component to the effectiveness of the product. Pocket Outlook and the various PIM replacements just weren't the same.

This is great news! I will be eager to see if the product can live up to the feature list and screenshots. I may just go back to ACT! after all...

[fmcpherson]

Correct me if I am wrong, but the way I read their web site, it doesn't sound like this application synchronizes data with ACT!. Rather, it simply works with ACT! data that you can download to a Pocket PC. If you don't sync with ACT! what is the value of this program?

[dazz]

fmcpherson, I think you are right!! I was thinking this is a fantastic app but if you can't fully interact with your ACT! data I think it loses a LOT of appeal.

It would be nice have information on the PocketPC but if that is all...

I have to say, I am slightly relieved as I am currently developing an app to do this with FULL sync capabilities. I have the PocketPC (and Palm) version done and am currently working on the sync engine. BTW it will sync with either ACT! or Goldmine.

I think this app would be great if you could sync info but with this limitation AND at $79.99...?????

[Don Sorcinelli]

I think you guys are right. They did an effective job of "wordsmithing" their description page (in conjunction with the screen shots). It's only when you really look at the method of data transfer that this appears to be only one-way.

It took me a couple of reads to see that the word "download" in their descriptions had a less than desirable meaning :(

Guess this IS good news for you, Dazz. Hope that this fuels your work even more (I know I'll be eagerly waiting :D )...

[dazz]

Guess this IS good news for you, Dazz. Hope that this fuels your work even more (I know I'll be eagerly waiting :D )...

Yep, this lights a rather hot fire under me. I am planning on an initial release in about 30 days&lt;/cross fingers> :D

I'll post info as I can to this forum.

Cheers.

[muaddip]

If you guys need to sync your data you can use CompanionLink. That is what our company is doing, we have had a few problems and the syncing is not the fastest in the world. However, CompanionLink has been very good and helpful in providing fixes and updates for us. They have even added features for us not yet available in the commercial version.

I am very interested in Dazz's program though. I have had to develop a contact replacement program since the built in contact PIM sucks eggs for displaying user defined field.

Keep us informed on you project status Dazz, and if you need any help, comments or suggestion shoot me an email at [email protected].

[dazz]

Thanks for the offer of help muaddip.

I like CompanionLink's technology and it is certainly a better sync option than the basic one. CompanionLink will sync extra info to the PocketPC but the linking is broken, i.e. the contact, tasks and calender information is no longer linked. If you create information on the PocketPC it will need to be manipulated in order to work properly in ACT!

The big difference is that my application will has full functionality on the PocketPC. In other words, from the Contact record you can view all notes, activities, opportunities and oders. From the Company records you see all contacts (at that company), etc.

I'll certainly let everyone know how things are progressing.

[ricksfiona]

I've been using the Pumatech software, and it just sucks for ACT! synchronization. I've been after the ACT! people to develop an ACT! client for the PocketPC.

About 2-3 months ago, they e-mailed me a questionnaire about what I would like to see in a PocketPC client version of ACT! Finally, I thought, they are taking notice of the market.

Sync'ing, is one of the most important issues for ACT! Desktop/PPC productivity. Plus, you can't link information to the contacts you use.

Trans/ACT! looks to be a good product. But, they need to get the synchronization stuff down. Press the Sync button, I want my information sync'd between desktop and PPC. Period. Without this ability, there is NO WAY I'm going to pay $80 for this program. For one way sync'ing and all of the information present, I think $20 - $30 would be much more reasonable. WITH sync'ing and having all links to info, $60 - $80

[tjmckiernan]

Hi everyone,

I'm co-owner of pinpoint tools and lead developer of Trans/ACT for Pocket PC. Seems like there are questions about what Trans/ACT will do and where we're going with this product, so let me see if I can provide some answers.

Version 1.0 of Trans/ACT for Pocket PC will be a one-way transfer from the ACT! to the Pocket PC. Version 2.0 will have 2-way synching. We have found there is enough demand for a simpler one-way download-only product for people who just want to take their customer information on the road but don't use their Pocket PC for data entry. We may even keep the one-way product around at a lower price after the two-way synch ships for those users who don't care about doing data entry on the road.

Everyone who buys 1.0 will get a free upgrade to version 2.0, due out before the end of the year. While version 1.0 will work with ACT! 2000, 5.0 and 6.0, you will need ACT! 6.0 for the 2.0 version since there are some synch-related problems in ACT! 2000 / 5.0 that 6.0 fixes. That something which has held up our development of the synch component but now seems to be fixed with ACT! 6.0, so the synch part development is now underway again.

The list price for version 2.0 will almost certainly be higher than 1.0, so the 1.0 with free 2.0 upgrade will also save you some money. We'll be sending mailers out with all the details in the coming weeks. If you would like to receive this information, please sign up at www.pinpointtools.com/inforequest.htm

The 1.0 product is currently in beta test and is being shown at most of the ACT! 6.0 Launch Events taking place all around the country this month. You can see a complete list at www.act.com/news/events There is a show special discount on Trans/ACT for the events we are attending. My partner, Lon Orenstein, is presenting at most of the events but I am also at a few of them. If you're in the Dallas area, please come to the free event we're hosting on August 28 and you can ask me questions in person! To sign up please visit www.pinpointtools.com/act6

I'll check back on this forum from time to time and try to answer questions. Please cut me a little slack since, as you can imagine, we are extremely busy with with the ACT! 6.0 launch, the new Trans/ACT and revisions of all our other products. Thanks!

[tjmckiernan]

Hello again,

We've posted some updated information and new screen shots for our forthcoming Trans/ACT for Pocket PC product. Here is the link:

http://www.pinpointtools.com/pocketpc

The product will be released on September 16. Any questions, please email [email protected]. Thanks!

[tjmckiernan]

Hello again everyone,

Version 1.0 of Trans/ACT for Pocket PC has been released. Thanks to those of you who participated in the beta process. Your feedback was very valuable!

You can learn more about the product at:

www.pinpointtools.com/pocketpc

A free 10-day trial copy can be downloaded at:

www.pinpointtools.com/downloads.htm

And you can purchase the product on Handango at:

http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?productId=43641

If you have any questions, please call us at 800-238-0560 (US only) or +1 214-905-0401 (International) or send email to [email protected]. Thanks!