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Chicago ACT! USER GROUP
Meeting Notes
Meeting Date: March 12, 1997
NEWS YOU CAN
USE: ACT! 3.0 users, the latest release of
ACT! is version 3.0.4. (Use the command HELP, ABOUT ACT! to check which
version you have.) If you don't have the latest update, you can download it
from Symantec's Web site (or use ACT!'s LiveUpdate feature). Current patch
disks are normally available at User Group meetings.
MEETING
FEATURE: Joe Hawkins of TMI Office Systems
was our guest speaker. Joe explained how ACT! users can enjoy some of the
benefits of office automation particularly as it pertains to the use of the
telephone.
Automating with ACT!
Joe suggested that one way ACT! users who spend a lot of
time at their desk on the phone can enjoy some of the benefits of
office automation is to use ACT!’s autodialer. You’ll make fewer
errors dialing. This is more of an issue now than ever before due to
the recent proliferation of new area codes. It seems we are now
dialing 11digits more and more of the time. Also, with an autodialer
you’ll be able to dial faster. Plus you may find that become very
efficient at getting through the day’s calls when ACT! presents you
with the day’s task list and looks up all the contacts you need to
call. Another efficiency improving feature is ACT!’s call timer.
You’ll know right away how long your calls are taking and where you
are spending your time. And who knows, you might even be able to
reduce your phone bill!
To take advantage of automatic dialing, you’ll need a modem
attached to your PC. The modem you use doesn’t have to be very fast.
Even an (inexpensive) 2400 baud modem is fine for dialing the phone.
Once you are in ACT!, just click on the telephone icon to make a
call. As a bonus, all calls are logged in History. And, if you should
need a hard copy of your contacts’ name, addresses, and phone numbers
for your Daytimer, Dayrunner, etc., simply ask ACT! to print an
address book. (The command is FILE, PRINT.)
Caller ID
Caller ID, or the ability to view a caller’s name and phone
number on a special display before picking up the receiver, continues
to be supported by more and more phone companies. As a result, Caller
ID is becoming an increasingly useful feature. If you’ve got ACT!
2.04 or higher, it is possible to configure ACT! to automatically
look up any caller’s contact record (if they have one) as your phone
is ringing. This way, you’ll have complete contact information on
your PC screen by the time you answer the call. (If for some reason
you don’t want ACT! to automatically look up a contact—say you are
entering new contact data—this feature can be temporarily disabled.)
You need a special kind of modem—called a TAPI (Telephony
Applications Programmers Interface) compliant modem—for this to work
properly, plus, caller ID service from you phone company. To
configure ACT! 3.0 for TAPI, use the command EDIT, PREFERENCES.
Select USE DIALER and LOOKUP CONTACT USING CALLER ID.
In the future, expect to see the integration of Caller ID
with voice mail. Soon, these two technologies will be able to
automatically insert a message such as "this call came from so-and-so
at 312-345-6789" prior to a message left in voice mail. Stay tuned!
Joe can be reached at 847-534-8288.
TIP OF THE MONTH:
You may record the details of letter you are sending to a
contact (without saving it) by typing a quick note to yourself just
before printing the letter. Here’s how. Just before printing the
letter (FILE, PRINT), the Create History Windows dialog box will
appear. De-select "Attach Document to History". Then, type your
comments in the "Regarding" box.
OPEN FORUM:
Accessing Symantec’s LiveUpdate
Q I am having trouble accessing LiveUpdate. Do you have any
suggestions for getting through?
A ACT! User Group members report that they have been most
successful accessing LiveUpdate early in the morning (6:30 AM), late
at night, and on Sunday evenings. Try these times if you are
experiencing difficulty. Also, if you are seeking technical support
from Symantec, the best times to call are late in the day or in the
early evening. Monday mornings are particularly busy times you may
wish to avoid.
ACT! and Windows CE
Q Will Windows CE work with ACT!?
A There are currently two handheld computers capable of
running Windows CE and ACT! currently available. ACT! for Windows CE
was demonstrated at the most recent COMDEX show, but has yet to ship.
You may also want to take a look at the Pilot PDAs (Personal Digital
Assistants) currently available. The Pilot machines are economical
and can accommodate up to 4000 ACT! contacts (with notes and
history). You can enter data with a stylus via a miniature
touch-sensitive "keyboard" or by actually writing on the display.
Handwriting recognition is good. (Note: The Pilot will be the feature
of an ACT! User Group meeting later this year.)
OUR NEXT MEETING . . .
of the ACT! User Group will be on May 13 (ACT! and E-mail).
We will break for the summer (no meetings June, July, and August) and
will resume meeting on September 9.
The ACT! User Group (a SIG of the C.C.S.) holds meetings on
the second Tuesday of the month eight months out of the year. User
Group meetings are free and open to all C.C.S. members. They are held
at the Midway Motor Lodge in Elk Grove Village. Call E Tech Systems
at 847-352-4770 to receive meeting notices or e-mail us via
www.etechsys.com.
© Copyright 1997 by Alan M. Lee, all rights reserved. Other
nonprofit computer user's groups may reprint this material providing
credit is given the author and C.C.S. Future rights for publication
reserved by Alan M. Lee. ACT! is a registered trademark of Symantec
Corporation.
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