Major Problem Manageing a Database

[traveler]

I am hopeing against Hope that I might find an answer to my problem here. I just received a new Ipaq 3955, which is wonderful. The problem isn't with the Ipaq but the software and the way it works with my database of customers. I was used to the way my previous Aero 2180 organized my contacts. Let me explain. I am a sales rep and cover 14 States, so what I did was used 14 State names for my Catagories. No problem so far. NOW the problem is that the Aero was able to sort by "Business City Address" in the column on the left and the next column would be "Business Name". So I had a nice ability to just to up to the "Tools" menu and click on "Sort By Catagory" and choose let's say "California" and check mark that. it would proceed to give me ALL of the California accounts and on the left I would see in nice alphabetical order the Cities, and then the Company Names. Made it amazingly easy as I traveled a given State to work the State and see all the cities I was either in or going to. NOW what I am dealing with using the PocketPC 2002 software is it gives me 2 choices. Sort By Company or Sort By Name.........pretty darn USELESS. I was told by Compaq that surely there is SOME 3rd party software that could do what my Aero did in software. Again (1) Sort By Catagory-State) (2) Show a column first on the far left of the City, then (3) next to the City show the Company Name and from there I can click on the company name and get all the info in a blink. Is there ANY inspired folks here that can recommend a PocketPC software package capable of THIS? PLEASE HELP!!!

[AnswerDude]

Try using "Find" feature. Click Start, then Find (2nd from the bottom), then put in the state you want and under type pick Contacts, it should show the list of all the contacts from that state.

[traveler]

I'll give that a try. Should have known a person from Chi Town would figure it out. I grew up there Thanks again. I'll try it.

[traveler]

What you have suggested didn't get me any closer than setting up CAtagories as State Names and just going the Catagory route. I STILL can not view my accounts via their Business City in order from A-Z. THIS is the minimal thing I need to accomplish. If I can simply sort by Catagory and then show the accounts by "Business City from A-Z than I'll have a shot at it. I'm still going to have to search far and wide for some software that gives me that column "Business City" capability. Keep thinking about it please.........

[ElCamino]

Travler, try and download the Pocket Informant 3.1 this is 3rd party software that will more than you want. You can download a trail verison so you can test it out. The link for this is at www.pocketpcpassion.com hope this works for you.

[traveler]

Thanks. I looked at that and felt pretty comfortable with a program I checked out called "MyContacts 1.6. this gives me the necessary view I can work with and is quite customizable it seems. Nice color scheme, minimal memory load and fast. Thanks guys........