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Is Address Book underpowered, or am I using it wrong?

R

reubs

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jun 22, 2006
1,891
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I'm not a power user of the OS X apps by any means, but I do have a pretty substantial address book, and I like to keep each of the cards as detailed as possible. Setting up groups seems to be pain when smart groups *could* be so easy. For example, what's the point of having a "Note" section if I can't access those notes for making a smart group?

I guess I'm just wondering if I'm missing something about Address Book. Anyone else frustrated with it, or do I just need to learn to adapt my needs to what it offers?
 
I don't think you're missing anything at all. I find the address book to be very simplistic and not capable of smart groups. If I'm wrong then so be it but in my experience as a user of the address book I've never been able to do that.
 
Daylite is a good alternative. There are a couple (very few) great alternatives to mac's address book. I don't use them and would be curious to know if you can sync your iPhone contacts through them (that is assuming you use an iPhone).
 
jessica. said:
Daylite is a good alternative. There are a couple (very few) great alternatives to mac's address book. I don't use them and would be curious to know if you can sync your iPhone contacts through them (that is assuming you use an iPhone).
Click to expand...

I don't have an iPhone but there is an app available which seems great...
 
reubs said:
I'm not a power user of the OS X apps by any means, but I do have a pretty substantial address book, and I like to keep each of the cards as detailed as possible. Setting up groups seems to be pain when smart groups *could* be so easy. For example, what's the point of having a "Note" section if I can't access those notes for making a smart group?

I guess I'm just wondering if I'm missing something about Address Book. Anyone else frustrated with it, or do I just need to learn to adapt my needs to what it offers?
Click to expand...

Umm, I create Smart Groups based off what is written in the notes section of the address book entries all the time.
 
swiftaw said:
Umm, I create Smart Groups based off what is written in the notes section of the address book entries all the time.
Click to expand...

Here's the thing...

I work at a church, and I have to coordinate a number of the different ministries we have here. Many of these ministries have acronyms for their names (LEM, EYC, etc). I put the ministries that different people are a part of in the Note section.

I go to create a Smart Group for LEM, and I get all of the LEM people, but lo and behold I also get folks in that smart group who are named "Salem" or some other name that contains the letters "LEM" in it.

Am I missing something on this simple feature, or is there no way to create a Smart Group using the contents of ONLY the Note field?
 
reubs said:
Here's the thing...

I work at a church, and I have to coordinate a number of the different ministries we have here. Many of these ministries have acronyms for their names (LEM, EYC, etc). I put the ministries that different people are a part of in the Note section.

I go to create a Smart Group for LEM, and I get all of the LEM people, but lo and behold I also get folks in that smart group who are named "Salem" or some other name that contains the letters "LEM" in it.

Am I missing something on this simple feature, or is there no way to create a Smart Group using the contents of ONLY the Note field?
Click to expand...

Yes, Change the setting from "Card contains ....." to "Note contains ........."
 
swiftaw said:
Yes, Change the setting from "Card contains ....." to "Note contains ........."
Click to expand...

Curse.

I opened that window up over and over and over, and I never saw that one sitting there at the bottom.

Thanks for pointing that out!

Now, I stand by my thoughts that Address Book is underpowered but not as underpowered as I thought.

Thanks again! :eek:
 
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