Review Your (Lotus) Notes

It's been well over three years since IBM's Lotus Software division rolled out the last major new version of its venerable IBM Lotus Notes groupware product, but longtime users will likely find version 6 worth the wait.

I tested a Lotus Notes/Domino 6 release candidate (gold code should be shipping by the time you read this) and found a lot of things to like--from an overhauled interface to improved mail tools to upgraded calendaring features.

The most notable improvement is a new look--one that is clearly inspired by Microsoft's Outlook. Lotus Notes' revamped welcome page now offers more options, including the ability to link to databases and file folders. And its upgraded preview pane is considerably easier to use.

Lotus claims it has introduced more than 1000 refinements into version 6's messaging and calendaring features. Among my favorites is the ability to edit and then resend an attachment within Notes, instead of having to detach, edit, save, and reattach the file.

Another improvement lets you mark a document for deletion, removing it from the in-box and placing it in the Trash folder (retrievable until the trash is emptied). Previous versions required you to irretrievably delete a document, or move it to a new folder, to remove it from the in-box.

Version 6 also lets you use colors to distinguish mail from key individuals and to differentiate calendar entry types. These changes help, but Notes still needs some additional enhancements (such as the ability to highlight a meeting or to print more-usable calendars).

Despite the remaining deficiencies, version 6 marks a major improvement. System administrators have long embraced Notes; and with this upgrade, everyone else in the company may actually start to like it, too.

SUMMARY

IBM Lotus Notes/Domino 6 (Preproduction version, not rated). Many small improvements yield a stronger overall product, but the calendar still needs some work. $ Pricing unavailable at press time.