"It's not due till tomorrow, right?" I was talking with my editor and could smell the cigar smoke through the phone. I had missed the deadline for the column. But this time I had a really good excuse.

It turns out researchers examined my DNA and discovered a new--and quite rare--disorganization gene. It was responsible for my messy desk, cluttered garage, and missed deadline.

One remedy might be a personal secretary. You know, someone to take dictation and screen my calls. But even if I had the space in my 8 by 10 home office, there's no way I could afford an employee. So I rely on a contact manager or PIM, aka, a personal information manager.

PIMS Are Very Personal

I've played with dozens of contact managers and PIMs, searching for one that suited my working style. My secret love is a PIM from Baseline Data Systems called Info Accelerator 8.0, about $80. It's fast, unobtrusive, and easy to use, yet powerful and intuitive. It feels like the product's a combination of the best features from dozens of products. I use it as a stand-alone, but it seamlessly adds itself into Word for some astonishing integration features. There's a 30-day trial, so give it a whirl.

Another PIM I've used--and like--is RedBox Organizer, a $40 program once known as DeskTop Set. It's shareware, so you can try it out. Grab a trial version from our Downloads section.

Dig this: Here's one Blue Screen of Death you don't want to get from your PIM.

I like PIMs, but one guy who gets really excited about them is PCWorld.com's editorial applications development manager, Matthew Newton. Catch his rave in "Info Select 6 Has Tools to Organize Your Life."

But not all PIMs are created equal. Lincoln Spector flogged InfoHandler in his scathing review, "Shareware PIM Versatile but Difficult."

Don't want to take our word for it? There are 70 PIMs available in our Downloads library.

Cutting-Edge PIMs

Contributing Editor Stan Miastkowski gets to look at all the cool stuff--like a PIM he can wear so everyone can have a look at it. See what he says in "Put Your PIM on Your Watch."

Dig this: So you say the watch in the above blurb wasn't intriguing enough? Fine. I have another--something that will make your day (and the deadlines) pass more quickly.

Interested in a Web-based PIM? It might not be a bad idea, because it lets you get to your info from any Web-connected PC. And it's ideal if you have a wireless device--say, a Handspring--with limited storage. Visto might be worth a try, so read up. Start with "Web PIM Goes Wireless," then zip over to "Visto Builds a One-Stop In-Box."

WordPerfect users are holding their breath over what the CorelCentral PIM will look like in the new WordPerfect Office 2002. Details are in "Dispatch."

Use Outlook? Try This Tip

Lemme guess--you're stuck with Outlook, maybe because it's mandated by your company or, as Office's PIM, it's sort of a default. Life ain't fair, I know, but at least there's an easy way to back up your Outlook Calendar file. Close Outlook and then find the file's location: From the Windows Desktop, hit the F3 key to use Windows' File Find. Make sure the Look In field shows My Computer, and don't forget to check the Include Subfolders box. Type outlook.pst in the Named field. Save the file to a Zip drive or other backup device. If nothing else, save the file to another folder on your hard drive in case the original is ever damaged.

For more Outlook backup and restoring tips, check out "Find Those Outlook Files."

And if you're obsessed with backing up Outlook, read Microsoft's definitive "Working With Personal Folders."

But Wait, There's More

Outlook's calendar is boring (but hell, so are some of the meetings you're stuck attending). So you might as well perk things up with CyberSecretary, a cute add-on. Read the details--and download a shareware trial version--at PCWorld.com's Downloads.

Dig this: Have you seen the latest Microsoft combined operating system? It's CE, Me, and NT rolled into one.

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