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Time may be running out for e-mail software as we know it. Blame its demise on the emergence of integrated groupware programs like Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook 98, and Netscape's upcoming Communicator 5, which meld a browserlike interface with e-mail, scheduling, and basic file management. Until now, Notes--the product that pioneered this concept more than a decade ago--has been awkward to use. But all that may be about to change. The next version of Notes, Release 5, will feature an improved interface, designed to address navigation and usability issues.

Groupware packages let you perform multiple tasks without having to hop between disparate applications. But Notes' proprietary interface has long flouted many Windows navigation conventions, creating undue confusion. The new Notes interface, which Lotus demonstrated for PC World, should make the product much easier to use and more consistent with current Windows applications. Notes' core is its support for replicable, highly customizable databases; at press time, Lotus had not announced any changes to this technology.

Lotus plans to ship the upgrade late this year, and a beta version of R5 should be available as a download from the company's Web site by the time you read this. The final version will probably cost about the same as the current version, which sells for $69 per user. Domino, the server-software component of Notes' groupware system, starts at $1795.

Even if you're a newcomer to Notes or LAN-based e-mail, you may find that the revamped product deserves serious consideration. Like Outlook, Notes R5 can act as both a stand-alone Internet e-mail client and a personal information manager.