Like title states, I'm looking for software to easily manage my contacts from my PC. Searching around I didn't find anything similar to what I was looking for.

Anyone run across something like this?

Install the Desktop Manager software that came with your device or download it from RIM. Choose you PIM setting of choice Outlook, Lotus etc. sync and make your changes via the PIM of choice on your PC (in most cases Outlook) and sync back to the BB.

Most people use Outlook....

Can probably use the Address Book pre-installed app that comes with Windows as well...

Only if it syncs via Intellisync...

I personally think Outlook is satan reincarnate.

I am also only using this phone for SMS with an occasional phone call. I don't even have internet service activated. I have an x50 that I use for internet.

I use gmail as my email service provider. And I surely don't want my entire email contact list on my phone.

And I've never seen this "Address Book" Kurichan speaks of that's supposed to be bundled with Windows?

Hell, if there's a simple unencrypted file that all the bb's contacts are stored in and I could figure a way to pull it off my BB and edit in Notepad I'd even do that.

I just can't get my billion and one contacts off of my Pantec and don't feel like re-entering them one at a time with the little keyboard on my 7100.

The Pantec is crap. It's too new for any local Cingular to have a data cable to pull my contacts off--and there's no way to migrate your contacts from your phones memory to your sim. It's not bluetooth. Plus I only have 1 Cingular SIM card which means I can only have either the BB or Pantec on at a given time.

gotta love bes for this reason...

the address book built into windows i believe is inside outlook express. In the new windows vista there is a separate application called address book.

I'm in the process of getting a Cing sim from a friend so I can at least have both phones on... still gonna be a PITA though.

I manage my contacts and calendar using Time & Chaos (I have the latest 7.0.2.3 running at under 2.90 MB on disk) from Chaos Software. CompanionLink offers the accompanying Time & Chaos Sync application (approximately 15 MB on disk). Be forewarned that you may find yourself $100.00 poorer once you get an opportunity to examine the two in action.

Hell, I can buy 3 like new BB's from my work for that price.

I read on some other post (sorry, no link - no idea where it was) that the Desktop Software can import/export contacts using a CSV file. Alas I don't have it here to look at, but the poster made it seem like it was easy - just a few clicks.

Here this popped up on a Google:
NYU > ITS > Get Connected > Connect On-Campus > PDAs & Handhelds

See 'Import Contacts to Blackberry' under that section. it looks brain dead simple. You can use anything you want now to make that CSV file.

Rivvie... that looks like exactly what I'm looking for. Tragically, as I notice... you need to have Blackberry Internet Service--to which... I don't have. :(

What you'll have to do then is Import the CSV file into Outlook (sorry) and sync that way. I don't really understand why you use a BlackBerry if you don't have internet service of *some* sort -- you really use it only for SMS?

BTW, another out-in-left-field idea: go find a Nokia, or someone's Nokia you can borrow. Install the (free) Nokia desktop software, which has a PIM that can import/export contact. Use that to save all your contacts onto the SIM, then put the SIM into the BlackBerry and suck off all the contacts.

I have internet via my Axim... I got a crazy deal on a small lot of blackberries at work and I hate my Pantech phone... so I decided I'll just use one of these. Plus I can load games on it, etc for when I'm @ work or the bar bored (work at a bar too). And there's always the option down the road of getting the BB service package.

Also, that Pantech (non-flip) is so freaking small it's impossible to txt without physically looking at the keys (I can do it without looking on any other phone) but since they're so small and close together I need to check that I didn't hit multiple keys at once.

So I guess I'm pretty much down to manually typing everything in via the phone. 200 contacts w/ most having alternate #'s... should be fun!

Egads, I'm sorry to see you have to do that. I took a look at the Pantech website, and the PDF manual says you should be able to copy all your contacts to the SIM chip:

Pantech - C300

pp74 (75 in pdf) "Copy All This function copies all information saved on the Phone/SIM card to SIM or Phone. Press the MENU soft key, select 8. Address book, and then select 7. Copy All."

Hey I just booted into Windows here at home (I'm a linux guy) and took a look; you should be able to do this with a CSV file and no internet access. Start the Desktop Software, then run the Synchronize tool. In the tool you can configure your Sync settings for PIM -- click that setup option, and a window pops up with four categories - Address, Calendar, Memo, and Tasks.

Highlight Address and select the button to the right to choose one -- in the ensuing popup box is a choice "ASCII Importer/Exporter"; I personally stopped at this point, but what I would do is choose that option, select a file and try to run it once (think like a dry-run). Make sure you had at least one contact on your BB before doing this, of course.

I'd *think* at that point you should then be able to edit the sync'd CSV file, run the Synchronize applet again and suck in all your 200 contacts, no outlook or anything else needed. I didn't actually try, but it appears straightforward.

This is what I'm currently doing to synch with my gmail contacts.

It's fairly a snap to export your BB info to a text file.
I then edit in Excel.
You have to create a text file on your PC first, and then select that file as the target for the ASCII exporter (as the BB desktop manager calls it).
It won't create the export file by itself, for some odd reason.

Desktop manager->
Synchronize->
Configuration Tab:
"Configure synchronization settings for your desktop..."
Select one of the four applications which can synch data
Click "choose" in the upper right, and select the "ASCII importer/exporter"
Click "ok"
You'll return to the Synchronization Configuration tab.
Wait for a moment
Switch to the synchronization tab, and do it!