Decent but unstable/oddly designed complement to iOS versions

As a metalayer / mini-CRM on top of your existing iCloud contacts Contacts Journal is best in class. Several months of iOS use between iPhone/iPad = flawless. Unfortunately the OS X version brings with it a few issues:

1) It crashes. A lot. Thankfully no data loss but an annoyance nonetheless.
2) Contacts added under iOS aren not recognized as added in OS X (thereby prompting you to add again and duplicating).
3) Text entry fields for Logs/etc are presented as slide-down dialog boxes vs OS X Notes style entry, consequently losing all text entered if the app crashes unexpectedly.
4) No way to force sync to iCloud, creating issues if you bounce between your Mac and iPhone/iPad and need to ensure data’s absolutely in sync.
5) It does not feel like a $50 app given limited features/capabilities/stability. iPad version’s $20, iPhone another $10. For folks looking to “collect all 3” it would be great to have an option for a discount when buying the OS X version.

All this said, CJ has great potential to add more capabilities down the line, especially in the area of custom fields (which address many of the concerns for “I need a field that does X” posted by earlier reviews). While other Mac CRM’s like Daylite offer more advanced email integration/tagging across devices, CJ fits a critical niche in servicing small business, contractors, or anyone who wants to dip their toe in the CRM market without giving up the contacts lists they have already built up in their address book.

clifster about Contacts Journal CRM