I've so far (in 2 masters) avoided using electronic reference management systems but recorded everything in my MSc as I went along (190 sources) then I manually edited it using for what actually made it to the final cut.  Have just embarked on PhD and at the moment my dining room is full of boxes of papers and piles of books (a system which looks disorganised but which served me well through my MSc)which I need to start to organise. Word 7 has a reference management facility which I have started to us but I don't know how it compares with specialist software - anyone any experience? Should I go for endnote (which my uni uses), stick with word or try something else?

Sorry to be so negative but if you can't write a personal statement (which is what 1500 words) how do you think you are goign to write a PhD (75,000 words)?