PIM user notes, practices, opinions?

[ckpurvis]

Hello, all!

For various reasons I have not used my SL-5500 very much at all in the year or so since I bought it.  However, I recently had occasion to change my desktop OS, and am now dusting off the Z for use as, among other things, my PDA.  I know people use their Zauri for many things, but PDA/PIM/sync functions are very high on my need-to-have list.  In order to have better sync capabilities I have even switched to Outlook 2003 (though I am holding out on the email side of that... for now!)

I am a hardcore planner.  I carry Franklin-Covey planners and use the heck out of them.  I make heavy use of to-do lists, appointments, alarms and calendars.  One concern I have regarding the Z or any handheld device is the storage capaciry and archival functions.

So my question is -- those of you who use your Z as a PDA/PIM tool -- what are your impressions of the storage capacity of the SL-5500 (or Zaurus in general) for these types of PIM data?  Are you doing any sort of information purging or cycling-out to make way for newer data?  Are you archiving historical information, and if so, how are you doing this?

I'm looking less for a step-by-step HOWTO than I am for some "best practices" or processes that work for those of you who're more Zaurus-experienced than I am.  Thanks for any info you can share!

[Tehas]

I use my PIM stuff all the time and synch with Outlook too to keep my calendar, contacts, and notes up to date.  I don't synch email nor to-do.

I've been using mine for a year now and don't have storage problems.  I do have an SD card (formatted as ext2) and I install as many apps there as I can.  

I have not set up anything to purge PIM data.   I would think that if you purge it that it would try to remove it from Outlook but this is just a guess.  Come to think about it, there might be something that you can config with the synch software.

I did try To-Do but didn't  like them.  Instead, I keep two Notes one for Current Tasks and one for Completed tasks.  I organize my to-do stuff with these notes.  It gives me the ability to keep track of stuff and organize it by project  or team....  A poor man's hierarchial to-do.  I've looked at things like IQNotes but since they don't synch I was turned off by them.

The standard Sharp Calendar is weak with Alarms - I wish it had a snooze.  The repeating appts are also weak - I usually set them up in Outlook and let it take care of the tough stuff (like exceptions to repeating meetings).

I've tried KOPI but noticed that it seem to suck up major RAM and would cause me to kill other apps.  It had better stuff like snoozing alarms.  Not convinced that I like the screens with it.

It would be cool to have something like the Franklin-Covey methodology on the Z.  Something to help with Roles & Goals etc.  

Hopefully the rambling thoughts helped.

[ckpurvis]

Interesting.  Glad to hear that I don't have to come up with a solution RIGHT NOW.  I am currently using a CF card for MP3s (long commute, so I listen to audio books).  Speaking of the Franklin Covey stuff, there is a Franklin Covey product called PlanPlus for Outlook.  I noted tonight that there's a free demo -- I'll hopefully know soon if that will sync in a meaningful way.  I somehow doubt it, but it would still be nice.  Of course I'd not have the daypages or anything on the Zaurus, but... we shall see.  Anyow, it's linked below.  I like the look of it, but will just have to see how it works.  The old Win 3.1 Franklin software was pretty but never ran properly for me...

To-Do is a Big Deal for me, but my only gripe with the Sharp Todo is the lack of hierarchical tasks (as far as I have noticed).  Outlook 2003 doesn't really support that either, so it's really a non-issue.

KOPI looked good to me, and I didn't mind the small-screen layout.  If I could sync it properly to a program on my (unfortunately) Windows desktop, then I'd probably have used that.  Really, the PIM stuff is high-enough priority that I'll largely abandon multitasking, if that feature works.  But, no sync, no good.

Thanks for your story -- I appreciate the experience.

PlanPlus for Outlook

[Zuber]

Not tried it, but I thought KO sync. was possible with desktop counterpart.

Or at very least let you work on one and copy to other.

[gdfj12]

KOpi has a Windows version that does sync with the Zaurus.. It has much better alarms & IMO is much better than the Sharp Calendar app.  

Zautrix, the main programer/deveolper doing the porting & improving of KOrganizer for the Zaurus is also working on KAddressbook & is improving the OPIE Mail app to all function together.

Search this board for KDE/PIMpi or KOpi or KApi, there are several threads on these subjects, with links to the download pages for these programs

gdfj12

[bluedevils]

KOPI can sync with the sharp PIM database (DTM).  It's just an extra step.  First you sync with the sharp apps and then kopi syncs with them.

I find not having kopi on fast load helps on resources, though it might be slower on a 5500.  I installed kopi on my sister's 5500 and the first thing I noticed is how cramped it looked.  Changing the font sizes should help things quite a bit.

[ckpurvis]

Ooh!  I had somehow missed the Windows port of KO/pi in my earlier looks at PIM software.  Thanks for the heads-up on that -- I certainly prefer *not* using Outlook, if I can avoid it.  Some weird fixation on security, I suppose.  I'll be downloading that tonight...  

[ulf1]

Ooh!  I had somehow missed the Windows port of KO/pi in my earlier looks at PIM software.  Thanks for the heads-up on that -- I certainly prefer *not* using Outlook, if I can avoid it.  Some weird fixation on security, I suppose.  I'll be downloading that tonight... 

Be aware that we found a problem with phonenumbers when sharing addressbooks between the windows and the zaurus version of Ka/Pi.

This issue will be fixed in one of the next versions. In the meanwhile you should make backups, to import them later again if the bug is fixed.

thanks,
Ulf