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calendars - remembering the almond milk and sea moss smoothies

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Steven Avery:
Hi Folks,

  In the spring and summer I start "missing" more events than in the winter, so I start to wonder...

 Calendar software is a tricky area, so much so that I am always tempted to return to the last I actually used consistently for awhile - Calendar Creator, now Plus. Many years back.  Oh yeah, I also used Time & Chaos reasonably well for awhile.

  However a spot of time has marched on, here are my thoughts beyond the :

OBVIOUS
Decent screen view and printouts.
Easy entry.
Recurring events should be reasonably simple and powerful.

 However the fancy custom calendar backgrounds for printing that some give are unimportant.  The theme here is practical.

REMINDERS
are close to a necessity.  Either pop-up from tray or even better more sophisticated stuff, like to a cell phone. They should be reasonably flexible (e.g. every day for a week before the event).

OVERLAYS (Groups/Categories)
are a necessity for me to be happy with such a program.  You should be able to look at your "radio" calendar or "local events" calendar separately or with "ALL". Preferably you should be able to choose to group a few categories together for a custom calendar. This calendar may include my "Local Events" and "Concerts" and "Conferences" but not my other dozen groupings like personal finance deadlines or internet and radio events or work stuff.  

This is more possible if the grouping allows a sub-grouping concept .. and that is more likely if the calendar is the outgrowth of a ToDo with sub-categories. However sub-groups is not a necessity and may barely exist anywhere well in calendar software.

And asking for geographic savvy is likely a bit too much to ask, but I could include that to an extent in my defined categories (easier with sub-groups).

PRIORITIES
Are a necessity.  I may put into the calendar some radio or internet events that are high priority, but a dozen other may be normal schedules that are there as a "look-see" in the AM but otherwise not important.  Thus the event I really want to remember is high priority (or number = 8 ) and the others are a 1 or 2 or low.  They are in the calendar but only if I include the low priorities.  Three priorities would be ok but a number system is superior.

And it would be nice if deadlines are hard or soft.  That is again more likely coming out of a ToDo manager.  There is a big difference between a calender notice that has an event on a certain date (my vehicle inspection is due) and one that is a flexible job deadline.  This distinction in dates (coming from ToDo stuff like .. ugh .. GTD) is nice to build in one way or another.  e.g. A calendar event of a soft deadline does not disappear when the day passes, it asks to be reset to a later date. Ok, all this is not a necessity.

URL Hot-links
Clearly this is a feature that you would expect today. Close to necessity.

===============================================

One other question is very important.  It would be very nice if this calendar was not an orphan calendar, but was integrated to a high-quality To-Do list or PIM (email I would ignore at this time, although in the long run Thunderbird might be integratable, today I use Eudora.  Tbird has various connections and extensions to consider).  

Integration would be especially nice to a ToDo, which is a natural complement and integration to calendar.  PIM is nice because it may allow a drag-and-drop to have stuff like the phone # put in without a recheck or retype (Time & Chaos had some of that functionality).

 I used Time & Chaos (now Chaos Intellect) for awhile and it was reasonable on all this, however it was clearly stronger on PIM features like contacts than ToDo or calendar. I would even consider returning to such a program, even in a commercial version, if the calender is strong and integrated well.  After T&C I poked around (e.g. Essential PIM and Pimex) yet never found a really fine alternative PIM, and I also consider building my own with a database program with or without template. (This might be Alpha Software, or a project to help me learn WinDev or Magic Software, but those last two would have a work-related learning aspect since they can run on the iSeries/AS400 data as well as the PC.)

  Otherwise I would continue to use Linkman as my primary PIM (with which I am quite happy, since it has a natural web-integration and fast look-up) and use something like ToDoList (Abstract Spoon) if the calender program and ToDo cannot be one program per my requirements.  ToDoList has a separate calendar plug-in, but I tend to doubt that it mustard-cuts for the above.  As for my current tools, I also use NoteZilla and KeyNote-NF, with NoteZilla recently moving up the ladder.

  It is possible that some programs like Agenda At Once or Ultra Recall or Exstora or this and that have a lot of this stuff. If you have experience with one that is looks like it can do the calendar job above, give a holla. Who knows, I may already have the program license.  Also InfoQube may be a player, it is the type of PC-friendly database program that may have some modules that fit the needs above.  I would jump right into Agenda or InfoQube or UltraRecall if they are strong enuf and malleable enuf (AAO in native mode, InfoQube in building/programming mode, Ultra Recall in the middle).

 On the straight calender with some ToDo.. Rainlendar is often mentioned, perhaps it fits the bill ?  Does it make the "de minimus" above ?

 Ok, one other obvious question.

HOME PUTER or ONLINE

  Can a RemembertheMilk or another online program do this well ?  Does it have the layered and priority functions and more ?  If so, I will try that route. I am happy to let this be a home puter function, an online function, or both integrated .. if the functionality is excellent.

Oh, along the same line.

BLACKBERRY INTEGRATION

   Blackberry, IPhone, Palm. Clearly this is the rage this day, yet I am not so excited.  I would be more than happy knowing what is happening each day early in the morning by a little screen and/or print reminder.  Right now I have a cell phone, simple clam-shell Samsung that is very functional.  While I would consider the move to a Blackberry or some other carry-around organizer, I do not consider that a driving force.  In a sense I consider that a bit too intrusive, similar to how I gave up on laptops and notebooks some years back.  Yet if your Blackberry-type experiences have been positive, share away.

================================

OVERLAYS AND GROUPS vs. MULTIPLE CALENDARS

  A popular backwards method today is to sync multiple calendar.  See that type of discussion in the comments here.

How to Sync Any Desktop Calendar with Google Calendar
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2008/07/how_to_sync_any_desktop_calendar_with_google_calendar-2/

Or in this one, although it is also has other issues, trying to use the .ics format over multiple calendar programs.

Use Drobox To Synchronise Multiple Rainlendar Calendars
http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2009/05/use-drobox-to-synchronise-multiple-rainlendar-calendars/

Question.  
Does this .ics format support some the features I am asking for above ?

 And note, there is mention of "sub-calendars" (hard to work with externally) within Outlook.

 Multiple calendars is exactly what I want to avoid.  Imho, the only really sensible method is one calendar with flexible groupings.  One master calendar.  You may "export" from it for a particular reason (e.g. web access, fancy printing) but the data repository should be solid and singular.

==================================================

  Your thoughts and experiences and suggestions ?

Shalom,
Steven

CodeTRUCKER:
If you do not have to have a "visual" tool, I am experimenting with a former giveaway on DC, "My Life Organized."

It is a different animal than most "calendars/todos."  Actually, it is not completely fair to categorize MLO as a "non-visual" tool since it does present highlighting, coloring, bolding, etc. in a tree-structure of your appointments and tasks with appropriate chronology.  

[attachthumb=#1][/attachthumb]

Take a look at these screenshots too.  Click on the images to see a bigger picture.  The developer, Andrey Tkachuk (TaskMan when he was on DC) has developed algorithms that "weigh" your tasks/appointments with information that you assign to each item.  While this sounds somewhat involved, it really becomes somewhat intuitive after working with it.  I believe the main difference is MLO matches your ToDos with your circumstances helping you t9o get the most DONE in the least time possible.  MLO "suggests" an itinerary for you, kind of like a competent secretary that knows your commitments.  MLO also has a mind-mapper too!  MLO has a lively forum as well.  If Andrey ever did add a visual calendar, MLO would have the potential to become a force to be reckoned with in this genre of apps.  

As I said, I am experimenting myself.  Shifting from a "visual" calendar to a text-based "secretary"(?) like MLO is not for the faint-hearted.  Mainly, you have to "let go" of your control over your life to another entity and just enjoy the order your "secretary" creates from the chaos.  

A final note... I invite everyone to try the free version.  Even if you eventually choose not to shift paradigms, you may find a nugget or two to put in your pocket.  Win I won a copy on DC way-back-when, I used it until I had to have my pretty pictures back, but I learned two distinct improvements I have used since then and will continue to implement in the future.  

Steven, I do not think I answered any of your questions, but I think MLO is worthy of your consideration.

[Edit] - I am not giving a seal of approval as I am still examining it myself, but I am intrigued with what I "perceive" to be the methodology.  Time will tell.

Dormouse:
I'm not completely sure what you are looking for, or even whether you really are looking for a calendar.

Nearly everything you describe can be done through a todo list  with all the bells and whistles.
The key is a) what you expect from your screen view, and b) whether you expect your input driver to be the events themselves or the available space on the calendar; if it's the latter then you really will be wanting to input into the calendar. ToDoList will do it; NoteZilla almost does it but hasn't got a calendar view. IQ will probably do it once the Outlook integration is up and running.

So what is it you are wanting as calendar functions rather than timed event functions?

Steven Avery:
Hi Folks,

The goal is super-solid calendar and reminder functionality, in one database. (extractable sub-calendars .. ie. overlays).  Generally the PIM's fall a little short, most are weak on ToDo groups and categories and priorities (limiting the ability to create alternate calendars from one database) while ToDos are stronger starting possibility, since groups and priorities can be in their native function. Similarly note programs, while possibly strong on reminders, are weak on both the calendar and grouping/category/priority concepts.

   And database-style programs take a lot of effort to get from point A to Z, although if they have built in reminder/calendar capabilities .. they remain possible. That is why I wondered about InfoQube and UltraRecall, as mid-way tries.  (Database style with functionality built-in.)

  For the pure database programs .. Alpha and Filemaker and WinDev .. also Magic and Clarion .. you would have to be working with a developed app, or build it yourself owning the software license. My interests would be, in order, WinDev, Alpha, Magic .. other.  One advantage (?) there is that you could build your own app.

 Thus, ToDos may be the natural starting point, work from ToDo to Calendar and Reminder.  MLO is definitely a possibility.  Similarly Agenda At Once, I will give a look-see. ToDoList is a fine program, I should check if the calendar plugin really can maintain the variable calendar flexibilities that I seek. Can any of those give the full integration ?

  Calendar - multi-viewed overlay
  Reminder
  ToDo - as the source info for the above

  If they also handle Contacts, so much the better, but minor. As I have no PIM -contact manager these days, using instead my "pseudo-PIM" (Linkman bookmarks). Other functions are more far afield, notes and sticky notes and web snippets.

  Dormouse, space on the calendar is fine by me.  This is meant to be event-driven, not schedule creation.  There can be three events at the same time, or none for a week.

 Not sure what is the IQ reference.  There is the IQ-notes of Paresi ? However, whatever the reference,  Outlook is not my tea.  Sunbird and extensions I would be  check out if it has some pizazz.

  Right now my three tries for full-fledged calendar/reminder :
 
 My Life Organized - (if calendar views and prints are sufficient)
 Agenda At Once  
 ToDoList - (depending on plug-in functionality)

  What program can really go from ToDo to full calendar overlay functionality ?  Perhaps one of these.  Any other suggestions are welcome.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

Dormouse:
I've tried pretty much all the calendar progs that I have been able to find. None of them really come anywhere cloe to doing what I want (wrote about that here once). But what you want appears to be completely different.

Most calendars have a variety of views going from the day to months and a listing of events within them. If the latter is sufficient, a lot of programs can do what you want. Or similar.

Since you are already using it, you could try NoteZilla. It has Priorities, Categories (Tags) and hierarchical folders. It has contacts and links to email or the network. You can get it to produce lists of notes in date order. Assuming you put (or cut and paste) details of the events in the notes, you can switch all the notes for a period into a temporary menuboard and see details of all those events at once (actually works as a copy rather than a move). At least trying something like this that you already know will give you a clear idea of what is important that it doesn't do, which could inform your further search.

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