Author Topic: PIM's (Read 31973 times)

Josh · « **on:** May 08, 2007, 07:05 PM »

I am looking for a good PIM program and open myself up to the likes of all the donationcoder citizens. Being that I've made requests for things like this from you all, I trust and value your input. So if you could, please list which you use or have tried, their strengths and weaknesses and what you like most/least about them. I, ideally, want one that does all the basics (calendar w/ reminders, todo, contact management) plus some advanced features (encryption of data, backup system, import from programs like thunderbird).

Thoughts? Conundrums? Concurrments?

tomos · « **Reply #1 on:** May 09, 2007, 02:21 AM »

I like agenda at once
cause you can see list notes scheduler & calender all at one time.
Loads of shortcuts, fairly logical interface whatever.

Theres beta testing going on at the moment - dont know how long thats going to last.
http://www.datalands....php/board,20.0.html

It doesnt seem to do contact management,
I dont know how many of the (many) requests they're going to implement.

Personally I find myself getting more & more frustrated with the outlining method of most PIMs/Todo lists

Things get lost in subtasks of subtasks -
I like to be able to organise in that manner but
I would love some sort of tagging system or being able to say mark X and Y etc. from different projects as next-tasks
and
then being simply able to see X and Y etc. at one time
and
then add them as appropriate to your scheduler/calender

Am i making sense...

I'm going back to index cards if i dont find something like that
Thinking along the lines of -
for example - six small indexcard boxes
maybe one for each of five projects and one for miscellaneous

If I have them all in a row i can then see at one glance the next-action-task from each category.
And hopefully take appropriate action

rjbull · « **Reply #2 on:** May 09, 2007, 03:38 AM »

Zaine Ridling's mini-review and subsequent thread on ITSD Organizer

sri · « **Reply #3 on:** May 09, 2007, 03:51 AM »

do-Organizer is the only one I tried.

I stopped using it after I discovered EverNote (I know it's not a PIM) not because do-O is bad, but because I didn't need the advanced stuff it has to offer.

Give it a try. You might like it. A very nice feature it has is a dockable bar that has buttons for contacts, calendar, scribe (notes), etc. which is hidden and only appears when you mouse over..so you v. quickly reach out for any of the sections in it.

TucknDar · « **Reply #4 on:** May 09, 2007, 05:16 AM »

I was on a PIM-hunt for ages, and ended up with EssentialPIM (Portable). There is a free version, but I use the Pro (paid) version, as it has some features I really wanted that weren't in EPIM free (hierarchical to-do, among others).

Before I ended up paying for EPIM I tried several free ones. VORG Express looks impressive, but it felt really clunky and heavy.

One that I liked, but was a bit too basic and didn't have to-do lists, and an interface that left something to be desired, is Chaos Manager 2.

TucknDar · « **Reply #5 on:** May 09, 2007, 05:18 AM »

Anothe free one is Nomad (Open Source). I haven't tried it, but that is partly since it's in Java, and I've yet to use a program written in Java that feels right. There's just something ... wrong with Java-apps.

Josh · « **Reply #6 on:** May 09, 2007, 11:05 AM »

By any chance, has anyone used essentialPIM pro or free extensively? I am just starting to test this one out and want to see what a long standing user thinks of it. Thanks!

cmpm · « **Reply #7 on:** May 09, 2007, 11:58 AM »

Though I don't need a pim,
this was interesting........

http://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php

dk70 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 09, 2007, 03:21 PM »

Ive used free EssentialPim for quite some time and it is ok. Some problems with database but with new 2.0 they change format, sqlite or something. I think they know it is "unstable", check their forums. Oh all you have to do is compact then exception errors dissapear and off you go - not really comforting. Fair price for Pro, more so with solved problems. Simple yet adequate is what most want from a PIM I think and why EssentialPIM is good.

Im still considering Lightning/Sunbird plus the new way of cooperating with Google Calendar as a free alternative - https://addons.mozil...underbird/addon/4631 I can see some possibilites with this, especially as a Thunderbird user - I guess more is coming Google/Mozilla... Not quite there though, where is search function?, so I probably go for EssentialPIM, Pro eventually. Rainlendar paid version can also work with Google Calendar, any compatible calendar format I think... Well, not only a question of features, Google notes already can take care of my notes, Calendar my todos etc., but more about using 1 program to keep things in place with least amount of effort! Where EssesentialPim get points. Appeals to those with simple needs or most likely majority - those feeling do-organizer is an counter-productive if not annoyance, besides way too modular pricing

If you trial 2.0 beta of EssentialPIM be aware old databases will be converted to new format and you cant go back to 1.95 free or paid version! Only a good thing but I dont believe there is any warning about that change.

vradmilovic · « **Reply #9 on:** May 10, 2007, 03:03 AM »

I like agenda at once
cause you can see list notes scheduler & calender all at one time.
Loads of shortcuts, fairly logical interface whatever.
-tomos (May 09, 2007, 02:21 AM)

Thank you for mentioning Agenda At Once, Tomos.

It doesnt seem to do contact management
-tomos (May 09, 2007, 02:21 AM)

Actual v3 beta does have contact management. Regarding other features, there's still lot to be implemented before v3 final.

I like to be able to organise in that manner but
I would love some sort of tagging system or being able to say mark X and Y etc. from different projects as next-tasks
-tomos (May 09, 2007, 02:21 AM)

In the v3 beta, you already can assign multiple categories (or tags) to a task. Current beta allows filtering just by one of them, but one of next betas will allow more complex filters.

Anyway, Josh or anyone interested, if you wish to try AAO v3 beta just let me know and I will add you to beta testers list.

tomos · « **Reply #10 on:** May 10, 2007, 03:26 AM »

In the v3 beta, you already can assign multiple categories (or tags) to a task. Current beta allows filtering just by one of them, but one of next betas will allow more complex filters.
-vradmilovic (May 10, 2007, 03:03 AM)

I'm very happy to hear that

Actually,
I'm just after getting the new Agenda at once beta and haven't had a chance to have a decent look at it yet.

Had a look at EssentialPim screenshots and have to say I'd find it difficult that you cant see the various aspects at one time - in particular the todolist and scheduler.
Or
maybe you can & they just didnt show it ...

cmpm · « **Reply #11 on:** May 10, 2007, 10:48 AM »

Here's one that used to belong to Symantec I believe.
It's quite pricey-$200.00.
Probably the ultimate PIM.

http://www.act.com/

tomos · « **Reply #12 on:** May 10, 2007, 11:39 AM »

Been trying out the V1.1 Beta

It's looking very good -
going back to Josh's first post,

I, ideally, want one that does all the basics (calendar w/ reminders, todo, contact management) plus some advanced features (encryption of data, backup system, import from programs like thunderbird).

the only one I'm not sure about is encryption of data
everything else is there,
it imports .csv files, backups, even now customisable shortcuts.

They're planning a new "column" for the ToDoList by which can be filtered which seems to suit my next-action requirment.

PIM's

vradmilovic · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2007, 08:04 AM »

the only one I'm not sure about is encryption of data
-tomos (May 10, 2007, 11:39 AM)

Old version has it, but as we changed database format this feature should be re-implemented soon.

Josh · « **Reply #14 on:** May 14, 2007, 04:58 PM »

I like agenda at once
cause you can see list notes scheduler & calender all at one time.
Loads of shortcuts, fairly logical interface whatever.
-tomos (May 09, 2007, 02:21 AM)

Thank you for mentioning Agenda At Once, Tomos.

It doesnt seem to do contact management
-tomos (May 09, 2007, 02:21 AM)

Actual v3 beta does have contact management. Regarding other features, there's still lot to be implemented before v3 final.

I like to be able to organise in that manner but
I would love some sort of tagging system or being able to say mark X and Y etc. from different projects as next-tasks
-tomos (May 09, 2007, 02:21 AM)

In the v3 beta, you already can assign multiple categories (or tags) to a task. Current beta allows filtering just by one of them, but one of next betas will allow more complex filters.

Anyway, Josh or anyone interested, if you wish to try AAO v3 beta just let me know and I will add you to beta testers list.

-vradmilovic (May 10, 2007, 03:03 AM)

Dont know how I didnt see your post, can you add me to the v3 beta testers list? I would like to try it out and see if it has what I am looking for in a PIM

Armando · « **Reply #15 on:** May 14, 2007, 10:18 PM »

Have you tried Evolution for Windows ( http://shellter.sour...forge.net/evolution/). The Linux versions is quite good. I don't know about the windows version though.

There's....... Outlook...

(That's what I use for my customized GTD implementation. It's a bit overkill, but I've learned to like it...)

I tried Calendarscope a while ago. Pretty good (feature page : http://www.calendars...pe.com/features.html.

You might like it.

tomos · « **Reply #16 on:** May 15, 2007, 04:36 AM »

Dont know how I didnt see your post, can you add me to the v3 beta testers list? I would like to try it out and see if it has what I am looking for in a PIM
-Josh (May 14, 2007, 04:58 PM)

you might get quicker response if you PM him

Josh · « **Reply #17 on:** May 15, 2007, 06:16 AM »

One step ahead of ya good buddy ;-)

Evolution looks promising, however, I dont need a replacement email client. I will still give it a shot, but I think a dedicated app would be best suited for this task. Thanks for your input

JeffK · « **Reply #18 on:** May 15, 2007, 06:39 AM »

I haven't used it myself but a similar question over on the Powertools Yahoo group drew a river of positives for Azz Cardfile.

Jeff

tomos · « **Reply #19 on:** May 15, 2007, 10:12 AM »

One step ahead of ya good buddy ;-)
-Josh (May 15, 2007, 06:16 AM)

hah -
I thought you would be,
[but you never know!

]

crono · « **Reply #20 on:** May 15, 2007, 11:42 AM »

Oh my God... PIMs... I searched for so long... but for me only Essential Pim (http://www.essentialpim.com) worked. EPim provides Contacts, Schedule, Todo and Notes. Version 2.0 is currently in Beta (see the EPim-Forum for access). It's simply, fast, leaves a relatively small Memory footprint. I used the free version for years and got an update to the pro version last year.

My personal ranking:
1) Essential Pim
2) Agenda at once
3) Outlook 2007

Some pro's and con's of the Tools I tried:

Tool	Pro	Con
MonoCalendar	Nice Gui Opensource	Buggy Calendar only
NomadPim	Opensource	Slow Huge memoy footprint (Eclipse based)
Rainlendar	Small and focused	I dont like the Desktop concept
Haystack	very very cool Project much more than a PIM	Seems to be dead since 2004 much more than a PIM
Calgoo	Google Calendar based (automatically synced)	Calendar only feels kinda slow
Aethera	Stable and full featured	Its so ugly, in my opinion Dead since 8/2005
Outlook 2007	Stable and full featured	to Expensive
Chandler	Successor of the world famous PIM "Ecco" Got a nice book about its development Opensource Looks really nice	In early stage of development

Jimdoria · « **Reply #21 on:** May 24, 2007, 04:39 PM »

Here's one that used to belong to Symantec I believe.
It's quite pricey-$200.00.
Probably the ultimate PIM.

http://www.act.com/
-cmpm (May 10, 2007, 10:48 AM)

Given that this forum is a bit skewed toward the freeware/shareware crowd, I don't know how seriously anyone would be looking into a $200 PIM. But if you are, you might want to keep looking.

ACT is in some ways a great PIM, especially for a small office that needs to share data. But the program has a troubled history and it frequently turns up in articles over at Ed Foster's Gripelog site. (http://www.gripe2ed.com). You might want to check out it out before shelling out the $$$. I know some people who use older versions of it, and I've always found it klunky and very counter-intuitive to use. At this point, probably the only people who should seriously consider ACT are the ones who have already bought into it as a platform.

An up-and-coming contender for best PIM might be the new Scrybe web application (that also runs when you aren't connected to the web!). They certainly have the best demo. http://www.iscrybe.com.

My vote for the "ultimate PIM that's too expensive" still goes to MicroLogic's InfoSelect, which costs a hefty $250 (Palm pilot version extra) but packs in so much functionality you might actually think it's worth it. Of course, I've never actually used Info Select. Too expensive.

But I just now noticed that they offer a trial download, which for years they never did! Maybe I'll finally take it for a test run!

P.S. - Awesome summary table, crono!

Tekzel · « **Reply #22 on:** May 25, 2007, 11:22 AM »

I'm going to have to throw my support behind EssentialPIM too. Its very self contained, even has a portable version. Small, fast, has most of the features I want in a PIM. I have never experienced database problems but I am also not a heavy duty user, I am just not that organized. My only complaint has always been the only contacts view being a grid view and I was told by Max that they are planning to add more contact views. Great program.

Darwin · « **Reply #23 on:** May 25, 2007, 12:08 PM »

crono - thanks for your comments and the table. However, your table doesn't list your top two choices in the PIM arena: EssentialPIM and Agenda at Once. What is it about these two that place them at the top of your rankings? I actually have a licence for both Essential PIM Pro and Portable but never use either - use Outlook 2003 as it does all that I need it too - so I am curious...

patteo · « **Reply #24 on:** May 25, 2007, 12:17 PM »

Has anyone considered Ultra Recall http://www.ultrarecall.com/ ?

It has a pretty active forum with is a good sign.
http://www.kinook.co...hp?s=&forumid=22

It has recently been released as Version 3 and in active development.

And it looks quite impressive and also very customizable - reminds me of Dopus customizability - so it probably can morph into almost any kind of PIM you will like it to me.

And it comes with a set of sample templates, synchronization with Outlook so you can use as a conduit to sync with your PocketPC for example.

You can add all kinds of attributes, forms, capture webpages and search as-you-type (which is probably why it is called Ultra Recall)

And it can import from a whole range of file formats :

Ultra Recall allows you to easily capture information from a variety of applications, using the Internet Explorer or Outlook toolbars, by dragging and dropping, copying and pasting, importing files, or manually entering formatted text. It can handle both local files and online documents, automatically storing and indexing the content of most popular file formats, including:

* ActionOutline
* AskSam
* Firefox/Netscape/Mozilla browsers (bookmarks, web pages, selected parts of web pages)
* InfoSelect
* Internet Explorer (favorites, web pages, selected parts of web pages)
* KeyNote
* ListPro
* Microsoft OneNote (MHT)
* Microsoft Outlook messages, appointments, contacts, and notes
* Microsoft Outlook Express messages
* Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
* Microsoft PowerPoint presentations
* Microsoft Word documents
* MindManager
* MyInfo
* OPML/OML
* Onfolio
* Other browsers (web pages)
* Other email programs (PocoMail, The Bat!, etc. via .eml files)
* PDF (Adobe Acrobat) documents
* Pictures and images
* Text and rich text (RTF) files and clipboard data
* Thunderbird/Netscape email
* TreePad
* Web pages (including MHT)
* Windows Explorer files and folders
* XML files
* ZIP files
* Zoot

Ultra Recall includes an integrated web browser, rich text editor, image viewer, email message viewer, and contact editor, and it provides the ability to easily open captured web pages and documents in their associated application or default browser."
http://www.kinook.co...Recall/products.html

And it allows file exports too so your data is not trapped in there.

But it's not that cheap at US$99.

So like Dopus, if you are looking for power and customizability, this may be it for you.