I’d like to get a discussion going on how you are managing your data: calendar, tasks, contacts, etc.
My sense is that many of you are turning to Web Apps for this, such as Google Calendar, Plaxo, Remember The Milk, BackPack, and so on. And, I suspect you are doing this because, like me, you have several different devices and operating systems and you are looking for a way to keep the same data on all of them.
Web Apps appear to offer a way to do this. Perhaps not perfectly, though, which is why I think we could benefit from discussing this with each other. But, first, a little bit about what motivated this discussion:
- Susan of Mobility Site suggested this as a topic because she is interested in examining alternatives to her Windows Mobile applications.
- Someone suggested via Skribit (on the sidebar) that we discuss the iPod Touch, asking the question “is it a replacement tool for Windows Mobile and Palm - now that new apps have been added?”
- I personally wasted all day trying to sync my Outlook data with my iMac’s iCal and Entourage apps. I had been using Outlook within a VMware Fusion Windows Virtual Machine on my iMac for a long while, and just got to thinking: here I have iCal and Entourage and I am not making use of them, and what if I get an iPhone, which won’t sync with Outlook?
As for my own frustrations, instead of upgrading to the latest Missing Sync and trying to get iCal and Entourage to sync with my Dell x51v, without duplicating events, I would have been better off asking “why not just uninstall Entourage, since I am not using it?” So, I have now uninstalled Entourage and all of the Mac Office apps, since I use Google Apps instead of them anyway.
(I had been through all of this frustration once before, when I first got my iMac, so I should have known better than to try to force so many apps to sync with each other … it can be done, but takes a lot more patience than I have to eliminate all the duplications and so on.)
Anyway, back to the point: what have you tried out for your data tools and what has worked and what hasn’t?
In my own case, I use Plaxo, Outlook, and Google Calendar.
The thing I like about Plaxo is that it has my tasks and calendar and contacts all in one place. As long as I am connected to the web (which seems to be about always), I have all the data in front of me without having to load VMware Fusion so I can run Outllook. And, when I do decide to load Outlook, Plaxo syncs with Outlook. It also syncs with Google Calendar. Plaxo does not have a suitable interface for my BlackBerry, though. I do not know if it does for an iPhone or iPod Touch. Perhaps one of the Plaxo folks can tell us if they have this in the works. Google Calendar has a nice interface on my BlackBerry, but no task application.
I could come close to using Google Calendar only, and doing away with any dependence on Outlook or Plaxo. The key thing that holds me back is that Gcal does not have a tasks application built into it. I could fake one, I suppose. I could create a Friday (end of the week) all-day calendar entry called Tasks, and then fill in my task list into the details section of the entry. I could then just tap on it to see/modify my Task list. Does that sound like a sensible work-around to you? I haven’t tried it out, but I think it could work. Have you tried any such workarounds?
I have the sense that many people are transitioning to Web Apps, and that many more would if not for factors such as
- Having to use Outlook or Lotus Notes at work and not being allowed by IT departments to sync that data with any Web Apps (Gcal, RTM, Plaxo, etc.)
- A lack of appealing all-in-one Web Apps, which handle calendars, tasks, and contacts without one having to go to different sites for each
- Not having the data available when offline (although advances with Google Gears may overcome that)
A good web app certainly has the advantage over traditional software in that you generally don’t have to install anything, or periodically update software, and it gives you the same data in a nice interface whether you are on Windows, a Mac, Ubuntu (or another Linux Distro), a BlackBerry, iPhone, or Windows Mobile or Palm device.
For me, Web Apps could be the only sensible solution for my data, given that I have several different devices and operating systems. What about you?
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I might wait on that IPhone if I were you.
http://www8.garmin.com/nuvifone/
That pretty much says it for me. I got tired of investing so much time and effort trying to sync everything. I realized what I was doing was the equivalent of trying to drive a nail with a socket wrench - “but I like the socket wrench - I want to find a way to make it work for me.” I wanted to make my Axim work in that role but it was just too much effort. I was more concerned with the mechanics of having my to-do’s, contacts and calendar sync’ed than I was in actually making use of the information. Web apps have reduced that headache. I’ve given up on the Pocket PC and now primarily use a browser on whatever device is available.
And it sounds like you are making a good go of it, too, capo. Good for you. Hearing this from you only motivates me further.
I think I am going to go ahead and set up my task list in Gcal using the “Friday appt” method I suggested earlier and then I will see how well I can do with it. I think it will work. And, when I do get an iPhone, which I will likely do sometime this year, then I won’t have to worry about a new sync technology for it.
Thank you.
I might wait on that IPhone if I were you.
http://www8.garmin.com/nuvifone/
Thanks, John. I just read about it a little while ago at the 37signals blog, where they are saying it could be a real competitor to the iPhone.
Thanks for pointing it out … definitely something to think about, especially for those who travel a good bit. For me, now that I am retired, a GPS is just not something I really need, and of course the GPS (and all its related Garmin goodies) are a key selling point for the nuvifone. So, I would still tend toward the iPhone, which I’d really like to see have improved battery life before I bite the bullet on it.
Thanks again.
Definitely look into using Remember the Milk with Google Calendar and Mail because the integration they have with their new Firefox plugins make it look like tasks are integrated natively within Google Mail (Gmail and RTM). It is even better than their GCal integration, in my opinion. Until Google does a native task application, I really enjoy how well RTM has pushed their integration. I like that you can email tasks to add them to your calendar, etc. as well. Reminds me of how easy it is to SMS a new calendar entry to GCal.
I recently tried to move to an all web-based approach, but it failed miserably for me. I wanted to just use Gmail/Gcal/RTM but this broke down for me in several places. I'm a two-device guy (BlackBerry and Pocket PC) and the lack of native sync abilities over the air (OTA) was a deal breaker for me. Even though RTM has MilkSync now and Google released Google Sync for calendar entries and the BlackBerry, it's too much of a hodge-podge of interfaces. I have decided that, at least for now, I will have to keep Hosted Exchange. The sheer number of changes to my calendar each day is too staggering to have to go back to my desk and sync up.
I think it's just that I'm not the right use case for web-based technologies (just yet). I want the ability to sync over the air, but work offline if need be, and on mobile devices. Until Google Gears works on more mobile devices, it won't fit my needs just yet.
Having said all that, I think there are a lot of people that can get by using an all web-based approach, I'm just not there yet. I would love to be, and with things like the GCal SMS interface, I could almost see myself being there.
I would be interested to hear your opinion (or even see you review) Remember the Milk's Gmail integration along with their Google Calendar interface as well. I really think that could solve the problems you're having, Bruce. Especially since the Calendar interface actually adds the entries as another calendar within GCal. You may even be able to sync it with some of the available tools, such as Google Sync on the BB.
Another thing I forgot to mention that is an advantage of the web-based apps: more pervasive ways to add content. For example, with things like GCal and RTM, you can SMS or even email new items from your phone/PDA, even if you're not at a machine that can run the full browser-based version of the software.
Also, they integrate with Jott, so if you think of something while driving, you can speed dial Jott and have it send a new task or calendar entry to RTM or GCal, respectively, all without having to type anything. Try doing that with Outlook or Exchange!
Wait a minute, I just listed a con against my current setup of Hosted Exchange!
Thomas, thank you so much for the comments and suggestions. I will look at RTM and the FIrefox extension more and do an article on it. Sounds like it has promise, especially if my BlackBerry view of Gcal would work out good with it.
As an aside to everyone: talk about multi-tasking: while I was reading this, Thomas and I actually exchanged a couple of emails (via) gmail and had a chat via gchat. I was switching back and forth between the three for a while. Not pertinent, but neat.
Another thing I forgot to mention that is an advantage of the web-based apps: more pervasive ways to add content. For example, with things like GCal and RTM, you can SMS or even email new items from your phone/PDA, even if you’re not at a machine that can run the full browser-based version of the software.
Also, they integrate with Jott, so if you think of something while driving, you can speed dial Jott and have it send a new task or calendar entry to RTM or GCal, respectively, all without having to type anything. Try doing that with Outlook or Exchange!
Wait a minute, I just listed a con against my current setup of Hosted Exchange!
Excellent points, Thomas!
I realize you aren’t ready to do that just yet, but you make a good case that many folks can use Web Apps without the need for hard to manage software (Outlook syncing with iCal, etc).
Yup, with you being such a big fan of hosted exchange, you are making a good case for ditching it
Something else I forgot to mention on this, Bruce. In your post, you reference not being able to sync an iPhone with Outlook, but you can. Via iTunes for Windows, you can sync an iPhone with Outlook, and it pulls over your contacts, calendar, etc. Just something to keep in the back of your mind if you keep Outlook as your one “source of truth” and don’t switch over to the native Mac apps (iCal, Address Book, etc.) instead.
Thanks for bringing this up, Thomas. Yes, with VMware Fusion, I can keep Outlook open while on my iMac, and I would not have thought about the sync via iTunes. Good tip.