PDA or Day Planner

[Guest tmbg]

I recently bought the Cassiopeia Pocket Manager BE-300. At first it seemed fun to "play" with it, checking out all the features and adding information. Now I have become bored with it. I still can return it, though all I would do is buy a Day Planner. They both seem to have their ups and downs. The Day Planner is easy to take to meetings and write in, while the Casio is more compact and appears to be easier to stay organized. When I take into consideration the vast difference in price of the two I am now leaning toward the Day Planner. If you use either I am interested in knowing what brand and your thoughts about the two.

 

Cheers! Ritchie

[Guest NakedTony]

I have a preference for the Franklin Day Planner. I go to a lot of meetings and it's just easier to take notes with my Franklin than a PDA. Been using Franklin for quite some time and really like them better than others on the market.

 

I really love the scheduling and reminder capabilities of a PDA. I just can't take adequate notes with it and can't justify the cost of using both.

[+ deej]

Adjusting to using a PDA instead of paper-based planners can take time and a determined effort. But IMO it's worth the effort.

 

I use a PalmPilot, as do most of my co-workers. You'll rarely see a notepad when we have a meeting. Everyone makes notes on the PalmPilot and when we need to share them we can just beam them to each other.

 

Another useful feature is when someone beams me his business card, it's in my Outlook contacts folder as soon as I synchronize.

[ready182]

I have been a professional IT nerd for over 15 years, yet I still prefer a day planner. I HAVE to use a cell phone, and I HAVE to use E-mail on a laptop. My job is very mobile & virtual -- the last thing I need is another damm gadget to carry, sync the directory with the cell and e-mail, recharge, lose, upgrade, reboot, etc. I like to travel light -- my laptop is 3.5 pounds.

 

I will not switch to a PDA until it is satisfactorily combined with a cell phone. I know of two models that do this now (Kyocera and some other off-brand -- maybe Samsung?), but I'm waiting for the price to come down & the features to mature.

 

I want a combo PDA & cell phone, with an interface to laptop such that I can use it as a wireless modem (like I do now with my cell phone & laptop, 'cept wireless broadband will be nice when it's available), as well as backup or sync the PDA/cell directory to the laptop.

As another example, I don't use my computer to balance my checkbook. I believe in applying technology where it improves efficiency; not technology for technologies sake.

[phage]

I think it really depends on how many notes you take. I am primarily interested in having my schedule and contacts with me when not in the office. Since I practically live in Outlook, the easy synchronization of the two is worth a million and I love my Palm Pilot. However, if I was taking copious notes, I would go crazy trying to scratch it into the Palm. No matter how good you get at that chicken scratch…it’s slow going.

 

My friend has one of the cell phone/PDA’s and swears by it. It’s too heavy of a unit for me and the PDA screen is even smaller that a Palm Pilot. Too hard on these old eyes…

[J-Man]

re: Combo cell-phone and PDA: Handspring is coming out with a new one called TREO; there was a review of it in last week's LA Times (you could check their website for it: http://www.latimes.com)

 

re: PDA vs. Paper:

 

I use both (Handspring Visor and Franklin Planner), but neither very well. Part of the problem is that we're not allowed to add software to our computers at work, so I can't sync my PDA at work. I would like to make better use of both... any suggestions?

[Guest tmbg]

I also have a problem using the PDA at work. I am leaning toward returning it and sticking with the day planner. In the past I have not used Franklin yet with several people mentioning it by name I might try it this new year.

 

Also, like another person remarked it is one less gadget to carry around and yes I am always thinking I might leave it somewhere and walk off.

 

Deej in your meetings how do you manage to take notes? I can hardly type in an address / telephone number :-)

 

Cheers! Ritchie

[Guest ItalMix]

OK... I'll take the middle of the road approach...

 

For years I used nothing for a Franklin Planner and have yearly volumes to prove it in my office <g> About 5 years ago, I did convert to a Palm and immediately got hooked on it.. I found it incredibly convenient for keeping my calendar, memos, and address book..especially on my desktop at the office. I also found the HotSynch process convenient.. I resisted the urge to have my e-mail on the PDA since I really wanted to draw the line somewhere and a break from e-mail sounded fine with me...

 

Now the issue with note taking is another story...As a Project Manager/Consultant, I take a lot of notes at meetings, and found the grafiti and sylus a real pain in the butt (pardon the pun)..so I've incorported the PDA technology witht the old standby of taking notes in my trusty old notebook..you know the type we all used in grammar school.. Yes it is something else to carry into a meeting, but at the end of the day, given all the notes and diagrams, etc I take at meetings it works for me...

 

I know this is not a monumental issue, but it is possible to incorporate the Old with the New ...

 

:9

[Michael]

Hmm ...

 

What's wrong with scribbling notes on the back of business cards or on small post-it notes?

 

Fortunately I don't have to deal with large amounts of detailed factual information like the precise size, weight and cost of widgets xxx - zzz etc ...

 

For the most part I don't take notes at all -if something is important I will remember it and, conversely (and almost by definition) if I don't remember it, it can't have been very important ...

[+ deej]

>Deej in your meetings how do you manage to take notes? I can

>hardly type in an address / telephone number :-)

 

As I said, there is a learning curve and it takes a real commitment to adjust to it.

 

These days, I'm perfectly comfortable making copious notes on the Palm. But it took a LOT of practice to get to that point.

 

It's not something you can wake up on Monday and decide to start doing. You have to teach yourself, and then you have to get comfortable.

 

If you don't make the commitment, you're basically carrying around a Franklin Planner that doesn't have page turns.

 

It's just like hiring escorts. First you have to decide to do it, and then you have to decide to get good at it.

[Matt_Vancouver]

I have a Palm... a gift from a very cool guy: )

I used to use a day planner, but I don't know how I lived without my Plam, it's organised me in ways I never would have imagined...it even tells me when to use the toilet: )

Really though, use it for a month, you will never go without.

The only problem with my Plam is that if the batteries die... YIKES... all my information is LOST!! of course it's all backed up on my PC, but that doesn't help when I"m arriving in NY and don't know what hotel I'm at, or who my clients are for the next week!!! (this heppened to me once)

Matt(tech geek)(likes toys)

[+ deej]

<<The only problem with my Plam is that if the batteries die... YIKES... all my information is LOST!!>>

 

Yep. Or when they pop out. :9

 

On one business trip, I was carrying the Palm in my notebook case. In the jostling, the battery cover popped off and the batteries popped out. There's now a pice of duct tape holding that sucker closed.

 

Fortunately, at the time I was carrying the synch cable and could just re-synch with my notebook. But I had a moment of panic at the airport when I reached for the Palm to find the name of the hotel for the cab driver. x(

[Guest IM_Moore]

><<The only problem with my Plam is that if the batteries

>die... YIKES... all my information is LOST!!>>

>

>Yep. Or when they pop out. :9

>

>On one business trip, I was carrying the Palm in my notebook

>case. In the jostling, the battery cover popped off and the

>batteries popped out. There's now a pice of duct tape

>holding that sucker closed.

>

>Fortunately, at the time I was carrying the synch cable and

>could just re-synch with my notebook. But I had a moment of

>panic at the airport when I reached for the Palm to find the

>name of the hotel for the cab driver. x(

 

deeJ i know u are lame but to lame u can't evn remember the name of the hotel u would be staying at? come on u need a fucking 300 toy to tell u that.

 

hey dude use msn.com's calanedar service, it is online, it is everywhere u are when u have a interent connection or go to kinkos to get online and it is FREE!

[+ deej]

>deeJ i know u are lame but to lame u can't evn remember the

>name of the hotel u would be staying at? come on u need a

>fucking 300 toy to tell u that.

 

Yes I did rely on a *$100* toy to remind me what hotel I'm staying in since at the time I was traveling 50 weeks out of the year. Is this week Marriott or Embassy Suites? Hell, I'm lucky if I can remember my room number after being in that many different hotels. I've actually had waiters or bartenders call the front desk to get my room number just so I can sign the check.

 

I realize that someone like you who doesn't lead such a cosmopolitan life can't relate, and I'm sorry for you. Perhaps someday you'll have a real life too.

 

>hey dude use msn.com's calanedar service, it is online, it

>is everywhere u are when u have a interent connection or go

>to kinkos to get online and it is FREE!

 

Next time I'm trying to just get out of an airport, I'll be sure to look around for the nearest Kinkos (and I'll remember to thank Bill Gates for my complimentary MSN membership, I suppose).

 

Meanwhile, some of us just need to know where to tell the cab driver where we're going. I'm sorry this upsets you.

[SoCal]

A friend of mine bought some device/datapad interface that looks like a notepad, he takes his notes on it via his own scribbles/handwriting, but then it hooks up (or is already hooked up) to the Palm Pilot, and the notes are loaded onto the Palm as a graphic file so he can review his hand notes. For his level of note taking and meetings, it seems to work fine.

 

I don't need to take a lot of notes, so the Palm is great for me. I've been using the Kyocera Palm/phone combo for about 7 months now, and really like carrying only one device. Albeit a big one! Too big for a phone, and the screen is a little too small for a Palm, but I really love this thing! Just tap an entry in your Contacts, and the number is dialed for you!

[Guest IM_Moore]

>>deeJ i know u are lame but to lame u can't evn remember the

>>name of the hotel u would be staying at? come on u need a

>>fucking 300 toy to tell u that.

>

>Yes I did rely on a *$100* toy to remind me what hotel I'm

>staying in since at the time I was traveling 50 weeks out of

>the year. Is this week Marriott or Embassy Suites? Hell, I'm

>lucky if I can remember my room number after being in that

>many different hotels. I've actually had waiters or

>bartenders call the front desk to get my room number just so

>I can sign the check.

>

>I realize that someone like you who doesn't lead such a

>cosmopolitan life can't relate, and I'm sorry for you.

>Perhaps someday you'll have a real life too.

>

>>hey dude use msn.com's calanedar service, it is online, it

>>is everywhere u are when u have a interent connection or go

>>to kinkos to get online and it is FREE!

>

>Next time I'm trying to just get out of an airport, I'll be

>sure to look around for the nearest Kinkos (and I'll

>remember to thank Bill Gates for my complimentary MSN

>membership, I suppose).

>

>Meanwhile, some of us just need to know where to tell the

>cab driver where we're going. I'm sorry this upsets you.

 

 

What upsets me is people who lie, twist things around, steal and hurt other people. That upsets me. Leave me alone and I will ignore your stupidity. Otherwise, expect more comments pointing out the truth in posting on this board by you and a few others.

 

Ever here of wireless Internet connections? DUH.

 

LICK IT UP :9

[+ deej]

>Leave me alone and I

>will ignore your stupidity.

 

That's a two-way street. I didn't address you in this thread. I responded to a personal attack from you.

 

If you do not wish for me to speak with you, I will respect your wishes. But when you come at me directly with a personal attack, you are fair game and I will consider it open season.

[Guest IM_Moore]

>>Leave me alone and I

>>will ignore your stupidity.

>

>That's a two-way street. I didn't address you in this

>thread. I responded to a personal attack from you.

>

>If you do not wish for me to speak with you, I will respect

>your wishes. But when you come at me directly with a

>personal attack, you are fair game and I will consider it

>open season.

 

it must be nice to ahve control and ride the street both ways. open season it isthen, let me know when u r ready to say uncle, enjoy the tears.