What features would you hope to see in a GTD Outlook Add-in?

[jkgrossi]

On its most basic level, what kind of functionality would you expect from a GTD Outlook Plug-in?

[Anonymous]

Well, I would like to be able to categorize easily and view grouped categories in the Task list easily, such as with an "alt" keystroke. This would emulate the categories I can scroll through on my Palm with the ToDo button. A long list with headers for task groups would probably be okay too, as long as I could sort the order of headers easily.

I would like a place where I could send my Done items for later review or printout, hopefully grouped by category or contact.

As far as the Contacts go, I would like an easy way to log and view contact notesby date. If you could record like in "Journal" for each contact perhaps.

A big weakness of Outlook I think, is its inability to quickly and easily print an envelope, and create a letter with the address pre-filled into a template, and then log it. You have to be in Word and use one of the silly "wizards" for that. It is irritating to me. I know this sounds a bit silly in our "electronic" world of communication, but its true for me. I have the same problem with the Palm desktop. Paper isn't that useless, yet.

And of course, an outliner with file attachement capability would be nice.

...for what it's worth.

Gordon - in Canada

[Anonymous]

Well, I would like to be able to categorize easily and view grouped categories in the Task list easily, such as with an "alt" keystroke. This would emulate the categories I can scroll through on my Palm with the ToDo button. A long list with headers for task groups would probably be okay too, as long as I could sort the order of headers easily.

Hi Gordon -- Using Outlook's drag-and-drop "Group by Box" function seems like one super easy way to do what you are asking.

I would like a place where I could send my Done items for later review or printout, hopefully grouped by category or contact.

In Outlook your "Done" items are still there for viewing and printing. You just need to filter your view to display items that are "Complete".

As far as the Contacts go, I would like an easy way to log and view contact notesby date. If you could record like in "Journal" for each contact perhaps.

You can do just what you suggest. Create Journal entries linked to your Contacts via the "Contacts" field. The resulting entries are viewable and printable from the Contact's "Activities" tab. You can sort and filter this view just like others in Outlook.

A big weakness of Outlook I think, is its inability to quickly and easily print an envelope, and create a letter with the address pre-filled into a template, and then log it. You have to be in Word and use one of the silly "wizards" for that. It is irritating to me. I know this sounds a bit silly in our "electronic" world of communication, but its true for me. I have the same problem with the Palm desktop. Paper isn't that useless, yet.

You're correct, it is a weakness, but one that is completely overcome by the Aladdins plugins ( http://www.software-solutions.co.nz/ ). Check it out; some of the best Outlook enhancements available.

And of course, an outliner with file attachement capability would be nice.

Check out the "teaser" screenshot part way down on my homepage at http://home.attbi.com/~whkratz.

...for what it's worth.

Gordon - in Canada

Hope you'll look at the rest of my site and visit the Discussion Forum. The primary intent of the site is to demonstrate how Outlook's intrinsic capabilities fulfill most GTD practitioners needs and requests.

Best Regards.....Bill Kratz

[whkratz]

Okay, this Forum software doesn't recognize that a period at the end of a website address isn't part of the address. So, referring to my post just before this, the web address for my site that will work is http://home.attbi.com/~whkratz

Best Regards Again.....Bill Kratz

[jkgrossi]

Bill,

I looked at your site, and it's quite impressive! Have you dabbled with Macros/and or VBA in Outlook? I've used VBA to customize MS Access in the past, and I'm wondering if I could do the same in Outlook. Are there any books that you would recommend?

Thanks,

James

[Kudzu2u]

Thanks Bill, for the reply. I too, have checked out your website and am trying to follow up on a few of your suggestions. I knew about Alladins though, and it still bugs me that I have to pay $100 CDN to get a feature that is basic to any kind of PIM. I still don't understand why Palm didn't include it.

Anyway, thanks for tips, and for the work you have obviously put in to the website.

Gordon - in Canada

[Anonymous]

Bill,

I looked at your site, and it's quite impressive! Have you dabbled with Macros/and or VBA in Outlook? I've used VBA to customize MS Access in the past, and I'm wondering if I could do the same in Outlook. Are there any books that you would recommend?

Thanks,

James

James -- Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I've experimented with macros and VBA. In fact I'm currently working on some VBA code to expedite some of the methods illustrated on my site. Outlook does not have a built-in macro recorder. That is you can't create a macro just by going through the steps that you want duplicated by the macro. You have to code it in VBA.

I'm not a frequent VBA coder, so I'm hunting around the bookstore for reference material just as you might. I'll let you know if I hit on any real winners.

Best Regards.....Bill Kratz http://home.attbi.com/~whkratz

[whkratz]

Thanks Bill, for the reply. I too, have checked out your website and am trying to follow up on a few of your suggestions. I knew about Alladins though, and it still bugs me that I have to pay $100 CDN to get a feature that is basic to any kind of PIM. I still don't understand why Palm didn't include it.

Anyway, thanks for tips, and for the work you have obviously put in to the website.

Gordon - in Canada

Hi Gordon -- Thanks for the pat-on-the-back.

I sympathize with your "extra-payment" frustration. However, just to put things in perspective: If I buy a twenty, thirty, or fourty-thousand dollar car, it doesn't come equipped with decent floor mats to protect the carpet from our Seattle wet weather. I have to buy good ones from a mail-order operation. You're right, the car should come equipped with the "best" addins. But it doesn't. So I knuckle under, and buy the extras, so that I can use the car to get from here to there.

Cheers.....Bill Kratz http://home.attbi.com/~whkratz

[Anonymous]

While the shorcuts offered by the Alladin solutions come in "handy", I marvel at the audacity of charging $60 for them. When I think that I was complaining about the cost of the MS Office XP upgrade... These guys charge about 15% of the cost of a full suite upgrade to sell you a couple of shortcuts.

The Demon in Redmond doesn't look so ugly anymore! Imagine if Alladin was going to give you 15-20 functions... Then think of how many features one gets from an entire Office suite.

Calin