New Palm set-up NEED ADVICE!

[evanmac]

Hi!

I have been using my palm for several months now but I want to set it up to be more useful to me...

I need to find programs (free if possible) that will allow me to do what I want to do. I really want to get software for free but I will buy if I have no choice... I have done some searches and found HUNDREDS of programs... With all of the choices, I thought it would be best if I were to ask some experienced users what they would do if they had my "goals". Tell me the best of the free and the best of the best!

The following are some of the ideas I have about what I want my palm to do:

To Do Lists- I want to be able to set up and manage lists (GTD style) better than the basic palm.

More powerful Calender/planner- maybe a few more options that basic palm... Is there an upgrade?

Simple Contact Manager- I just want to manage a small call list... Maybe part of the calender/planner program?

"Free Hand" Note taker- write on the screen and save for quick notes...

Dictionary/Thesaurus/spellcheck- I am not a great speller...

Business Calculator- I am in the real estate business...

Conversions- comes in handy in real estate and my other interests...

Documents- I want to be able to carry around some of my useful Word/Excel documents and access them from other computers through my Memory Stick/USB cable. (I have a Sony Clie') I am currently working out of my home and I use two other computers at two other offices!


THANKS FOR THE HELP AND IDEAS!!!

Evan

[JonathanAquino]

Hi evanmac - for lists, HandyShopper is perhaps the best there is. And unbelievably, it's free.

[Popeye]

More powerful Calender/planner- maybe a few more options that basic palm... Is there an upgrade?

DateBook 5... http://www.pimlicosoftware.com/

no freeware... but very good app...

To Do Lists- I want to be able to set up and manage lists (GTD style) better than the basic palm.

LifeBalance...
http://www.llamagraphics.com/index.php)

This app rocks like hell.... buy the Life Balance for Windows/Palm/Conduit bundle, it´s the best price and value...

Documents- I want to be able to carry around some of my useful Word/Excel documents and access them from other computers through my Memory Stick/USB cable. (I have a Sony Clie') I am currently working out of my home and I use two other computers at two other offices!

Why not try Documents to go???
http://www.dataviz.com/

none of this apps are freeware... but try them...

hope this will help..

//popeye

[br4978]

To Do Lists- Shadow Plan ( www.codejedi.com) is my favorite, though many like Bonsai (www.natara.com). Handyshopper and Progect (free!)should also be considered

More powerful Calender/planner- DateBk5 is great, but also consider Agendus (Iambic.com) or a freeware app called A5

Simple Contact Manager- Agendus (see above) may do what you need. ACT! is another package if you need mroe robust capabilities

"Free Hand" Note taker- Diddlebug, or see any number of similar freeware apps at freewarepalm.com

Dictionary/Thesaurus/spellcheck- Documents to Go can spell check, I believe - see 'Documents' below - it could kill two birds with one stone. Quickoffice may have similar capabilities. Compare both at Palmgear.com

Business Calculator- go to http://www.infinitysw.com/products/p...epersonal.html
- they have pretty cool options

Conversions- I'm not sure on this one...

Documents- I use and recommend Dataviz Documents to Go - handles Word, Excel, PPT very nicely. As noted above, Quickoffice is another option that's very capable.

Happy Hunting!

[johnaohman]

I've tried most of what's been mentioned above. All very good recommendations.

But, if you happen to use Outlook on the PC side, I would strongly consider KeySuite from Chapura for calendar/tasks/contact linking & management/notes.

HTH

[mochant]

I've tried most of what's been mentioned above. All very good recommendations.

But, if you happen to use Outlook on the PC side, I would strongly consider KeySuite from Chapura for calendar/tasks/contact linking & management/notes.

HTH

I'll second that John! It's the tool I use to keep all my Outlook info sync'ed to my Clie. I prefer it to any of the other Outlook companion programs.

[morrisok]

All these products are very good. One I haven't heard mentioned for lists is ThoughtManager at www.handshigh.com It's a great outlining tool and list manager. Not free but inexpensive.

[kkirksey]

I have been using my palm for several months now but I want to set it up to be more useful to me...

Some prefatory remarks: I've been using my Palm with GTD for a couple of years now. I've wasted a lot of time playing with software to try to make my system "better," and with a couple of exceptions, I've always returned to the programs that came with the palm. If you have a very specific need, look for a piece of software to meet that need. I'd caution against just looking at other software because it might make your system "better." Most likely you'll waste a lot of time, as I did.

To Do Lists- I want to be able to set up and manage lists (GTD style) better than the basic palm.

What does the built in Palm To Do list not do that you need? I've played with Shadow Plan, Life Balance, Bonsai, Handy Shopper, and probably others, but I've always come back to the built in To Do. GTD at its heart is about making lists, and the built in To Do allows you to build lists quite adequately.

More powerful Calender/planner- maybe a few more options that basic palm... Is there an upgrade?

Here one of the very few places I strayed from the built in apps. Try DateBk 5:

http://www.pimlicosoftware.com/

It might also provide some of the To Do functionality that you're looking for.

Simple Contact Manager- I just want to manage a small call list... Maybe part of the calender/planner program?

It sounds like a job that the built in address book it perfectly capable of handling.

"Free Hand" Note taker- write on the screen and save for quick notes...

Most newer Palms have the built in Note Pad program that does this. If your palm is older, you can get the free Diddlebug:

http://diddlebug.sourceforge.net/

Dictionary/Thesaurus/spellcheck- I am not a great speller...

Not free, but cheap is Spell Check:

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/pilotgea...aschapman.html

Documents- I want to be able to carry around some of my useful Word/Excel documents and access them from other computers through my Memory Stick/USB cable.

Not free and not cheap, but will do just what you want:

http://www.dataviz.com/products/docu...ogo/index.html

Hope that helps.

Ken

[TesTeq]

Documents- I want to be able to carry around some of my useful Word/Excel documents and access them from other computers through my Memory Stick/USB cable.

Not free and not cheap, but will do just what you want:

http://www.dataviz.com/products/docu...ogo/index.html

This software is bundled with the newest Palm Tungstens (T5 for example).

TesTeq

[Gameboy70]

evanmac:

I tend to agree with kkirsey: the built-in apps are completely sufficient for GTD. Learning how to use your tools can be more efficient than constantly searching for new tools. You may have other needs for a PDA that exceed the scope of list management, like richer multimedia features, but I would try using a plain vanilla setup before veturing into third-party apps -- even free ones. After you have some experience with the built-in apps, you'll have a better idea what they're lacking, if anything, and then you'll have a better focus in determining what aftermarket solution will fill the void. It's better in the early stages of setting up your GTD sytem to just get your lists, contacts and calendar entered. Establish the system first, then improve it.

David Allen's article on how he uses his Tunsten with no additional software is a good read: http://www.davidco.com/tips_tools/tip43.html