04-02-2002, 03:07 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,350
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Pocket Lookout v2
http://lookout.vonken.com/
Once every while you think a new product release is going to be big. And I have felt that way about Pocket Lookout v2 ever since I've seen the specs, as those promise to address many of the limitations the basic PIM sync on a Pocket PC has. Pocket Lookout would offer full multiple folders sync, and public folder sync is supported! Version 1 of Pocket Lookout was sort of a workaround for those limitations, as it did not perform a two way sync. But version 2 is a full synchable program, and to top it off, it offers HTML email viewing. It's hard not to get excited about that!
"Pocket Lookout is a program that allows you to read and change your MS Outlook on your Pocket PC. It allows you to synchronise all folders available in MS Outlook. It supports the following items:
� Calendars
� Contacts
� E-Mail (sent items too)
� Notes
� Tasks
� Drafts
� Journals (supported in next upgrade)
Pocket Lookout supports multiple-folders, every folder in your MS Outlook you have access to, is supported. Note: it does not support Outlook Express or Hotmail. If your MS Outlook is connected to an Exchange server, you have access to one or more public folders (like public Calendars or Contactlists). Pocket Lookout also includes those folders, as it connect to Outlook and not directly to Exchange."
After an initial problem on some configurations, the full version of Pocket Lookout was withdrawn from the public software channels, but since March 31 it should be available again. You can get Pocket Lookout v2 from Handango [affiliate link], but Vonken Software advices you to try before you buy. Therefor a demo is also available through the Handango site.
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04-02-2002, 05:44 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 20
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Looks promising.
I have wanted something that synchronized DRAFT folders ever since last year, when I spent almost 8 hours of airplane travel reading and replying to e-mails.
When I arrived at my destination all of my newly created messages and replies went into oblivion, since my EXCHANGE box was full! (All I got back was an e-mail message saying your message failed to go through since my quota was exceeded, and since the messages were created on the PDA, there wasn't a copy to re-send from the "sent items" folder) once I emptied my mailbox!
If it solves this problem alone, it would be very useful to frequent travelers whose email box tends to fill while they're en-route...
-->Tom
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04-02-2002, 07:13 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 384
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... Trumps Outlook Desktop
This screenshot demonstrates something that not even desktop Outlook has implemented. A skinnable background behind calendars.
Outlook backgrounds are hideously boring and uninteresting. I would love to see skinned backgrounds. This is MORE than eye candy. Skinnable backgrounds can provide information regarding the month or special events. Right now the boundry BETWEEN months is shaded, but NO feedback is given regarding WHAT month it is. It's very easy to lose track when browsing through months. A skinnable month background would allow for a picturesque holiday seen for december, then perhaps a blustry snow seen for January, etc... Full day events could get their own skins, Christmas, New Year, fourth of july.
A picture is worth a thousand words and screen space is limited. Come on Microsoft, put this feature in like you have for desktop explorer.
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04-02-2002, 08:00 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 20
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Actually, a skinnable calendar program called VOCalendar, made by VOSystems, has been available for some time now. You can also create your own icons for appts, birthdays, events, etc that appear on the calendar screen.
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04-02-2002, 08:22 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 147
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... Trumps Outlook Desktop
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Will T Smith
This screenshot demonstrates something that not even desktop Outlook has implemented. A skinnable background behind calendars.
<snip>...</snip>
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think this program has a skinnable background behind the calendars. It appears to be just a static image.
__________________
Jonathan Rogers
Email
Web
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04-02-2002, 08:54 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 5
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Nice idea...
I installed this on my Audiovox PPC this morning, and wasn't all that impressed. The idea is great, but the execution seemed poor to me. The installation failed to install the application on my PPC (something about not being able to find the Activesync installation program), the sync program locked up twice, and took nearly 10 minutes to sync the 3rd time, and the application on the PPC was dog slow, even with all my other applications shut down.
Maybe it will work better for others and some nuance of my system was the culprit, but I wasn't that impressed...
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04-02-2002, 11:41 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 25
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Not ready for Prime-Time
Great idea - interesting how they implemented (pocket access database using activesync's built in pocket access sync).
Seriously lacking in PIM features that many of us have grown used to with Agenda Fusion and Pocket Informant. However, if you have only used the basic Pocket Outlook included with PPC you'll be impressed.
This does start to fill the void left by Pocket Outlook's lack of subfolders. I see this app having serious potential in the future. I look forward to future releases.
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04-03-2002, 03:49 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 16
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Boo to Desktop Outlook Calendar
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Will T Smith
Right now the boundry BETWEEN months is shaded, but NO feedback is given regarding WHAT month it is. It's very easy to lose track when browsing through months. ...
A picture is worth a thousand words and screen space is limited. Come on Microsoft, put this feature in like you have for desktop explorer.
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Yeah, ditto. I find myself easily --- and tragically --- disoriented in the desktop Outlook month view. More than once I've entered an appointment on the wrong month because the months are so poorly delineated.
Even without skins, the month name could appear on EVERY date block without consuming any additional real estate. Microsoft is renowned for hiring very smart people. But I can only conclude that they don't actually use the products they produce. Look how long it took for Outlook to even integrate color-coding of calendar items. Several releases despite user complaints.
Thank goodness for the healthy independent developer community. And, like Mr. Kirvin, I, too, am hopeful that someday one of these bold souls will release a real word processor for the PPC.
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04-03-2002, 04:16 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 11
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Not for me. I installed Pocket Lookout just for s***s and giggles even though both Agenda Fushion and PI3 serve up more PIM function then I actually need. While it may be better then the built in Outlook PIM software, it just feels so much like a fixer-upper of a software title. The fashion in which it tries to integrate itself into ActiveSync is just plain awful. The software itself is very very limited when it comes to options and customization, not to mention slow during syncing sessions.
None the less, I "attempted" to uninstall the software from both my device and desktop. While my device seems to show no signs of the software ever being installed, ActiveSync still shows the "Lookout: Sync Now" and "Lookout: Settings" in the tools menu, even though the Lookout software was uninstalled, and the system restarted twice.
While the idea of integrating e-mail functions into a third party PIM title is indeed attractive, in my opinion, Pocket Lookout just doesn't pull it off nearly as well as it should. Next...
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04-03-2002, 06:04 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 5
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What are the alternatives?
Are there any alternative software programs that will allow HTML email? Lookout's biggest draw for me was the ability to read HTML email, but the rest seems like overkill. Anyone know of anything else that can be used to read those fancy emails that we all love to get (!) but would also love to be able to read on our handhelds?
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Linear Mode
