Am I in trouble? Looking for a PDA + Desktop app -- PIM

[MTHall49]

I am very confused and seriously in need of help.

Just finished reading several emails from the very helpful people at Developer One. I was using a Palm product, and have now ordered a HP hx4700. I had simply assumed that all I needed to do was to find a program I liked (PIM – contacts, schedule, etc) which had a desktop version of the same software I would use on my PDA. I assumed that would be the case since that is the way it was with my Palm.

Big questions:
1] Am I going to absolutely have to use MS Outlook on my desktop to get a PIM app on my PDA which will sync and update data with the desktop?

2] I am trying to avoid having to enter everything by hand (stylus) on the PDA, but also
Trying to avoid being stuck with Outlook which I really am not too thrilled with.


What do you all recommend?

I am totally confused now. Is there a great post or article or tutorial or something that can help get me straightened out?

[Sven Johannsen]

While I would probably be considered somewhat biased, having a a heart with Bill G tatooed on my arm, but what is wrong with Outlook. I'm kidding about the tatoo, and this is not a call for all the Outlook issues people have.

What I'm trying to understand is, what do you have against Outlook? It is not Palm Desktop, because it does a heck of a lot more than Palm Desktop. That can make it more difficult to use, if you want it to. It can also be realatively easy if you just use the features you need.

Bottom line is that it is the program the PPC was designed to sync with. There are ways to pull all your Palm data into Outlook, saving you that initial transfer problem.

Intellisync is a third party program that used to allow you to sync your PPC with Palm Desktop, and various other PIM apps. I only say used too, because I have just not kept up with whether they have kept up, with WM5, WM6, Vista/WMDC, etc.

[MTHall49]

Hi
Sorry I didn't reply sooner. My one big problem with Outlook is I went a half day seminar on it about 3 years ago and it went right over my head.

Are there easy ways to create as many categories as you want for contacts,
calendar/schedule, etc? Will all the data then transfer right over to the PDA with a program like PI or Agenda or similar?

One more big question: Is the Outlook 2007 a big improvement in some ways? Is there such a thing as a super fast and easy, searchable tutorial on either Outlook 2003 or 2007?

What I like about the Palm Desktop was for me it seemed super intuitive and easy, although somewhat limited.