How do tasks work with Blackberry

[wordsman]

I love the way I can manage my tasks on the Today touch-screen on my Windows Mobile 5 device. But I'm getting fed up with it crashing and being slow. I'm moving my Exchange Server account to a new IT supplier soon, so I'm taking the chance to look at other options.

My IT guy tells me Blackberry is fast and never crashes, so I'm looking into the 8800. I would be synchronising all my Outlook data across, but can anyone tell me whether I can manage my Tasks via Categories as I do now. I organise Tasks as per The GTD and Outlook whitepaper.

thanks for your help

 

[roakleyca]

Good news and Bad news ---

Good news first:
With the new BB's you can access the different task categories or contexts ,that you set up in outlook, by using "filters".

Bad news:
Many people, myself included, find it a pain to use the filter feature. You can only see one category/context at a time and the process requires a few too many pushes of the scroll wheel.

I use outlook (with the add-in) and a BB and, although I love using the tasks in outlook - I loath the tasks in BB. I usually print off my lists when I leave work --- but 4 or 5 8.5x11 pages of lists doesn't appeal to me either. I still haven't figured it all out yet. (c:

There are some 3rd party solutions to the BB task problem I mentioned above - but I haven't tried them.....yet. Be warned that they are not free...

I do love my BB for 2 key GTD tools --- calander and contacts. But if my work didn't pay for it, I dont' think I'd keep it. It's just not worth it for me.

I hope some of that helps you. I'm sure others will chime in with their own experiences with BB and GTD integration.

Cheers,

Ryan

 

[wordsman]

Thanks Ryan, I need to know everything! I don't really have the time for lots of messing about with a new system - as much as I'd enjoy it

 

[texasag90]

Well, you are right about stability. The 8800 is rock solid compared to what you are using.

Task app in the BB is not great. There is a GTD app out there (NextAction) for the BB. I have not tried it.

http://www.handango.com/PlatformPro...=4294926273&Ntt=gtd&productId=188662&R=188662

Lots of discussion on this topic out there.

Read this: http://garyslinger.com/blog/2006/01/02/implementing-getting-things-done-while-using-a-blackberry/

 

[TexasEx94]

Have to Agree with TexasAg90

I have a BlackBerry but use it mainly for the calendar, email, and contacts apps. Tasks are nowhere near as useful as in Outlook. I have a TabletPC as my primary GTD system but when that is too bulky to carry around I use the BB as the capture tool and just email stuff to myself. (I can't sync my personal BB with my work computer. Not a perfect system but it works for me.)

 

[funkym]

You can get NextAction! cheaper if you are purchasing it on the vendor's site: http://www.next-action.com/

Moreover, there is a $10 present right now. If you want to take advantage of that

 

[Frank Buck]

I just posted a couple of things on the "Outlook 2003 / Blackberry: best way to segment personal v. professional lists" that are right on point with this.

Frank

 

[wordsman]

Well, thanks for your views. I've read round various blogs and, short of trying BB out, I'm struggling to decide.

In short, pocket Breeze handles my tasks really nicely on the today screen in Windows Mobile, thought the original tasks app is rubbish, like BB. But the damned things need restarting every day and crash all the time.

Next Action looks like it does the trick, but it doesn't look as comprehensive, or as pretty on thoir website. So it's hard to say if it'll work. You need these things to be real easy if you're going to stick with it.

Hmmm

 

[br4978]

PocketDay Lists is worth a look:

http://www.crossriversystems.com/pdlists.htm

Good configurability, simple appearance and operation.

 

[wordsman]

Thanks MB, looks good. Have you compared it with Pocket Breeze?

 

[br4978]

I have not compared the two - I have only been a Palm and Blackberry user. I have used both PocketDay Lists and ToDo Matrix (see Rexwireless.com), and currently use the latter because it seems to lend itself more to filtering and more hierarchy, allowing me to cluster actions by project. Both of these are solid programs, but PocketDay Lists is MUCH less expensive (and a bit cleaner, visually).

Best,

 

[wordsman]

Thanks MB. I like the look of Pocket Day. Tempted to go and have a play with a BB Curve this afternoon. My SPV needed re-booting twice yesterday.

 

[funkym]

Next Action looks like it does the trick, but it doesn't look as comprehensive, or as pretty on thoir website. So it's hard to say if it'll work. You need these things to be real easy if you're going to stick with it.

It is the easiest interface I have seen; very simplified and fast to access everything. That's why it looks so clean

 

[Jorge Ledesma DDS]

I have a BlackBerry but use it mainly for the calendar, email, and contacts apps. Tasks are nowhere near as useful as in Outlook. I have a TabletPC as my primary GTD system but when that is too bulky to carry around I use the BB as the capture tool and just email stuff to myself. (I can't sync my personal BB with my work computer. Not a perfect system but it works for me.)

Try Vitalist, I have a blackberry as well and I own licenses to Next Action, TodoMatrix and IdeaMatrix all blackberry application overall I spent $140.00 in these applications with Vitalist web based and Vitalist mobile "0.00" dollars and it works like a charm, I just recently became a premium member, how much you may ask $5.00 a month via paypal not bad for an amazing service, I was so pumped I even gave them a little contribution for all their efforts. www.vitalist.com