What PDA /phone best with Outlook Desktop?

[tominperu]

I'm back in the UK now and wish to buy a PDA/phone that can sync with Outlook Desktop for Tasks. I'm actually very happy to have No email but I need a phone and want to carry Outlook around with me. I should make it clear I am a devoted Outlook user. I've tried numerous other applications but for various reasons always come back to Outlook, so please no suggestions on changing my desktop GTD program.

I have used the Palm Z22 for the last three years. The frustration I have with it is that Palm tasks have never been Active only and as I use many recurrent and postdated tasks this just makes it unworkable. I have also tried KeySuite which works but I find it frustrating that I would have to pay for a whole set of new software to replace Palm Memos, Tasks and Contacts just to have more than 15 categories. Also all the Palm phones are very expensive considering I wouldn't use email and just need a Z22 type device with the added phone.

So, I'm thinking of Office Mobile instead. There is an Orange phone (UK) SPV M600 with Windows Mobile 5.0 for only 100 UK pounds but alas it doesn't include Outlook Mobile on purchase. Does anyone know if I could add it on and if so how much would it cost if I did? I would suppose the sync issues are resolved with Mobile Outlook but can someone confirm that?

Am I the only person in the world who wants a PDA/phone without email? Music, voice recorder, and MP3 would be nice but not essential.

 

[tominperu]

Oh no! no answers!

I'll write another queston with the hope of a better response.

Does anyone use Windows Mobile and specifically Tasks in Mobile Outlook. Does it work well for GTD? Does it sync perfectly with the Desktop Outlook? How does it compare to Palm?

 

[mcogilvie]

Oh no! no answers!

I'll write another queston with the hope of a better response.

Does anyone use Windows Mobile and specifically Tasks in Mobile Outlook. Does it work well for GTD? Does it sync perfectly with the Desktop Outlook? How does it compare to Palm?

I would prefer a Palm Treo to Windows Mobile. Honestly, I think KeySuite is as good as it gets for Outlook syncing in a PDA. But you can ignore me, 'cause I'm now using an iPhone and liking it. And total cost of ownership is cheaper than a Treo.

 

[tominperu]

Thanks mccogilvie.

Interesting that Keysuite syncing is better than Microsofts own PDA software! Just out of curiosity, what do you use for GTD on the iPhone?

 

[mcogilvie]

Thanks mccogilvie.

Interesting that Keysuite syncing is better than Microsofts own PDA software! Just out of curiosity, what do you use for GTD on the iPhone?

I'm using Remember the Milk for my tasks. It's a web application with a good iPhone interface. It has good keyboard shortcuts, tags, lists, and locations. I'm using tags for projects, and lists for contexts. I haven't been using it long, because I only got the iPhone a month ago. (My daughter's cell was stolen, and I gave her my old one). So far so good. For a calendar, I'm still flipping between iCal and Gcal. My wife uses KeySuite on her Palm.

 

[tominperu]

I've just been in a cellphone shop and played with a phone and I see the Windows Mobile version of Outlook Tasks allows priority and category tagging. Does anyone know if it does grouping by category? This is pretty basic to GTD but I could only persuade the salesman to let me play around with it for a certain time.

I went into a O2 mobile phone shop but they couldnt show me a Palm. Seems I need to try vodafone (Im in the UK here).

 

[maclaren]

Windows Mobile Outlook Tasks does not allow grouping by category per se, but it does allow the displayed tasks to be filtered based on one or more categories, so that only tasks from certain categories are displayed.

For true grouping by categories, where all tasks are displayed but in groups, try a software product like Pocket Informant. PI adds all kinds of useful features to the PIM applications on Windows Mobile handhelds. The PI display for grouped tasks is pretty much identical to the desktop Outlook's display of tasks by category.

 

[LaPank]

The combination which works best for me so far is the HTC Tytn II / P4550 together with Outlook and Pocket Informant. The PI software works like a plug-in to Outlook. It has some good list managing tools and improves the calendar on the Smartphone a lot. The Tytn II has a big display, a keyboard and is still rather small and compact, so I can carry it with me everywhere without looking like a geek. This is the first Pocket PC that really functions as a productivity tool.

 

[tominperu]

Great to get some replies!

I suspected the Windows Mobile Tasks didn't have categories per se. I've found Pocket Informant and Chapura's PocketMirror on the web which seem both to do the trick. I've used Chapura's KeySuite with a Palm before which worked well so would probably try PocketMirror first. I'd be interested to hear from people who have used both PocketMirror and Pocket Informant.

I soon will have a job so could buy a PDA/Smartphone in Jan.

It still annoys me though that there is no Pay as you Go with these PDA/phones or at least not with ones with Windows Mobile Professional, which is the one that can use a stylus, which I am used to. I am really happy NOT to have mobile email and don't use the mobile (cell in US) much. I just don't have pockets big enough for a PDA and a phone.

However, the most likely scenario is that I will be peruaded to buy a Windows Mobile Professional PDA/phone and will be a slave to email and mobile internet wherever I go in the near future. Or could I just buy clothes with more pockets?