Hello!
sweat;56369 said:
I'm in the process of reading through GTD and want to implement the process.
The investment is worth it...
One of the things that I want is the a smartphone to enter tasks, appointments and keep reminders in. I really don't want on email on demand, though with my job, I might end up using it if I have the capability.
There are other benefits to having a data plan -- your calendar/contacts etc. would be sync'd (i.e. backed-up) all the time. If you are a busy person who relies heavily on a smartphone this is worth the cost alone.
I keep my appointments and contacts at work on Outlook Vista (and have XP on my laptop). There is no enterprise BB server at my company.
Given this, which is the best option to go with?
Palm Centro
Blackberry Pearl (or a bigger BB)
Motorola 9Qc - Windows Mobile
It's hard to say what's "best" without knowing a bit more about you and your needs, and for a first GTD device all will be useful for managing lists, but here are a few thoughts:
1. The Blackberry devices are nice and stable, but are a their best when you have BBE Server installed. If you have a dedicated computer at work you can run the BB Desktop software on that computer to sync.
2. The Palm Centro has had lots of great reviews, mostly because of its speed. It's relatively simple, and for maintaining lists it's a good choice.
3. The Motorola Q may be the most intuitive fit if you use Outlook heavily. In my experience Windows Mobile 6 devices are more stable than WM5 and previous. My Sprint Mogul is far less underpowered than the phone it replaced, for example.
If you have Exchange at your office and your office I.T. staff support Exchange Activesync, then either the Palm (with Versamail) or the MotoQ will be easy to sync wirelessly. In this case, the MotoQ may have a slight edge over the Palm and the Blackberry.
Personally, I could never have a device without a full keyboard.
One final thought -- if your GTD system is not fully implemented and your heart is not sold on a smartphone, you may consider holding off on the purchase. It may be worthwhile to keep your lists in Outlook and print them out for portability. A smartphone is a great device (I use mine too much!) but can add drag when starting and implementing a GTD-based system.
Best.