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Introduction
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There are countless personal information management (PIM) programs. ;-) A comprehensive one might include personal notes, a journal, contacts (address book), calendar and events, task and project management, email, and even more. One of the critical components for me is scheduling repeating tasks, something that is strangely missing from many PIMs. If your needs are basic, there are some simple programs that might fit your needs. Otherwise, you'll need a program that includes all the elements that are important to all you. |
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Discussion
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Full programs
Note: It's becoming more difficult to find the download page for Palm Desktop. You'll probably find it by searching for "Desktop" under support. A previous editor wrote:
Calgoo is a fresh, new PIM that was recently made free. Calgoo works very well as a stand-alone program, and it can also synchronize your data across computers. In addition to Calgoo's native calender you can synchronize Google, Outlook, 30 Boxes and generic (*.ics format) calendars. I found the user interface to be intuitive and well organized. Calgoo passes my acid test for PIMs (provides repeating tasks) and would be my personal choice if I wanted something a little simpler than Chandler. One caution: Calgoo is dependent on the long-term success of the Calgoo Software business model. EssentialPIM is another full-featured alternative. It also does many of the same things as Outlook and can import your Outlook data and/or Outlook Express contacts as well. There is no way to schedule repeating to-dos, but by creating an all day repeating "task" (which is essentially an appointment) you can effectively create a repeating to-do which begins before the day grid.
Evolution for Windows has been ported from Linux to Windows. Evolution is a full-featured PIM, whose main feature is being a free alternative to Microsoft Outlook. It can syncronize with several protocols, including Microsoft Exchange. Evolution is a comprehensive PIM (and it takes a while to load). Like many PIMs, it has no good way to schedule repetive tasks, which rules it out for me. That is not a problem for many users.
Chandler is in a category by itself. If you're looking for a PIM that will help get your life and work flow under control, you might find that Chandler is a good fit. Chandler was launched by the legendary Mitch Kapor, creator of Lotus 1-2-3. It has shaped up to become a good nerve center for managing your events, tasks and notes in conjunction with your email. And Chandler handles repetitive tasks very nicely. :-) Chandler is a task-centered program for managing all your related information. It is based on a couple of underlying realities: 1) You can only work on a finite number of things today, yet you also need to manage your attention to the things that come later. 2) Much of your workload is driven by or coordinated via email. The key to making it flow is to integrate your events, tasks, calendar, notes and email in a way that lets you view them in natural contexts that match the way you actually work. Chandler is reasonably effective for collaboration. It imports external SMTP email accounts, Google calendars and Highrise tasks; exports calendars and tasks; and mail messages can be edited, added to, and sent directly from Chandler. I realize that I haven't described Chandler well enough for you to understand it. It's something you have to try for yourself because it's based on a new concept. The essence is that Chandler brings together all the elements of your work flow. It does have it's limitations. I use it anyway. ;-) The Chandler website has some good descriptions and demos to get the concepts across. If you need to make your work less chaotic and more efficient, Chandler could be the paradigm changer you need. I wish it had been available when I was working for a living. ;-) |
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Related Products and Links
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Simple programs: If your personal information management (PIM) needs are basic, there are some simple programs that might fit your needs. Which one depends on whether you need task and event management, contact management or both. UK's Kalender is a simple calendar program from Denmark with nice task and event (no provision for contacts) management. It is easy to learn how to use UK's Kalender. It passes my acid test for PIMs by having a variety of ways to handle repeating tasks and events. Kurlo and Open Contacts are contact management programs (address books). They both provide space for extensive information about your contacts. You can also use Kurlo to send email messages directly, and Kurlo also has a delayed email sending feature. Sunbird is a small, resource-efficient calendaring application, and it has a neat feature that displays your to-do list for the day on your desktop. However it really is a bit minimal. Users of Thunderbird (email client) would be better off with the Lightning version of Sunbird. This Thunderbird extension integrates calendaring features directly into the Thunderbird interface, thus combining contact management, email and calendaring in one window to give you better work flow. |
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6.2 
Unrestricted Freeware 
Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Media Center Edition 2005
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Chandler looked really good about a year ago when I tried it but it was full of bugs. I might try the new version to see if they have fixed it.
I use a computer at work, I have another one at home and I use a mobile computer. Does anyone use a PIM that can communicate over the internet and sycn them up.
What I do not understand is why I cannot use the CONTACT program from XP in VISTA. I'd LOVE to have a NEUTRAL program that allows me to imprt whatever data I have, INCLUDING MSN/Hotmail contacts. Any suggestions?
What about Pimero? Seems to be a cool PIM with team capabilities. I like the QuickView :-)
The free version of Pimero has two important limitations. There is no way to export your data, so it's captive if you want to move to another PIM, and it doesn't provide recurring tasks, which is a deal breaker for me.
Cheers
Agreed, those are two absolutely huge limitations. In fact, it makes one question the developer's intelligence and integrity in even choosing such basic, core functions to be limited to the pay version.
This is an interesting application: TotalText Container. You can insert calendars, notes, spreadsheets, etc. - very good and free!
http://sites.google.com/site/totaltextcontainer/Home
Looks like a really useful program, but doesn't quite fit the definition of a PIM if you're expecting task management.
Cheers
more details...
Store Documentation, Notes, Passwords, Images, Bookmarks, Contacts, Spreadsheets, Money Transactions, Calendar Events & Tasks, iCalander events, CD/DVD/Movie catalogs, Multi layer encryption, Portable, xml database, all in one powerful PIM application.
Am I missing something? I installed Chandler and there was no contact (address book) capability that I could find. If that is in fact true, it may be an excellent calender program, but it's not a PIM. Right?
You're right, it doesn't include contacts, and only has an indirect email function. I like Chandler because it provides a very useful way to keep tasks visible in a chronological format. It is a good antidote to my congenital tendency to procrastinate. :-)
Cheers
I, also, am a PIM junkie. But I still haven't found exactly what I want -- one program that will run on Mac and Windows and share data files so I can keep my data on an encrypted USB stick and access it from work or home.
Evernote syncs between the two platforms via a web account but has no dedicated calendaring or contact information.
Chandler -- syncs the same as Evernote, but I've only begun to explore it. Might work.
Spicebird looks like it would work very well -- if it had a Mac version.
Palm Desktop is just about perfect but they don't play nice together -- Mac and Windows versions keep their data in platform-specific databases.
Windows only -- Do-Organizer (which I've never seen mentioned in any review blog of PIMs) is as good, maybe better, than Palm Desktop, but only comes in the one flavor.
Any other help?
I came to the site looking for a web server, but got distracted by this category. The reason being, a couple of months ago I came across a PIM that suited my needs perfectly so I was looking to see what the picks were here.
For what it is worth, so far I really like NoteFrog ( http://notefrog.com ). They have a free version that is probably fine for most folks. The thing about it is, you just put anything into it in free format. It saves all your notes into a "stack" and it finds them again for you just by starting to type anything that was on the note. The search is done in real-time and it throws out every note that does not match as you type right before you eyes. You just zero in on what you are looking for as you type. It is also a clipboard manager which lets you easily grab information while you are browsing.
So far, fingers crossed, I think it is a great- and just what I needed. I am actually starting to like it more than my old "Keynote" program- something I never thought could happen.
- Jeff
This may surprise you, but of all the free, simple PIMs I've tried, nothing beats my Hotmail account with online Windows Live! (http://mail.live.com). Mail can collate almost all POP accounts and more, Calendar's a doddle for appointments, events, recurrences, etc - and has a To-Do List, and Contacts stores and categorizes all the names/info you might want. It syncs with Outlook via Outlook Connector (for more professional emails). Oddly (or not) there's no iCal format or notepad. But who cares? Why bother with anything else? - Nick
I agree, it is not all that bad.
But I wish I could use it as a stand-alone program, and import my separate programs from Gmail, Outlook and Hotmail.
Any thoughts?
Does anyone know of a freeware alternative to Active Desktop Calendar? It's the only program I can find that combines a powerful PIM with a customizable, interactive Desktop/Wallpaper Calendar.
I don't understand the attraction of a lot these programs that call themselves Calendars, when in order to view the "Calendar" you have to open up (and keep open) that applications relevant window(s). Isn't that more like a Diary in terms of functionality? I mean, who keeps their Calendar in their desk draw?
Have you looked at Rainlender (see Best Free Reminder/To-Do Program section)? I have it just to have a calendar (four months' worth, but this is customisable) on my desktop...
For the purpose of having a calendar on the desktop, MuralPix Manager's auto calendar is a good option. Its main task is to manage wallpapers though.
Reviewed at BF Wallpaper Changer.
Efigio Organizer is a simple to do list software that can be used to get organized.
Some users might be interested in the free (Lite) version of VueMinder Calendar - http://www.vuesoftsite.com/. Note, though, that this is a calendar, not a full fledged PIM (with contacts etc.)
It would seem the link for UK's Kalender should be
http://freenet-homepage.de/ukrebs/
Right you are syntax.
Thanks
I've been a PIM junkie for many years but never stick with any program very long. This is extremely frustrating. I've discoverd I am more of a visual information organizer and I like to see everything at once so I can relate them intuitively in my head. Solution... Mind Maps. Mind Mapping is more of a visual method of organizing notes and tasks and the best freeware version I think is XMind. http://www.xmind.net/ you can have multiple sheets open, internal and external links, notes, and freefloating independent nodes. The only downside is there is no calendar/reminder. Works for me.
I've tried Evolution for WIndows and have a big problem.
Each time I install it, when it starts it displays a dialog
with Kanji and Kana on it. ( For those who do not know. Kanji and Kana are used for displaying Japanese. )
Can anyone help me fix it?
I'm weaning myself off of Essential PIM, and here's why: when scheduling repeating tasks, EPIM actually creates a separate event for each and every repetition. How do I know this? When creating a repeating event that 'never' ends, the program instead creates a separate, new event for each repetition for the next five years. This takes up to a minute for it to do as it populates its database. Ridiculous! Apparently the database is not robust enough to create a simple repeating event! The result is that even though I have a fairly simple calendar, the repeating events result in a very slowly responding reminder window.
Thanks for the comment Anon. ;-) I'll be taking another look at Essential PIM as flexible management of repeating tasks is -- in my view -- one of the "essential" (pun intended) attributes of a good PIM.
Update: The adverse behavior you describe seems to have been corrected by the latest update. At least under Windows 7. ;-)
Cheers
Palm Desktop 6.2 is the current version:
http://kb.palm.com/wps/portal/kb/common/article/32859_en.html
Thank you. Entry updated.
Cheers
i have to say essential pim is very simple to use, robust and elegant.
I bought Essential PIM based on its features and testimonials on its website. Most of it seems to work well. From my experience, however, email is very unstable if you define more than a single account. If you define more than 2 from the same email server some of the other EPIM features start to malfunction. I would have been pleased with it had it not been for its email problems.
Thanks for the report Anon.
Cheers
I'm a uni student and trying to find a PIM that is both flexible and visually effective is proving to be very difficult. I'm on a free trial of EPIM Pro at the moment, it suits my needs the best. However, I don't want to shell out $40 on what I see as a well executed but ultimately fairly straightforward program. $25 would be a more reasonable price!
Time & Chaos 5 is excellent - free from http://www.chaossoftware.com/chaos32-legacy.html - not their latest, but does a very good job on everything up to XP - calendar, to-do's, appointments, telephones, all on one page.
At a quick glance, Time & Chaos 5 seems to be a clean but capable PIM that would meet the needs of many users. Time & Chaos 5 is a free "legacy" version. It is not compatible with Windows Vista though, so the Time & Chaos track could be a dead end with Windows 7 on the horizon. Newer versions do work with Vista, and I'm sure will work with Windows 7.
Cheers
Actually Time & Chaos may work better with Windows 7 then with Vista since
W7 is reported to have a "XP compatability mode" ie a VM running XP.
Tried Chandler. It's on the right track but it's not there yet...maybe with future versions. One thing is that the "project" itself (as evidenced by the site and even the description here) suffers from ST*U syndrome. So much self-hype thinly veiled behind meaningless techno and process babble. Want to know what Chandler is about? Very simple. Everything - notes, meetings, tasks - are lumped, organized, filed together. That's all. You don't need their marketspeak or their video tutorials to learn the program...it is extremely straightforward (especially in this early stage with so few features). Not to say that it is bad...it has the potential to be great, and that very simple idea is something I've been waiting for in PIMs for years. In fact I was foolish enough to think MS would eventually wake up and do it themselves with Outlook...e.g. allow you to file mails/tasks/journal entries/etc. together in the same folder. Then again MS has had a hard time getting together anything really innovative or useful for the last several years. Anyway, Chandler looks like it might become a contender...hope it will. In the meantime, um...Chandler Project team? "Underlying reality" this.
Thanks for the excellent contrary analysis of Chandler. It's working well for me, but I'm not loading it heavily either. I've found it's imperative to make frequent backups of your Chandler data too.
Cheers
Do any of the recommended PIMs allow you to click and call either through Skype, a cell phone and or landline?
Which one allows you easily save contact notes?
Thanks in advance.
EssentialPIM is excellent but the free version is so crippled that it is not recommendable. The Pro version only gives you a year of updates plus requires additional pricey "add-ons" for each type of sync you want - Windows Mobile, Google, etc.. A very off-putting pricing structure.
also try out UK's Kalender :
http://freenet-homepage.de/ukrebs/
Updated: At first glance, this looks like a well thought out task and event manager. UK's Kalender does use a proprietary file format, but you can export your data in CSV format.
Cheers
Have you checked out calgoo? If you can get over their default fonts I like it and syncs with many online calendars.
Andrew Seward
Bets46 Category Editor
Thanks for the tip Andrew. Calgoo is very nice. I've added it to the category.
Cheers
Try Chaos Manager
Which of these sync with a Palm organizer? I've been using Outlook 2007, and it's driving me crazy. I just hate it.
I see from the post above that Evolution, a Linux program, has been ported to Windows. Evolution is a replacement for Outlook, so it may sync with Palm.
http://www.dipconsultants.com/evolution/
Cheers ~ Philip Spohn
There are actually many free PIMs.
I'm using one I found really cool because its versatility. It is called PIM Xtreme and you can find it at http://dgtalize.com
It works with contacts, events, to-do, notes and alsa with financial stuff. It has many interesting options and, as far as I saw, it is on active development.
Oh! and it's Open Source too!
That's my suggestion :). Hope it helps!
Very good application!
All the database and MySQL stuff can be really annoying at first. I hope the developers make that more user friendly.
Anyway, worth a try.
Thanks for the info. I'll check PIM Xtreme out.
Update: This one is interesting, but after giving it a try, I think it needs some time to mature.
Cheers ~ Philip Spohn
I find it AMAZING that with such a HUGE community of people working on Open Source and Open Office, that there isn't the talent to add the simple things. For the past 5+ years since Open Office has been around to "kill MS Office" - they skipped on the basics. Sunbird is a good example of short-sightedness. For a simple free program, it does QUITE a bit well enough to compete with Outlook (with Thunderbird)... but it completely lacks a CONTACT Manager or an Alarm system.
For year, I've been refering people to use Palm Desktop for free... Actually, PALM themselves should be advertising it. Its easy to use and low resources. Mine is a bit old, but it should open up an email program if you click on a name... to make it more useful.
Thanks for the info. EssentialPIM & Chandler both look like top-notch programs that can require me to NOT have Outlook on my computer... not a matter of cost, but of having any more MS software on my computer. Don't get me wrong - MS did do a bang up job with Office2007... but I'll get along without it... Now to try out these other PIMs. Palm has gotten rather OLD looking. ;)
What about OpenContacts?
http://www.fonlow.com/OpenContacts/
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