watson31

HELP!!!

I recently drank the Kool-Aid and acquired a Galaxy S3. Prior to that I was functioning quite nicely with a very old flip phone to make calls & text PLUS a Palm Zire 72 for organizing my life.

I've had the Galaxy for a couple months now. And while I like it, I'm still carrying around my Zire because to be blunt, the calendar that came on the Galaxy stinks on ice.

So I'm looking for an app (or apps) to do the following:
1) I need a day planner/calendar.
2) In my Zire I would create "reminders" with alarms. They were great for breaking bad habits or establishing healthy habits. The alarm would go off and I'd open the reminder and read a little paragraph telling me to stop drinking so much soda, or not get so frustrated at work, or whatever. Then I could reschedule it for a couple days from now at some random time to go off again. The randomness of the reminders was an awesome tool for making serious changes in my life.
3) I used the Tasks List function in the Zire to create lists such as "Books I want to Read" or "Bands to Check Out" or "Improvements for the House".
4) The Memo function in the Zire was great for more detailed lists in paragraph form (versus the bulleted list format of the Tasks list).
5) All my contacts were in 1 place, and within each contact I could write a note about them. Birthday or directions to their house or that this friend prefers Coke versus Pepsi....whatever. AND I could create separate contact lists. Personal, Business, Old, Co-Workers.

I think that covers it. I want all these features on my Galaxy S3 AND I want to sync the phone to my PC, not to "the cloud". I don't trust "the cloud" anymore than I trust the government.

Just today I downloaded the free trial version of Pimlical and I hate it. All the reviews made it sound like it was going to look and feel almost like the Palm, but it's really just a calendar....not much different than the stupid calendar that came loaded on the phone.

So......Please, please, please People, hit me with the recommendations. I've got this expensive phone that I only use for texting, making calls, and occassionally reading something online. So far I am soooo not getting my money's worth.

What apps are going to make my brand new "smart" phone behave like my 8 year old Palm Zire???

Thanks in advance,
watson31

gtbarry

First of all, when I saw the title of this thread I thought "Why did someone revive such an old thread???"

You can use google calendar to set appointments with as much detail as you want. But you can't set anything to random to my knowledge. So your reminders would probably have to go off at set times.

Google Keep (free in Play Store) uses your existing google account and can create lists for you that you can edit on your phone or online. It can do bullet point tasks lists, memos, photo notes or voice notes. You can color-coordinate, rearrange the order, etc. Far more modern than the Palm Desktop/OS.

If you use gmail for your contacts, it will sync wirelessly and you can edit via your desktop or phone. When you go to contacts you add a variety of detail including "note" to write as much detail as you want. Also, under google contacts you can create groups and organize people under groups (i.e. Pepsi Drinkers) and even under more than one group (i.e. Pepsi drinker and Co-worker)

Regarding the cloud, I hear you and I agree with you. For more than just privacy reasons, I refuse to embrace the cloud also. But you already do in many ways and you don't have much choice in the matter. You just need to approach with caution. Don't put anything truly confidential in the notes about a person and realize the benefits of having the ability to sync your contacts wirelessly and automatically through your google account. Even if you lose both your phone and computer (via theft or destruction), your contacts will be available to you and will download immediately to your replacement phone once you sign in. Also, the ability to edit notes, contacts, calendar in one place and magically have them sync up across all devices (your phone, any computer you sign into, any tablet you sign into, etc.) can be handy when travelling, etc.

watson31

gtbarry,

I'm going to address your last point first. I really don't have anything of importance out on the cloud and I intend to keep it that way. Work I do for my employer might be on the cloud, but that's their choice and it's their info, not mine. I have a Dropbox account for photos, but they're nothing private, all harmelss stuff (my dogs, motorcycles, me & my girlfriend). I would never sync my contacts or people's addresses & phone numbers "out there".

You mentioned using gmail for syncing my contacts. I freakin' hate gmail. I recently set up a new gmail account just to the email function and I think it looks horrible. The way a string of emails is "situated" I do not like it 1 bit. So I'm hesitant to use any of the other features of the gmail account, such as a calendar.

You also mentioned being able to sync wirelessly via gmail. Again, I don't want to do anything wirelessly. I am more comfortable connecting to my PC w/a USB cable.

So thanks for reading my post and offering some ideas, but they really don't speak to what I'm aiming to do.

woodsb123

Hi Watson31, I saw your post and thought back to my days as a Palm phone user. When I first got my shiny new android phone back many years ago, I was thinking the same way as you were with syncing my phone to my pc via usb cable, that's because back then, it was the norm. Now I know you probably won't like my answers, however, you did ask for advice.

First, let me say that I've had many android phones and I also own an Ipad. So I can tell you that even the iPhone is cloud-based now. Over the years, the android environment has evolved and gotten a whole lot better than when they first started out and I must say - Google has come a long way. Now on to your issues. Now you say that you don't trust and want anything uploaded to the cloud, well, let me say this then, you don't really want a smartphone then. Because most, if not all, smartphones today have all of their/your data stored in "the cloud" in some way(s) that you might not even be aware of. All "the cloud" means is that they are storing the data you access on your phone, on that company's network of computers. And I can tell you now, if this is your strategy of not connecting your new phone to the cloud, and you are sticking to it, you probably should return your shiny new phone to the store because I can tell you for a fact that you will just continue to frustrate yourself with these devices if you are expecting to use them without connecting to "the cloud". Smartphones of today are made to work with cloud services. In reference to that, google's apps are all web-based(cloud) and as far as I know, you can't even purchase an android phone without having/creating a google/android email account of some sort. In all honesty, I don't believe there is a newer phone in stores that would allow you to sync your data just using your computer and a usb cable, but, I could be wrong. Hope this helps.

zuben el genub

I think Outlook still syncs. At least it did on the Blackberry.

I know what you mean. I loved my Clie. If you have ACT, there just might be an Android Sync. An Office suite might have something between computer and device. ACT is still around. It isn't free, but sometimes free is not what you want since it caters to the so-called majority.

Sync Android with ACT! - Sync contacts, calendar activities, contact notes and histories -- CompanionLink Software

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chanchan05

1. Its called S Planner on the S3. Its the calendar app.

2. There are several reminder apps out there that can do what you want. Most prominent are Astrid and Any.do

3. Any.do and Astrid could make task lists as well.

4. The S3 has a Memo app. Is there anything wrong with it? Just look for it in the app drawer. It may have been renamed to S Notes.

5. This can be done if the contacts were saved to either Google or phone only. If you don't want it syncing wirelessly, you have to save it to phone memory, and have Samsung Kies installed on your PC/Mac. This is the Samsung PC Suite program where you can have your notes, contacts, messages, etc syncing and making backups of.

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dvhttn

What a load of .... I'm not actually sure what .... What you're saying is that YOU have bought the "store everything in the cloud" idea hook, line and sinker. Some of us haven't and we still manage to use a "smart" phone, even though all of our data is NOT in the cloud.

On the subject of ".. on that company's network of computers ...", well ever thought that the computers your data is on could well be outside of the country you live in and thus subject to very different laws than you are personally? Thought not ....

Personal choice. There are plenty of ways of keeping your data out of the cloud and still using a smart phone. That's maybe why some of us really do have "smart" phones ..

Dave

funkylogik

Can i just jump in a bit and say.. anyone moving from one OS to another should be prepared to accept a definite change. Dont expect Android or its apps to replicate what youre used to, that would be a lazy way to approach it. Explore android with a new head on and start from scratch.
Think Web OS died a death for a reason tbh. I know it has a strong place in (mostly North American tbh) hearts but moving to android expecting a replica isnt gona work

P.s, what is it that seems to "scare" people about cloud storage? I honestly dont get that.
Like i understand that unless you have reliable unlimited data you wont want to be streaming all your media but whats wrong with the google servers saving your contacts for you lol??
Imo it makes things nice n simple

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Last edited by funkylogik; May 3rd, 2013 at 02:50 AM.

dontpanicbobby

@Dave- Could you expand on that? What are some of the apps that allow you to keep your data off the cloud but still nicely organized on your smartphone?

@watson31- I felt the same way you did when I switched from Windows Mobile to Android back in 2008. I really missed syncing with Outlook from my job or at home over a USB cable. 5 years into the Android experience and I don't even think about that anymore. I wish I had some helpful suggestions for you but like gtbarry I'm satisfied with what Google has to offer.

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Last edited by dontpanicbobby; May 3rd, 2013 at 03:40 AM.

Hadron

If you don't want to send info via Google there are options for sharing via cable with your pc. As you have a Samsung their Kies software may be able to do something. I've heard "MyPhoneExplorer" can do sync with Outlook (not being a Windows person I've never used Outlook, so can't speak from experience). Something like that may be as close as you'll get, and I guess if you use that, and make sure they aren't being synced with Google accounts, you could get some of what you want.

I don't know of anything like Palm Desktop, and doubt it will exist. That was possible because that was the way Palm was designed, with the core calendar, contacts, tasks and notes being made to sync with that app on a PC. With Android the equivalents (where they exist) are based on Google services, which means cloud rather than local pc sync. Some apps have their own local databases, some sync with other cloud services, but I don't know of an all-in-one system (as opposed to disjoint apps) which also has local sync.

There are organiser apps which try to put it all in one app, the way DateBk would have done on the Palm. The Pocket Informant 3 beta gives access to Calendar, Tasks, Contacts and Notes, for example. But the sync options are the standard Google accounts or other online services.

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chanchan05

Samsung Kies for PC/Mac works a lot like Palm Desktop. You can manage your contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, music, etc on a desktop via USB cable.

funkylogik

Kies is admittadly an embarassingly bad big pile of crap software though tbh so good luck with it coz it seems to be down to sheer luck if Kies does what you want from it

chanchan05

I've never had problems with Kies over 4 different computers. Although admittedly all 4 computers are way beyond minimum requirements.

Polish Prince

I use Pimlical on the PC which currently syncs to 13 different Gmail calendar accounts on my Android. I sync using the cloud, however if you want, you can sync via cable with Pimlical.

I use Gemini Calendar to view & edit on my phone.

Both Pimlical (PC) and Gemini are rich with features.

watson31

My issue with the cloud is about trust. We're already moving closer to a Big Brother environment. I'm not going to help it along. I don't know where my info is or who might access it. I'm surprised people are so ok with it. But everyone is a sheep these days anyway.

watson31

Dave, thanks for agreeing with me about the cloud. So how do you function with a smart phone and avoid the cloud? I've read a lot of negative reviews for Kies so I'm skeptical. What do you use?

dontpanicbobby

Baaa humbug, watson31. I haven't eaten grass since I was a little whipper snapper.

Last edited by dontpanicbobby; May 3rd, 2013 at 07:53 AM. Reason: smilie added to bring down the harsh tone of this post

zuben el genub

I also agree about the cloud. I use an app for finances that can save either a Quicken file, or a CSV. I can transfer that manually by a cable. Text messages can get copied to an email, and downloaded on the computer with the original text deleted. (TMO notifies by text and nothing I can do about what they keep) I use ES File Explorer. The Nexus 4 is a pain in the butt with transfers. Linux only sees the photos. Windows will get the data.

I only do banking/ordering on the Linux Mint desktop, through a router. I bought a few backups.
I mostly do photos on an offline XP box in Photoshop. So I have to physically back up. Same for embroidery and quilting files.

Since I don't sync a calendar on the phone, that isn't an issue.

Other lists I can create as a PDF in Adobe Illustrator, and transfer to phone.

I use the phone more as a reference PDA. Mostly nature and astronomy apps. I don't have to carry a library with me on a walk. The apps work without a connection.

As for Office type stuff - I need one that works with WordPerfect. I'm still using 9 as I don't need all the bells and whistles. Docs to Go used to handle the WPD files, but no more. If you did use Docs to Go, you can get a side discount if you owned it on Palm (I asked)

Last edited by zuben el genub; May 3rd, 2013 at 08:10 AM.

dvhttn

I have a Desire HD, running 4.2.2 (AOKP) and connect wirelessly to my home network.

Calendar/contacts: I use Outlook on the desktop and use that for my "master" calendar and contacts database. I use MyPhoneExplorer (MPE) to sync between the DHD and PC. I actually sync to the "Google" account on the phone BUT sync is turned off and, usually, I've uninstalled the Google calendar/contacts sync apps. The calendar and contacts/phone app you use can be anything you want as long as it uses the same storage - and most do.
With new events/contacts I'll sync them to the PC asap BUT there is no way that I would lose much of anything if I didn't sync my phone for a week, say.

Music: I have c. 24GB on music on my SD-Card and for that I use MPE as well. (Actually, if I need to load the complete lot on a new card I'll put it in a card reader and connect to a USB port and let it download overnight. I suppose with newer phones having 802.11ac wifi onboard this should be a lot quicker now BUT you still have to access the sdcard, which aren't very quick).
Again, the emphasis is on having the "master" on my PC at home - WELL BACKED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

Photos: I take some and download them to my PC when I remember. I don't take that many so no big deal if they get lost. If I did take loads I'd download them more often.

Obviously I use the ol' interweb thingie via a browser and email via Maildroid. I don't have my archived email on my phone, it's really a device just to read email. Anything I 'send' is copied to myself so I'll have a copy at home even if I lose my phone.

I'm sure there's other stuff, but the above keeps most of my info out of the cloud. If I had a bit of spare cash I'd set up my home network so I could access it remotely. That way I could save things to the "cloud", but in this case it'd be my cloud!

HTH

Dave

fdbryant3

That is the way of progress though. I suspect somebody was making the same complaints with the invention of the postal system, the telegraph, in fact I'm almost certain I've read about similar arguments with the invention of the telephone. However ultimately the benefits of the utility are going to outweigh the possible negatives and society moves forward.

Crashdamage

It is 2013. If you don't want to chance Big Brother or other Bad People getting info about you, you gotta...

Not make phone calls.
Not text.
Not use email.
Not use snail mail.
Not use the internet.
Not use carrier pigeons.
Not converse in public.
Not... You get the idea.

I consider myself to be very careful and security-conscious. Use SE Linux, etc. But I'm realistic too, and realize that nobody communicating in 2013 can truly avoid Big Brother or being 'in the cloud'.

The cloud is very useful, so I use it - carefully.

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watson31

Thanks for helpful info Dave. Most folks are so busy lecturing me that they forget to make any useful suggestions. I'm leaning towards Outlook. I don't love it, but it'll do most of what I want. I really appreciate the unbiased response.

watson31

OK, so I get everyone's point. I'm somehow the fool because I'm looking for a functionality that I don't currently see on my phone. Shame on me.

But everybody is focusing so much on lecturing me that you're forgetting to offer some suggestions that I can actually use.

I know I could browse the millions of apps available in the Google Play store. I was hoping that someone could steer me in the right direction, and save me some time. Why re-invent the wheel if other folks have already found the tool (or tools) that do what I want.

I understand that there's a learning curve with a new piece of tech. I'm actually OK with that. But if I can download a few apps "today" that meet my needs instead of fumbling thru half a dozen clunkers over the next few weeks/months before I find the right thing, that just gets me up & running that much faster.

And I am not going to embrace the cloud. That's just not negotiable. I really don't understand how so many people are so OK with it.

vosg

So people who are not paranoid are sheep? Nice!

watson31

Dave, sorry to continue to bother, but you're the only person who has offered any practical advice.

I've read a good bit about My Phone Explorer. And while it sounds like it will give me the access to my PC that I want, I've also read that it comes with a lot of bloatware.

Check out this article from Cnet & let me know what you think.

MyPhoneExplorer Client - CNET Download.com

Did you have any problems like what's described in the article??

glassmancheck

Hi watson31, I too am a former Palm user. Many years, starting with the original "Palm Pilot". The transition was not easy, but the added benefits I have experienced with Android and the great apps made it all worth it. The hardest thing for me to get over was why there wasn't an obvious quality Android organizer to replace my former Palm/Desktop. And an organizer was top priority to me. One that synced directly to my PC. Through trial and error I found all my solutions. But what was important to me may not be important to you.

a) I'm a little surprised you didn't like Pimlical Android/Desktop. After trying several calendar apps I settled on Pimlical. I sync contacts with Kies because Pimlical does not yet support contacts, but it is coming soon (according to their web site). This is the only app I found to do calendar/tasks/memos in 1 app.

b) Tell me what is most important to you from your Palm days and I can give you some suggestions.

c) Here was my priority list (yours will likely be different): 1) Calendar & tasks in one app that syncs to my PC. (Pimlical does this). 2) Password protection for sensitive data I need to refer to. (B-Folders does this for me.) 3) Search ability. Especially Contacts. (I purchased "Contact Lookup Fast" to do this). 4) Keyboard.

Best regards.

gtbarry

Answer: You can't.

watson31

Hi glassmancheck,
Thanks for actually focusing on the issues. I will try to articulate as best as possible what I liked about the Palm that I feel is missing from the Android and Pimlical.

a) I haven't tried the Desktop piece of Pimlical yet. Just the free 10-day trial on the phone to see if I could get the calendar to do what I want. I've also heard a lot of negative things about Kies so I've hesitated to try it. Same with My Phone Explorer.

b) What's most important to me from the Palm?
---- In the Palm, the Task list and the Memos are totally separate from the calendar. In Pimlical Tasks, Memos and Appointments are all just items on the calendar. I liked having different "places" for information.
---- In Palm I could access any 1 area w/the press of a single button. Now I have to swipe to unlock the phone, then press the Pimlical widget to open the calendar. And as mentioned above, everything "resides" on the calendar. Why call them different things if they all basically look like appointments on the calendar.
---- When an alarm goes off on the Palm, the device comes on and w/a single button I can open the reminder that is tied to the alarm. In Pimlical, the alarm goes off, but I can't figure out how to go to the item (to read it or reschedule it). Also, an alarmed item on my Palm calendar might say "Reminder" and when I opened it, I could have a more extensive note sitting "behind" the reminder. I can't make that happen in Pimlical. This was maybe the biggest feature I used on the Palm.
---- I want to sync the whole thing to my PC not the cloud. Am I needlessly paranoid? Maybe. But I don't want to dump all my personal information "out there". I don't think it's a lot to ask from such a sophisticated piece of equipment.

I also have to point out that I used the Task section of the Palm in a slightly different way than was intended. I almost never used it as a "checklist" of items to be completed. Instead I used it to create different bulleted lists. I have a list of books I want to read; a list of CDs I want to buy; bands I want to check out; etc... Short items that were related in some way. When I buy 1 CD on the list, I can delete it w/out altering the rest of that particular Task list. The Memo section of the Palm I use similiarly, except that the things listed were longer than a book title or band name.

I hope that all makes sense. I think I covered everything (or just about everything). If you could help me with just 1 or 2 of these things I'd be grateful.

Thanks again,
watson31

davidchsw

I was a long time Palm user. The Palm PIM software was very elegant and simple. I felt the same way you did when I got my first Android. I couldn't/wouldn't do what was needed to make Android work the way you want because it is very cumbersome. Good luck on your journey with a new OS. You could always by used Palms on Ebay.

Hadron

A few people have said that you can only use the cloud, but more than that have suggested ways of not using it. I think you may have let your grievance at the former colour your reading of some of the others, or maybe, not knowing the apps, didn't realise that some of them were suggesting alternatives to the services you didn't want to use.

I understand your position. I'm another Palm refugee and cloud sceptic - though I do use some cloud services, I do not create accounts or share info carelessly.

I've heard of junk apps with MyPhoneExplorer, but believe you can decline to install them. Not a Windows person so no personal experience, just what I've read.

There are note, memo and checklist apps that do not require any sort of sync. I have Note Everything because it let me import my Palm memos, but use no sync with it (just copy backups to laptop occasionally). List Master is a name that comes to mind as a checklist app, which from your last post sounds like one of the things you use. And there are many ToDo apps that work without sync or even don't have any sync. It's actually fairly easy to keep different types of info separate (from your earlier complaint about Pimlical being "just a calendar" I'd thought this was not what you wanted). It's if you want to sync them with a computer as well that your options become more limited.

Randomly timed reminders still remain one I have no ideas for!

Last edited by Hadron; May 3rd, 2013 at 05:15 PM.

dvhttn

Never had that problem. I installed MPE over 2 years ago and keep up to date with beta/early releases. I run an ancient PC with XP Pro as well. There is a forum over at the authors web site at ... FJ Software :: Forum anzeigen - English section ... and at least one thread about the same thing. Some people like me, never seen it. Others really hacked off. Seems they should have taken more care when installing though the author does state that one or two of the apps that "could" be installed have been a little problematic. If you watch the install carefully, and read the thread(s) first you'll be fine.

If you're like me you'll backup your data before the first sync. Just in case you have finger troubles .... Oh, I use Outlook as I started to using it for work, got a freebie copy of Office 2K and soon had all my email/calendars with it. I tried Thunderbird but the conversion of mail left something to be desired so I got a copy of Office 2010. Works for me, even if I am sync'ing a Windows machine with an Android phone.

HTH

Dave

funkylogik

I dont think people are so willing to help when theyve been prejudged as "sheep" lol

glassmancheck

Watson31:
a) I've used them both with no complaints, but only to sync contacts. MyPhoneExplorer works good on WiFi. Kies with a cable.

b) Palm was designed primarily as an Organizer from the ground up. That's what it did the best. It was nice to push one button and the ToDo list appeared, or the Memo list, etc. I've resigned myself to the fact that the Android OS is more strokes when it comes to navigating most Organizers. That's why I have embraced Pimlical. I felt it was the easiest to navigate. Once I open it up I can do most things without closing the app. Appts, Memos, Tasks all under one roof. But I use it differently than you do. It is a very powerful app that is highly configurable, but it can be confusing. First I will point out some Pimlical features which may sway you to give it a good test.
--- Tasks can be "filtered" through templates making them the only thing displayed. And more templates could be added to display what you want. It ships with a few basic templates. These are pretty cool. Pimlical Memos are easy to access within app, and are quite useful.
--- Alarms: I cannot see a way to make these work as you wish in Pimlical. When an alarm goes off in Pimlical only the title is displayed and it takes a few taps to open it. I can see some cumbersome work arounds like links to Memos, but nothing as elegant as the Palm OS. Maybe someone has an app suggestion that will come closer to what you want.
--- Syncing to a PC is supported in Pimlical Desktop. Nothing beats being able to edit my Calendar, Memos or Tasks on the PC. Then sync it to my Android. And Contacts are said to be coming soon.
--- The bullet list I could picture Pimlical handling with a template. Maybe separate categories. But once again, it would be more taps than the Palm OS and probably a little cumbersome. Or maybe someone else has an app they can suggest.

As I said, the original Palm software/hardware combination was primarily an Organizer. It wasn't perfect either. I purchased many Palm add ons over the years to do extra things. I have found good Android Organizer apps for my needs, I'm sure you will too. Android OS was a difficult transition for me too. Just try not to compare it to the Palm OS.

Make sure look at other apps that may help you in your personal and business life. I have bought dozens of apps that the Palm OS could never dream of. Scanners, business card scanner, GPS, etc. And most don't break the average budget.

Questions for you:

a) Do you use the Palm Desktop?
b) Do you desire to move your Palm calendar, contact list, tasks, memos to your Android?

glassmancheck

"Sheep" was certainly not the best term to use. But you have to admit, the OP got a lot of unfair lecturing. Many "Non-cloud" options are out there.

funkylogik

Yeah thats true mate sorry OP

Im actualy against the way Google are pushing us towards cloud storage but not for privacy reasons.. simply because most people dont have cheap/unlimited or reliable data

Last edited by funkylogik; May 5th, 2013 at 02:02 PM.

watson31

Understood, but I only used that term after people started jumping on me. If you read my original post, I was frustrated, but not derogatory (except about the standard issue calendar on my phone). I did not initiate this discussion in a confrontational manner.

I'm merely looking for suggestions that might get me what I need, not a lecture on whether or not I'm a Luddite.

lunatic59

As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. Let's slow it down to a waltz.

The issue is not whether the cloud is a good or bad thing or whether the OP needs to be convinced, coerced or otherwise persuaded to change the way he wants to do things with his phone. Android is about choice, so let everyone make theirs.

To the OP:

MyPhoneExplorer will do a good deal of what you want in terms of syncing. Better than Kies, IMHO. You can sync with desktop Outlook, but it's a bit of work to get it working exactly as you want it. It was never really designed to work that way. Now if you have an Exchange server, that's a whole new ballgame.

I am a big fan of Samsung phones, but their software has never been very reliable for me. My wife got the S3 as well and i know one of the first things we did was replace a lot of the stock mail, calendar and messaging apps with ones that fit her patterns of use. So, there are alternatives out there, but you might have to do some testing until you find one that works best for your needs.

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watson31

glassmancheck,

Thanks again for being so focused.

Based on your latest reply, I think part of my frustration w/Pimlical is that so far I'm only running the free trial on the phone. I haven't downloaded the desktop portion. And in reading your post, and re-reading the "fine print" in the Pimlical Help section, I'm seeing that the customization you mention is really only doable via the desktop. I was hoping to see all that in the free trial. Not a big deal. The cost to download the whole thing ($20-25) isn't so bad. I've spent more than that in the bar in an afternoon. I overlooked that element. So perhaps I'll give it another try.

To answer your last 2 questions:
a)Yes, I do (or, I did) use the Palm Desktop w/my Zire. I used it quite often, and was in the habit of sync-ing the Zire w/the desktop every 3 days.
b) Ideally it would be great if I could migrate all the existing info from the Palm Desktop directly to my Galaxy. But I already manually entered the contacts when I first got the phone. I wouldn't care too much if I had to start by manually entering the Task Lists and Memos. It would be a little time consuming, but not the worst thing in the world. The more important issue would be sync-ing everything (via USB) in the future to some kind of desktop application so as to avoid cloud storage.

I thought I found the perfect thing last night. A product called Styletap. It actually emulates the look and feel of the Palm OS, and it runs almost all of the old Palm applications, and it is available for Android and Apple phones. However, it does not have the capability to sync to the Palm Desktop. It seems finding the USB-sync capability is going to be the biggest challenge.

I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll probably have to purchase different apps for Tasks and Memos and my calendar. Again, that's not the worst thing in the world. But I would like to sync to my PC using a USB connection. I don't even care if I need a different desktop application that corresponds to each app on the phone. If I sync everything on a regular basis, no 1 sync procedure should ever take a long time. But that's the hurdle I find myself facing.

gtbarry

A Luddite wouldn't post on a forum. A Luddite would create a wood carving then ride into town to deliver it.

watson31

lunatic59,

I hear what you're saying. And thanks too for pointing out that trying to convince me I'm "wrong" isn't really going to accomplish anything.

I really don't have a problem with the idea of downloading new apps to accomplish what I want. I don't even have a problem paying for apps.....as long as they do what I want. I was really just hoping that folks on the forum might point me in the direction of some apps that correspond with what I'm aiming to do.

One person who replied to my post said it best when the described the Palm OS as "elegant". That is the perfect word. And I've been using my Palm Zire for so long, that I never would have guessed that a brand new smart phone wouldn't be able to do all the things I take for granted on the Zire. To me, those things really are the most basic of functions. I didn't think I was looking for a functionality that was all that far-fetched.
I'm not bashing Android or smart-phones. I'm stunned by all the things my phone can do. But in the same respect, I'm also stunned by what it can't do. It's as if the builders of USS Enterprise forgot to include bathrooms in designing the ship.

Anyway.....thanks again for chiming in. I guess my search continues.

lunatic59

FIFY.

Give it time. I can read the frustration in your posts, but you'll come to appreciate the improvements the new technology brings and integrate them into your particular needs. We all came from someplace else. I had a Windows Mobile phone prior to my first Android and I wasn't completely disgusted by it as some would suggest was the universal experience. And the transition was a little painful and frustrating at first.

What it appears to many (okay, me, at least) is that you are attempting to recreate as much of the Palm OS experience as possible with a platform that was never designed to do that. It's like looking for a good hamburger and buying a filet, then asking the chef to make it into a hamburger. You have to expect a little eye rolling and resistance. I think what you'll find is as you try out things and discover new capabilities, some of the old Palm Paradigms will fall by the wayside and you'll become comfortable with your solutions. Part of the Android experience is discovering that there is not just one way to do the same thing. It's finding the best way that takes a bit of work. I like the hunt and the trial and error, but I need things to work, too. I found what I need and I've probably been using the same core set of apps now for the past few years.

Again, this is part of the Android process ... learning that they supply the Ship, the propellers and the cannons, and you install the bathrooms. The Microsoft way is to install every type of bathroom fixture possible, trying to accommodate everyone all the time. Apple only installs urinals and tells everyone they have to pee standing up. Now, they are made of fine porcelain and designed by world renowned Venetian Artisans, but if you want to sit, you're SOL. Google gives you a list of plumbers and a fixture catalog and tells you to pick your own.

dvhttn

Love this line! And if there was a problem they'd tell you you were holding it wrong .....

Dave

womb raider

I use ColorNote to create bulleted lists, much like what you're after. You can then create a post-it note style widget on your homescreen for each seperate list if you don't want to have to open the ColorNote app each time you want to find a particular list.

It's not the prettiest app in the world but it works fine for what I want it to. You can also add alarm reminders if you should need to.

LouWags

I understand the OP quite well. The Zire 72 was (still is), a great device. Just didn't have a phone in it. I've found that functionally, I've been able to replace the vast majority of the software that I used on it except for some games that I used to like.

The one app I haven't been able to find replicated is the PowerOne Graph program that saved my bacon in my first Calculus class. Still haven't found anything that remotely compares to that stellar program.

What I've been able to determine is that I'm still able to function the way I used to in terms of making things happen, they just look different. It takes some hunting. I like the analogy above about Android giving you the house and a list of plumbers and fixtures and you build it yourself. It does take a while.

Cloud has its pros and cons. One app that I have found that works fairly well in terms of synching via USB is AirDroid. Very basic but very functional. It also allows you to remote control your phone if you like (use a full keyboard, anyone? ).

Keep at it. You'll figure out how to do what you want. You may even surprise yourself and find better programs than what you had available on the old Zire.

--Wag--

AgentR

I was a long time palm user, Palm VII, Sony Clie's... I despaired for a couple years after I retired the clie, but didn't have a suitable smartphone based replacement.

I now use a combination of the google calendar (I get that you hate that it's stored on the net...) and an app called "B-folders". B-folders has an import function that works pretty well, and I was able to recover all that accumulated information from the memo palm app, so I end up with bfolders handing the memo and task lists; and the calendar for appointments and such. B-folders sync's to your desktop over the network (wifi or wwan), and can keep several devices in sync with each other. I have my Note II, my desktop, a small netbook in the kitchen, and my heftier netbook that travels with me all sync'ed together. The google calendar has a web interface, so you can edit appointments on your desktop or phone.

Together, I find them an acceptable substitute; though of course, no modern app will *look* as clean and purely functional as the palm memo/etc was.

I do think the google calendar does look pretty spiffy in the "month" layout, so that's eased the transition a bit.

jonbanjo

I've only been using Android a couple of months and still have bits to sort out but like the OP, I'm wary of the cloud.

Email itself wasn't a problem to me as I was already running my own IMAP server (cyrus on OpenSuse Linux). I'm currently using K9 mail but what ever the email programs were on my Samsung Ace 2 and Acer Iconia A200 worked fine. I had a consistent view of emails across Androids, my PC and laptop - I just wanted the same email client on both Androids.

I've yet to work contacts and calender out but I might well try the route outlined here Mobility: Sharing your contacts, calendar and all others on Linux with your tablet/smartphone using funambol and evolution | Le blog de Makina Corpus at some point.

Printing was already shared via cups. I couldn't find a cups printing app that worked as I wanted so my resolution for this one was to write my own.

Media is shared via mythtv. Currently I am using Skifta to view/play tv recordings, videos and music stored on the server. stfp using ES FileExplorer enables me to access photos and other documents on the server.

I think that's about it for now except to say that if I get stuck with something like the contacts, I think I'd look further into having Linux running ide by side with Android on my tablet. I might do that anyway but so far I've resisted the temptation of doing anything that involves rooting the device.

rcyphermd

I feel for the OP. I loved Palm as well. But I have grown to love android. Two suggestions. Business calendar in incredible with dozens of options. For your lists, I like color note. Also lots of options to personalize. Hope those help!

Dngrsone

I went from the Palm T|X to Galaxy S II just six months ago, so I understand your pain, Watson31.

I spent quite some time nursing my T|X along, preferring to keep my PDA and phone separate (had me a damn nice 'Captain Kirk' phone, too), but the third or fourth T|X was failing, and you just can't get any decent flip phones any more (and the wife wanted a phone with a decent camera...) so I bit the bullet.

I had used Datebk on the Palm for-- damn, a decade already?-- so transitioning to PimlicalA wasn't much of a stretch for me, though the actual migration was somewhat painful. I actually had to attach to my Gmail account for the migration and, while I could separate them again, there really isn't anything useful in the calendar or Gmail account for bad-guys to take advantage of, so...

If you want one-button functionality, you might try putting your calendar app on the Lock Screen, that is a Gingerbread function of Android.

My biggest problem with the transition so far is replacing ShadowPlan, which promises to become two or three different applications in the Smartphone.

funpig

I was a 10 year palm user. 3 years ago, I converted and have not looked back.

I used Pimlical desktop to convert 10 years worth of appointments and transfer it to google. I occasionally sync Pimlical to keep a local backup in case the cloud blows up. However, I have embraced the convenience of cloud based syncing. It keeps my mobile devices, laptop and office computers always up to date.

3 years ago Pimlical for android mobile was not quite developed. I ended up buying Calengoo for about 6 bucks. Calengoo is very polished calendar and already had a very good reputation as an iOS app. I find Calengoo does everything that my old Pimlico datebk6 could do. It does floating appointments and has a separate task list which syncs with google. It is also very fast syncing. I have not looked back.

For memos, I just use Dropbox which also allows me to sync all sorts of documents, PDFs, photos, etc.

OldProfessor

I recently purchased a Droid 4 when my Palm Centro died. I'll relate my experience for what it's worth. I also am paranoid about cloud storage. The only question, to me, is whether I'm paranoid enough. Finally, I have a question about the calendar human interface. I would appreciate suggestions for improving the experience.

I need to sync with Outlook, but my employer will not permit connection to Exchange from any devices it didn't supply. I selected Android-sync to connect to my laptop via UBS cable and have found it satisfactory. It's providing essentially the same service as Pocket Mirror was for the Centro. As I understand it, these products interface with the Outlook OST file on the PC.

I'm mostly reading email on my company laptop and personal desktop. Company policy does not permit connecting the personal computer or droid to its exchange server. I'm using my ISP (Comcast), where I have multiple accounts. On the company laptop I use both Outlook and Eudora. I've been using Eudora for maybe 20 years. I have history and filters that are quite valuable to me. In Eudora I use POP3 and leave the email on the server. My personal PC also uses Eudora. I chose K9 mail for the droid and have it interfaced to send via Comcast using several accounts. I decided not to read email in the droid because of the volume stored on the server. Instead, I am using web mail within Firefox on the droid. That way I can choose how much mail I want to read on the server. I have also replied using web mail and found it workable.


I'm using Calendar Event Reminder for reminders. I struggled a while until I learned to put the reminder MP3 in internal storage, not on the SD card. I've found the default calendar acceptable. I like the agenda widget that came on the Droid4. What I don't like is the spin dial interface for selecting times and dates. Yesterday i was at a doctor's office when I scheduled my next appointment 6 months in advance. I would have loved to have a "go to" command/button where I could select from a pull down menu or type in the year, month, and day. Is there some way I can get that option using the default calendar? If not, does some alternate calendar app have the feature? Having decided that I didn't have a conflict at the negotaited time and date, then I needed to enter a new appointment on the calendar. Same preference for an alternative to spin dial.

Sorry if I've gone on a bit too long. Suggestions very much appreciated.