CRAP Blackberry Calendar!! - ANY BETTER ALTERNATIVES???

[jasonsto25]

I'm not sure if anyone else feels the same way, but out of all the PDA phones ive used blackberry has the worst calendar software ive ever used....

coming from a treo and multiple windows mobile devices, its a little hard to conform to a blackberry.

Are there any alternatives out there???

Currently using an 8700.....

[Steve]

Wirelessly posted (Cingular-Blue 7290: BlackBerry7290/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/101)

I use the Agenda view as my default view. Then "m" when I want to look at the Month view.

What features are you missing?

Steve

[gdpmumin]

Wirelessly posted (VZW 7130e: BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

I'm not the OP, but categories are the biggest thing missing. RIM really missed the boat on that.

[Soapm]

I have to admit I somewhat agree, the calander is not the best. I really hate having to dismiss an appointment on my BB then having to dismiss it later in outlook. On the plus side, it does alert me of my appointments.

[jasonsto25]

hmmm....so no one has any recommendations?

[coreyg510]

If you are looking for alternatives that will compare to a PocketPC's calendar flexibility, you wont find it.

There are a lot of applications out there (PocketDay and BBtoday). However, none of these offer "categories". It is just not something that is currently offered.

Sorry to let you down.

[Liv]

I honestly just hate the agenda view. I am needing something that offers a "today" like screen, I am using pocketday but don't think it is the nicest looking thing around. I don't like how the agenda view does not allow you to state how many days, and it shows the previous days. I don't like how it puts the recent day at the bottom, so I have to scroll down to see what else I have for the day.

I just am constantly using the "week" (w) view.

[stripesace]

Shoot, PocketPCs don't even use categories. That was my biggest disappointment with the Axim I'm now selling. You'd think with a full color device that operates on the same system as your PC you could get categories on a PPC. I use the agenda view. Its not great, but its better than carrying a paper planner around!

[gdpmumin]

Shoot, PocketPCs don't even use categories. That was my biggest disappointment with the Axim I'm now selling. You'd think with a full color device that operates on the same system as your PC you could get categories on a PPC. I use the agenda view. Its not great, but its better than carrying a paper planner around!

Um, yes PocketPCs do use categories and have for years. Not really sure what you're talking about.

[stripesace]

Labels... sorry, I'm looking for Label integration. In outlook you color code according to labels. Wish I could get that on PPC OR a Blackberry

[gdpmumin]

Labels... sorry, I'm looking for Label integration. In outlook you color code according to labels. Wish I could get that on PPC OR a Blackberry

I understand now.

[johnfromphilly]

I used many Palms over the years and my PC Contact Manager is and has been ACT. Palm actually had a program with ACT called ACT for Palm. It allowed great linking of contact to appointments and ws really a great interface - it was like having ACT on your handheld.

I knew this going in to my switch to BB but that does not mean I can't still wish I had it- I miss it.

[gadgetjunkies]

I too was/am a Palmaddict and miss the calendar function to the point of thinking about carrying both. The functionality of the Palm calendar is just so user friendly. Other than that I love my 8700. Since my car is virtually my office it's no big deal.

[gdpmumin]

Wirelessly posted (VZW 7130e: BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

I carry/use both a BlackBerry (7130e) and a PocketPC with Pocket Informant, specifically because of the limited calendar feature on the BB.

[patrickh]

What features are ppl looking for? I think the BB calendar's like this because it's modelling Outlook.

[gdpmumin]

Wirelessly posted (VZW 7130e: BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

The biggest feature the BB calendar is missing is categories. That's an absolute must!

[geekman686]

I think the PIM software for the blackberry is lacking. I would love to get rid of my pocket pc, if there was better calendar and tasks programs the blackberry. I already tried PocketDay, but it was not support recurring events or tasks.

[johnfromphilly]

I always hear about RIM's base customer being "industry types" (for lack of a better term)- I hear this when everyone cries for a camara and the answer is because the RIM customer base cannot take a camara with them into certain areas etc...

Could this be the reason for a lack of a good Contact Mangager/ Calendar?
Palm seems like it is built for sales and CM/Calendar is a sales/meeting derived application.

BBs are inherently a great salesperson's tool but that may just be by happenstance- salesmen like to take the office with them on the road and always be in touch with customers. That happenstance of BBs being great for salespeople does not mean it was built for salespeople though.

This could be what has led to the lack of CM and Calendar functionality in BBs. It is just not what they were originally built to do and it is hard to play catch up - if they even want to at all.

I hope I stated that well.
Basically - BB not built for Contact Manager/Calendar driven people-BB great for those people anyway because of other functionality- BB becomes a loved device that lacks a major need for those people.

[cwemely]

I too wish there were more robust PIM features. I carried a PocketPC and the BB for a short while when I first got the BB, but it was a too much of a pain. I just live with it for the moment hoping that with the newer BB's like the 8700 and the lawsuit behind us we can see developers moving forward.

PocketDay Pro is a nice product with awesome support, but it still doesn't compare with the PIM apps availble on other platforms.

[Tastypeppers]

I personally threw my BB 7230 in the deep blue Pacific Ocean (metaphorically speaking) and switched back to the Treo 650 precisely for the calendar/PIM functionality.

The Treo has its faults (reliability being the biggest) but for those of us who really do want/need the PIM functionality I think RIM missed the boat. I looked at the 8700 and it unfortunately shares the same shortcomings in the PIM Department and does not match up to the Treo.

Shame, really. BB = Tool of Industry. Industry wants complete functionality of its employees anywhere they are. BB = fails to deliver. Its customers carry two devices (holy s*** if that isn't a vote of no confidence in the product you sell). BB = lose market share to companies that understand this.

[Blast]

What am I missing here? I am running 4.1 and I use Outlook daily for my schedule. I am an outside rep and have a full day. I can look at the schedule in a daily, weekly, monthly format. The task list keeps my "to do" in my face and I can snooze them when my plate is full.
What else is there? I guess ignorance is bliss, so enlighten me. ( or maybe that would make me jealous )

Blast-scratchin' his head on this one.

[cwemely]

Blast,

Yes, the cal and task list sync with Outlook and offer basic functionality, but in terms of organizing that data better there are shortcomings. One big one for me is that I use Franklin Covey's PlanPlus for Outlook. There are Palm and Pocket PC clients that work with that and provide increased functionality such as Task status and sorting. This is not available on the BB.

Also, compared to Pocket PC aftermarket PIM apps such as Agenda Fusion and Pocket Informant there is no similar app. As I mentioned in my previous post, Pocket Day Pro comes close, but still not quite the same functionality.

I migrated as much as possible to my BB and use Pocket Day and the OEM apps. This is primarily because the BB is just so Damn elegantly simple and immediately available right out of the case on my hip that carrying two devices was more painful than living without some of the functionality.

My continuing hope is that Mark from Cross River (developer of Pocket Day) can take advantage of newer capabilities in the updated OS and bring even more functionality to PocketDay.

[jasonsto25]

not exactly sure what PIM means......

Yea it was REALLY REALLY difficult getting used to the blackberry calendar. I really cant even explain the difference to someone who has never experienced a good calendar on their pda phones (like a treo). Just the overall look of it seems sloppy, and ghetto, kinda similar to an old motorola calendar or something. With todays technology - there is no excuse for RIM's poor calendar functionality and USER INTERFACE - (hmmm....that could be the issue)

[Mark Rejhon]

Although the BlackBerry Calendar is lacking, it gets much easier to get used to with tips and tricks found here:

BlackBerry Calendar Tricks (http://www.blackberryforums.com/showthread.php?t=2018)

I do agree that the lack of categories is a definite issue, though. Hopefully newer versions of BlackBerryOS include improved Calendar API's that allow even better calendar software to be developed, similiar to DateBk5 for Palm and AgendaToday for PocketPC's, etc.

However, for my needs, convenient quick-entry of simple Calendar appointments is very quick and easy on the BlackBerry if I use the Alt+Trackwheel trick to rolodex-style flip through the dates, before selecting a time to type an appointment in. I did change the default reminder to half an hour, as that is my preference. Setting the start/end times can be done using keypress shortcuts so I don't have to go into the appointment editor mode.

A better Agenda view, like those in commercial PIM add-ons, would be nice though.

[Winston S.]

I guess I am not alone in this.

I am/was a Palm OS user and I loved using Datebk5 with my Sony Clie SJ30.

Two of my gripes with the BB calendar are:

1. There are no categories for different types of appointments; and
2. You can't link appointments with contacts.

Granted I had to buy Datebk5 to have this functionality but the usefulness of the program far outweighed the cost. I still carry around my SJ30 in case I need to look anything up.

[johnfromphilly]

I guess I am not alone in this.

I am/was a Palm OS user and I loved using Datebk5 with my Sony Clie SJ30.

Two of my gripes with the BB calendar are:

1. There are no categories for different types of appointments; and
2. You can't link appointments with contacts.

Granted I had to buy Datebk5 to have this functionality but the usefulness of the program far outweighed the cost. I still carry around my SJ30 in case I need to look anything up.


Linking contacts with appointments is my biggest need. I have ACT as my CM and everything is contact based.

How do other people make appointments ( i really mean that question- I don't know)? Do you make appoinments for 5 times ( 9am, 10 am etc) during the day and just enter the name/ company in the notes section to remind you of who it is with?

I can go into a specific person's contact listing in ACT ( and formerly on PAlm) and see every appointment, call, interaction etc. for the last 5 years because events and people are linked.

I use Companion Link now for linking but it is a far cry from "ACT for Palm" I used to use.

[Blast]

As a rule, I enter most of my appts. in Outlook and sycnd them. If I am on the street and make a new one ( appt) it seems easy enough to just hit a time and quick note of who its with. Later on my lap I type in any critical info that I left out and sycnd daily so I am current. My laptop is my critical piece and my BB is an extension. I can see that if the BB WAS the critical component or the ONLY componant I would want some more flexibility in the BB apps.

Blast-gettin' a clearer pic now

[Blast]

Blast,

Yes, the cal and task list sync with Outlook and offer basic functionality, but in terms of organizing that data better there are shortcomings. One big one for me is that I use Franklin Covey's PlanPlus for Outlook. There are Palm and Pocket PC clients that work with that and provide increased functionality such as Task status and sorting. This is not available on the BB.

Also, compared to Pocket PC aftermarket PIM apps such as Agenda Fusion and Pocket Informant there is no similar app. As I mentioned in my previous post, Pocket Day Pro comes close, but still not quite the same functionality.

I migrated as much as possible to my BB and use Pocket Day and the OEM apps. This is primarily because the BB is just so Damn elegantly simple and immediately available right out of the case on my hip that carrying two devices was more painful than living without some of the functionality.

My continuing hope is that Mark from Cross River (developer of Pocket Day) can take advantage of newer capabilities in the updated OS and bring even more functionality to PocketDay.


Makes sense my friend.

Blast

[DrBob]

I'm not sure if anyone else feels the same way, but out of all the PDA phones ive used blackberry has the worst calendar software ive ever used....

coming from a treo and multiple windows mobile devices, its a little hard to conform to a blackberry.

Are there any alternatives out there???

Currently using an 8700.....


I would be interested as well. I have come from the 600 and have had the hardest time getting synchronized or used to the BB calendar.

[Stinsonddog]

The tricks are also documented in my tips site. Have fun with what is there.