Switching from Axim to Blackberry
I have written about the numerous problems with ActiveSync. I haven’t successfuly synced my PDA to my PC in months.
Manually copying calendar entries from Lotus Notes to my PDA is error prone and time consuming. My employers’s technology only supports synchronizing to Blackberrys (we are on a Citrix platform rather than desktops), so I broke down and ordered one. Even if I could get ActiveSync to work at all, it would never work for work, so there is no real point in spending the effort.
Our firm synchronizes Blackberrys to Lotus Notes through public wireless (GSM) networks. The Blackberry calendars are synchronized with Lotus Notes even as you roam and your assistant updates notes while you are away or you enter new appointments into the blackberry. My calendar and email will synchronize for about $35 a month. I am not too interested in the email aspect, I’d rather do without it, but the calendar synchronization is worth it. I could easily spend that amount of time copying items from Lotus Notes to a PDA or paper planner and make an error.
I will only be able to synchronize my contacts to my PC once, before the software to synchronize to Lotus is configured on the blackberry. If I synchronize to the PC again, I’ll have to send the blackberry to head office to get the Lotus connector reinstalled.
My expectations are pretty low, for my $35 a month I just want my calendar synchronized to a portable device, after synchronizing my outlook contacts once. $35 a month will certainly be less than the value of time I have spent trying to get ActiveSync to work over the last year.
The things I used to do when ActiveSync “worked” with some coaxing I’ll find another way. I might store GTD lists in a Hipster PDA. I might carry 2 or 3 photos with me in my wallet or a hipster instead of several dozen on that I had on my Axim. I’ll write or print on index cards a few key tidbits I always like to have available in case I need them when I am travelling, like my BC Ferries reservation number. I’ll medidate instead of reading War of The Worlds when I am stuck waiting somewhere (I have been reading War of the Worlds for about 10 months). If the blackberry works well for these, well, my expecations will be exceeded.
I might still use the Axim around the house. To sit on the couch and surf the web, or read something converted from PDF to html and then plucker. Or I might toss it here.
Technorati Tags: Axim, blackberry, activesync, hyperactivesync, hipster, PDA, GTD, Lotus Notes
April 10th, 2006 at 6:30 am
Good luck withe the Crackberry, Doug! Although you’re only looking for calendar sync, I wonder how long before you become addicted to contstant access to email [grin]?
I like the snapshot of the Technology Graveyard - I think we all have one stuffed away somewhere…