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| March 1999• Vol.10 Issue 3 | |
Web-Based Calendars Free Online Services That Organize Your Life |
Jump to first occurrence of:
[ONLINE]
[PIM]
 The Internet has always
presented itself as free-for-all, and the “free” part of this seems to
expand every day. From news and software to E-mail accounts and World Wide
Web space, free stuff abounds. One area in particular is gaining in
popularity: free online personal
information managers (PIMs).Most computer users already have a personal information manager (PIM, a program that helps users get organized) or calendar system they use (and swear at) on a daily basis. Online PIMs, however, have some advantages over desktop systems. For example, you’ll never lose track of your calendar or accidentally vaporize it in a PC crash. If you use more than one computer over the course of the day, your one PIM will be current and consistent on each system. (Although, you must have Web access on each PC to reach your PIM.) Also, if you want to use a group calendar, the universal access of an online PIM positions it uniquely to meet this need.  The
CropThe eight online PIMs covered below vary in the features they offer. Some are simple systems that are nothing more than virtual calendars. Others are super-PIMs laden with bells and whistles; these are much more like the desktop calendars. Others address the needs of a group as well as an individual. Calendarz http://calendarz.com/ Calendarz is one of the simpler PIMs in terms of structure and features. Based on Web-Events, Calendarz’s no-frames interface lets it easily work with most browsers. Choose from list or calendar view, either one of which you can choose to present information in a traditional daily, weekly, or monthly format. You can store graphics and universal resource locators (URLs, Web addresses) in Calendarz, and it is one of the few extensively searchable online PIMs. Another nice feature, one included in many of the PIMs, is the ability to set up public versions of the calendar. If you’re a group leader, you can restrict access to the calendar so only those with the password can alter it; users without the password will have read-only access. This PIM, however, lacks one feature that is standard in most PIMs: the ability to “remind” the user of events, usually through E-mail messages. A Calendarz spokesperson confirms this feature will be included soon. Daily Web Planner http://www.dwp.net/ For some time now, one of the hottest Web trends has been the growth of portals, all-in-one sites that offer so much information users designate them as the first page their browser pulls up upon launch. Meet the Daily Web Planner, which uses this philosophy in its construction. In addition to a calendar/planner section, you also have a mail system with an address book and a bookmark system for storing URLs. In theory, this means you can access your PIM, E-mail, and favorites/bookmarks from any PC with Web access. Other notables include a tutorial and a reminder feature that is built into the interface (as opposed to sending reminders to you via E-mail). (NOTE: You’ll need a frames-capable browser to use this PIM.) Easy Diary http://www.easydiary.com/ The good news is this is a gorgeous-looking PIM. It operates on a notebook theme, with various frames bringing you a monthly calendar, an index of functions, and a primary work area containing a task list and appointments. You can send E-mail messages, add friends and colleagues to a contact list, and automatically send your contacts a message when you set up a meeting. If you so choose, others can view your schedule, and you can even import addresses from a variety of E-mail applications. The bad news is there is so much piled on here that usability suffers because this PIM is very slow. Also, while more functionality is coming, right now the E-mail system is quite limited. If, however, you have Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 or Netscape Navigator 3.01 or newer and a fast Internet connection, this PIM can easily help you manage much of your life. myPhoneBook http://www.myphonebook.com/ While sporting a fully functional calendar, there’s no question people are at the center of this PIM’s universe. You can search through all fields of your address book, import addresses from most popular organizers (such as ACT! and Outlook), and even pull up a map showing where each contact lives. One of the PIM’s more interesting aspects is its ability to attach events to specific contacts, giving you a sort of chronological to-do list for each of your contacts. To get full functionality out of this PIM, Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape 3.0 are recommended, but it will work (with some limitations) with older browsers. PlanetAll.com http://www.planetall.com/ PlanetAll.com is another example of taking the “be-all-that-you-can-be” approach to online PIM construction. Recently purchased by Amazon.com (“be-all-the-bookstore-you-can-be”), PlanetAll.com’s registration process requests slightly less information than, say, your local CIA recruitment agent. Answering is voluntary, but the PIM is merely one part of an extensive online community you may want to be part of. Miss the old high school, college, or work crowd? Chances are a few of them are here and giving up oodles of info that will put you in touch with them. Despite the sometimes slow “rebuilding” whenever you click buttons, there is much here to like. You can import information from many other management systems (such as those in Outlook Express or a Palm Pilot), and you can fine-tune your profile to let different people see what parts of you, such as your profile and schedule, you want them to see. The online “group” metaphor has a really powerful and practical side; a joint arrangement with Delphi Forums lets you set up an online room with chat capabilities and a message board to hold meetings. (NOTE: This is best accessed with Netscape 3.0 and Internet Explorer 3.0 or newer.) Remind U-Mail http://calendar.stwing.upenn.edu/ Not feeling type-A today? Try the PIM housed on the University of Pennsylvania Network (which forbids advertising to keep its quick access speed). Remind U-Mail is about as simple as it gets. Enter events, pick the days you want to be reminded of said events, and Remind U-Mail will do so. It’s basically a reminder service with a calendar interface, but it’s perfect if that’s what you need. This PIM works for all table-capable browsers, which means it works with most browsers. Server.Com http://www.server.com/PIM As simple as Remind U-Mail is, it’s quantum physics beside Server.Com. The creators of the versatile WebApps have created a rather odd, but functional address book, calendar, and to-do list that requires a frames-capable browser (such as Netscape 2.0 or Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher). Its most striking feature is that the traditional calendar “grid” format is nowhere to be seen; everything is presented as a list. On the plus side, you can set permissions so people can only read your calendar and address book, and you can store your E-mail addresses and URLs in hyperlink format in the address book.
Yahoo! Calendar http://www.yahoo.com/r/ca Yahoo!’s unofficial motto, “Difficult To Compete With,” carries over quite effectively into the area of online PIMs, and we have to choose this one as the overall best of the bunch. Once registered, you’ll be integrated with the Yahoo! empire, including chat rooms, an E-mail system, classifieds, message boards, pagers, and much more. The PIM itself, which used to go by the name WebCal before Yahoo! absorbed it, is compatible with Netscape and Internet Explorer 2.0 or newer and contains several high-end features. Included in this is the ability to share data with Palm Pilots and to integrate with Outlook (for Windows 95, 98, and NT). You also can send E-mail message reminders to any address, including pagers and cell phones. The only real drawback to this easy-to-navigate PIM is the inability to view information as read-only data, possibly a blow to anyone looking to use it for a group. What’s Wrong With
The Free Ones?There really are no strings attached to these PIMs, but there are a few things you should keep in mind before rushing out to use them: •You must give up some information to use these, although in many cases, the amount of data you absolutely have to provide is less than what they ask for. The bottom line is to be comfortable with the amount and type of personal information you’re providing the PIM. •Before accepting the terms on a PIM’s agreement, read it carefully. •Security isn’t a huge issue here (everything is password-protected), but be aware there are no absolutes in this area. Your information is on another server, and if someone can hack into the NY Times and CIA, they can probably hack into your calendar. •Decide exactly how much calendar you’re looking for. Remember, this is the World Wide Wait, and the general equation of features plus more features equals sloooow, does apply to PIMs.  by Richard Gray
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