Possible successors to Sidekick (I know we don't want to move, but...) 1

[pjo1966]

I think I may have found a solution that works for me. I arranged the data as explained in MEdgar7863's post above. I found an online converter to make the CSV files into iCal files (

http://www.manastungare.com/projects/yahoo2ical/

). I was then able to import the files into Essential PIM. It allows color coding of multi-day events, which was a dealbreaker.

*edit* Maybe not. It looks like Essential PIM does not sync with Palm, which was the whole reason for me to leave Sidekick.

 

[pjo1966]

Update:

I downloaded the trial version for EssentialPIM, which syncs with Outlook. From there I can sync with the Treo. From what I've read in the EPIM forums, they are currently working on syncing directly to Palm. Right now they only sync with Outlook, Pocket PC, and an on-line version of EPIM. I still prefer Sidekick, but it's time for me to move on. I no longer have it start when I boot up my computer. It goes right to EPIM. I have to say that EPIM loads up MUCH faster that SK98 ever did. The interface works for me. I was able to color code all of my appointments and anniversaries, including selecting custom colors for each customized category. All of my old data successfully imported from Palm, so I was able to retain all of my calendar & contact info going back to 1997.

 

[DougSilver]

Believe it or not, I am still using SKW2 on my Windows 2000 computer. I have tried SK98 but it did not seem to offer anything more that what I was getting from SKW2. I primarily use the cardfile function and (rarely) the calendar. The thing I have always found most valuable in the cardfile was the cardlog section that allowed me to write free-form notes resulting a a narrative history of discussions and contacts with the person. I have not researched the other pims enough to figure out if they have this feature.

Even if they did, my great reluctance to change would be the time needed to export all my stuff into whatever other pim I would choose. For me I figure as long as SKW keeps working, if it ain't broke--don't fix it.

Doug

 

[iolair]

Just my two cents worth, I recently stumbled across something you might be interested in. I wasn't even thinking about Sidekick when this happened. I was looking for a more detailed, customizeable desktop software for my Palm TX. I stumbled across Agendus Pro, and it suited my purposes perfectly. It is so good for what I'm doing that I will transfer all my information to it, and quit using Sidekick and Palm desktop. I had been transferring information between the two. Worth a look -

http://www.iambic.com

Iolair MacWalter
Director of IT

 

[Frank10]

Hi Iolair, interesting option, the Agendus Pro you pointed out. I'd been to their site several times "chewing on" Evernote (a notes taking / web page snippet collecting info mgmt program).

Re: Evernote I kept seeing ongoing fairly serious bugs reported on CNET reviewers and on google newsgroups, I see some of that also on the company's forum re: the Agendus products, BUT, they do seem to issue a lot of updates and bug FIXES so maybe that isn't a big deal.

It at least is a modern program, and for those using the Palm desktop platform, Agendus does look like a great program (and looks good for MS Smartphone and Pocket PC).

I wish they had a "full blown for your desktop PC" intended version, though it looks like the Palm desktop integrated one would pretty much work for that intent (and if one was using Outlook, they've got the Outlook integrating version).

Palm looks to be their bread and butter, lots of little add-on's etc, looks like the company is viable.

For the corporate world that runs on Outlook their plug in looks great, and Palm as you are using. Looks ideal for the syncing needs to pocket pc and Palm, when I have time I'll download a trial.

Anybody try the latest C-Organizer 3.6 to see if it is shaping up well? (Info on that in posts above). Is EssentialPim seeming stable for those who might have moved to it? (a few versions ago when I was testing it, it was buggy, I know they've worked on it since then).

Frank H.

 

[drkaustin]

I've been an avid user of SK 98 for 8 years, but guess what my PC will no longer load the progam. It gets stuck. I've just tried to reinstall but the disk gets stuck. Is there anyone out there who can send me a copy , even just of teh setup.exe file which sems to have died . Please help .

I use this as a perosnal address book a mailing sticker for my club of wjhom i am teh newlsterr editor. ANy help I would be more than gratfeul for

 

[james33]

Dear drkaustin,

See faq807-3761

Explain in this thread what the error messages are too!

Regards
Jim

 

[Frank10]

Back onto the topic of this thread;

I finally took some time to check out the alternatives to Sidekick mentioned in the above posts, I'd not tested out the C-Organizer since their latest update, they did improve several things with the program BUT...

I was disappointed the developer hasn't yet worked out dragging and dropping more than one contact record at a time (don't a group select with space key / click, or cntl / click to add, it won't do that).

Custom fields and template features have been improved, but, all in all for me (and admittedly the contact manager aspect is my biggest need re: migrating from Sidekick), it's just not nearly as robust a contact manager as Sidekick was (and, ahem, still is...)

C-Organizer Pro is a pretty good program all in all, but I can't switch over to it...

The Iambic / Windows for Palm Desktop program mentioned above, I'd seen that company with their Evernote note taking / drop in photos and parts of web pages info collection program... Dug in deeper tonight on their PIM stuff...

I wish I could love it, BUT, buggy stuff, their forum is just overgrown with bug complaints. If I worked heavily with mobile devises, really needed palm or Windows Mobile, I could see working out / living with the bugs and evolution of their programs, but my main needs are just "office use"... Essential Pim is another good one for mobile use. That Iambic company just gives me the shakes when I look at the hundreds of threads on bugs and problems though.

Sure makes Sidekick look like the rock of Gibralter in comparison. They got it so right, and they left it, ... so wrong...!

I just took some time to visit Essential Pim (EPIM's) forums again, they are also experiencing "more than you should have to deal with" bugs, but frankly that programs seems the most broadly workable of the ones we've all been mentioning here it seems, the developers have an active beta part of their forum, they seem to be genuinely trying to make a good product (and they are big on the portable devices thing though they are aiming AT desktop use, which is nice).

Lotus Organizer etc etc etc lost oxygen with MS Outlook, same with Sidekick, you'd think there would be a big enough market for this niche... maybe part of it is, it REALLY ISN'T EASY to make a program as good, broadly featured and stable as Sidekick 98... (it evolved over time also, but Sidekick 95 was great, heck 2.0 was great...)

As covered on earlier threads, I see nothing great in Time & Chaos, or Red Book Organizer, or Anytime Organizer, and Do-Organizer is a hollow shell with a company that has close to zero support.

Rant over. Search, not over. Long live Sidekick...

Frank H.

 

[pjo1966]

Some more notes on epim...

I'm continuing to have problems with this PIM. First off, whether I sync with Outlook or I Export an ical file from epim and Import it into Outlook, some of my birthday and anniversaries come through as duplicates. It's not an Outlook issue because I Imported the same file into Google Calendar with the same results. Also, Palm syncing was supposed come out with version 2.0, but it's in beta and Palm is not included with this release. It's now being slated for the next release. It could be a year before direct syncing with Palm is available.

I do like the interface and it's easy to use, but the bugs associated with getting calendar info out of epim and into Palm are very discouraging. The main reason I purchased a license for this software was the promise of Palm syncing. Now I'm back to the drawing board.

 

[Frank10]

I'd hoped EPim would have gotten more stable / more bugs out etc, I also liked things about the program but over a year ago was scared off by bugs I experienced and a forum that was a circus of bug reports.

Just this week I overhauled my Sidekick 98 databases (about 30 tabs, updating fields etc), this program still works like a dream and is rock solid. I may just have to get used to exporting in comma delimited then importing etc. re: trying to make the program "modern" using other programs for e-mail distribution etc, and I do like the separate databases etc Sidekick works with...

Lots of workable calendar / schedule type programs out there, but nothing that does databases "also" as nicely as Sidekick did / does, fully customizable fields etc, rock solid, even the old standbys like ACT etc have pretty much gone to rot with bugs and problems etc.

Thanks for the current feedback re: EPim...

Frank H.