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Personal Information Management Systems

Christopher Browne


Table of Contents
1. Palm Computing
2. Interoperability of PIMS with Unix/Linux
3. Linux Scheduling Tools and vSchedule
4. Linux PIM Stuff
5. Various Conceptual Approaches to Personal Information Management
6. Scheduling and Project Management
7. GTD - Getting Things Done
8. Hipster PDA
9. Moleskine
10. Other Links/Info

1. Palm Computing

I use a Palm Tungsten T|X to track various personal information; it's small enough to fit in a shirt pocket, fairly functional, and is fairly interoperable with a variety of computer systems.

The software on the PalmPilot is flexible and powerful enough that it starts to overcome the long time "lack of flexibility" problem of the electronic PDA; the touchscreen system works sufficiently well for limited note-taking. The Pilot is the first PDA that I find replaces enough of the functionality of the traditional DayTimer for it to be worth carrying around.

The PalmComputing platform runs an operating system called PalmOS which is based on the Kadak AMX real time executive.

There's some hardware information on my Hardware I Run web page.

1.1. Palm Computing "Pilot" FAQs

With the popularity of the Pilot, there is no dearth of lists of Frequently Asked Questions; consider consulting these resources before asking questions on Pilot-related Usenet newsgroups...

1.2. Pilot DOC

DOC

1.4. Calculators, Computations

  • MathPad

    Much like the HP calculator "solver," this is used to solve systems of nonlinear equations where only one value is unknown. Useful for things like loan amortizations.

  • APCalc Overview

    A 64 bit PalmOS programmable scientific calculator

  • RPN

    A powerful programmable RPN calculator

  • LispMe

    An implementation of Lisp/Scheme for the 3COM Pilot

  • LyME

    Rather like "Matlab for PalmOS."

1.5. Third Party Pilot Hardware

  • RhinoSkin

    You want to have an indestructible titanium case for your Pilot, don't you?

  • Homebuilt Pilot Keyboard Adaptor

  • Half Keyboard for Palm

  • Raycom Personal Massager

    In the category of "I wouldn't have believed it..." comes the Raycom Personal Massager which is a massaging device that snaps right into the Springboard slot on your Visor handheld. It uses "EMS" (Electronic Muscle Stimulation) pads to stimulate muscles.

    Don't bother putting hands up everyone that is waiting for the software patch that sets this up to "stimulate" other parts of the body...

1.6. Techie Pilot Links

1.8. Sundry 3COM Pilot Links

1.9. Palm Backup Software

1.10. Pilot Easter Eggs

1.10.1. Credits

  • Go to the Memory App

  • Hold stylus tip on system version number in the upper right of the screen

  • Press the down button with your finger.

1.10.2. Taxi

  • Set the date to before February 1st, 1996. (ex. 1-31-96)

  • Go into the memo pad, entering a new memo

  • Hold down the PageDown key

  • Make a stroke from the middle of the graffiti area, going left to the far left of the display (right to the edge)

1.10.3. Description: see the DOS message "Error reading Drive C: Abort, Retry Fail?"

  • Start the Giraffe game

  • Place your stylus on the top of the screen

  • Press the down button

1.10.4. Photo of two guys in suits

  • Start the Giraffe game

  • Place your stylus in the lower right corner

  • Press the up button

1.10.5. Dancing hula tree

  • Start the Giraffe game

  • Hit the Help button

  • Draw the '#' character

Google

If this was useful, let others know by an Affero rating

Contact me at cbbrowne@gmail.com