43 Folders

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43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

How many projects can you keep on a pda?

I'ld like to know if any of you uses their PDA as their GTD 'trusted system'.
Is it really possible to keep all projects under control by just using Windows Mobile or Palm OS?

There are only about 15 lines in landscape and about 25 lines in portrait mode as far as I know.
And that's the case with Win 320 x 240 AND 640 x 480 AND Palm OS 4 and 5 with 480 x 320, isn't it?
(Always just a little window the size of an index card.)

My aim:
I would like to use a PDA (with built in keyboard = faster than soft-keyboard or graffiti) to write down all projects and all the steps to take.
Then mark some items as next actions / @phone / @errands etc.
Then get them automatically into the appropriate lists.

Example:

Repair bike
> Buy tyres
>> Types
>>> ABC
>>> XYZ
>> Call bike shop
>>> Ask for prices

If you copy 'Ask for prices' to an @phone list, it doesn't make sense without
'Types', 'ABC', 'XYZ'.

The other option would be:
Repaire bike > Buy tyres
Repaire bike > Buy tyres > Types
Repaire bike > Buy tyres > Types > ABC
Repaire bike > Buy tyres > Types > XYZ
Repaire bike > Buy tyres > Call Bike Shop
Repaire bike > Buy tyres > Call Bike Shop > Ask for prices
...but I guess that doesn't quite work, either.

And what do you do if for exampel your labeler has broken down and you need a new one?
You get another 'Ask for prices' - this time it doesn't work without 'DYMO' or 'Casio'.

IS there any PDA software at all which lets you keep everything in view?
Out of sight is out of mind. And back into psychic RAM :(

In other words:
Does anyone of you really use their PDA as a trusted system that delivers all?
And if you do, what drill do you have to follow?

emuelle1's picture

Before my Pocket PC died...

Before my Pocket PC died Monday night, I had reached a point where I was able to manage quite a bit on it. I had an HP iPaq hx4705 with a cooked Windows Mobile 5 ROM. I had some WM6 features, including high-res mode in Pocket Internet Exploder.

My primary project management tool was Pocket Informant available from WebIS. The latest version of PI 2007 has a project mode in tasks. On it's own, it isn't that great, but Alex (the developer) worked out a deal with Franklin Covey to include synchronization to their Plan Plus version 4. I used Pocket Informant for years, and finally broke down and bought Plan Plus, which added some extra power to my setup. I could enter projects either on my Pocket PC or on my laptop. Both support hierarchical tasks, so you can nest subtasks in them.

I personally use a hybrid Franklin Covey/GTD system to manage my tasks and projects, and yes you can effectively manage projects on a PDA, even without a built-in keyboard.

 
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