What is the Best Calendar? 309
An anonymous reader writes "In the flurry of AJAX applications being put to market, Google's new calendar has been getting quite a bit of attention. But being drowned out in this media blitz is Kiko, a startup from Paul Graham's Y Combinator program, along with spongecell, Trumba, Yahoo! calendar, and 30boxes. Which do you prefer?" Update: 04/16 14:55 GMT by Z : YCombinator link fixed.
Mayan (Score:5, Funny)
or any other not needing adjustment (Score:2)
Re:Mayan (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Mayan (Score:2)
I think it does. Ironically enough, that's when the .com battle (regarding Verisign) is scheduled, IIRC.
Re:Mayan (Score:2)
Offline (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Offline (Score:2, Funny)
Sorry, it's either a sexy calender or a Drew Barrymore calender - can't be both.
WebCalendar (Score:4, Informative)
Re:WebCalendar (Score:3, Funny)
iCal (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:iCal (Score:2)
And frankly, Google's implementation's a bit more useful when you don't have your own computer with you, let alone a Mac.
Re:iCal (Score:2)
Re:iCal (Score:3, Interesting)
* iCal.app doesn't support two-way synchronization by itself; iSync does but there's no Google Calendar plugin for iSync.
Re:iCal (Score:2)
I thought that was what .Mac was for...
From http://www.apple.com/dotmac/features.html [apple.com]:
"Access contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and email on the Web via any Internet-connected Mac, Windows-PC or even hotel TV"
Although, I don't use a Mac myself, so Google's calendar is pretty damn good IMO.
Re:iCal (Score:2)
Re:iCal (Score:2, Informative)
Julian (Score:2, Funny)
That is easy (Score:2)
Integration (Score:5, Interesting)
Mozilla Calendar cannot do it, Yahoo Mail fails the test, even Gmail does not integration (or I haven't figure out how to switch it on). The only program that really does this is evolution (and of course Outlook). For all the other, it should be back to the drawing board.
Re:Integration (Score:3, Insightful)
Is not what actually have what matters me more, is the potential future, so doing raw comparisions right now could be unfair. With future integration in mind, i think that either yahoo or gmail will be the best for their respective mail users.
Re:Integration (Score:3, Informative)
Oh, and if you're an iCal user (or for that matter, use iCalendar as a format either with any of the Mozilla Calendaring project components, or anything compatible), you can uploa
Gmail integration (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Integration (Score:2)
Re:Integration (Score:2, Informative)
I then sync my Treo to it using KPilot and all is included... even m
Re:Lotus Notes (Score:2)
Lotus Notes does it and it can manage multiple-time zones including daylight savings.
As long as you don't change time zones. If you do, whether or not the appointments get moved seems random. I'm sure it's not actually random, but I'm not sure how it decides to move what -- and I know that it massively screwed my calendar every time I tried it. Disclaimer: I haven't tried this is Notes 7. Maybe it's better?
I use Kontact now, and it does a much better job, though there are a couple of minor timezon
link (Score:2)
Discretion (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Discretion (Score:2, Informative)
100% Troll
Pathetic TrollMod is a SlashStalker. Surely some fool who couldn't keep up after posting something stupid in some unrelated thread, now anonymously suppressing my posts. How sad.
Re:Discretion (Score:2)
None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:5, Insightful)
As far as I've been able to tell, nothing does the group scheduling other than Exchange in any decent form. The best most can do is publish ICS files into a public server, and then make them available for public browsing (say, via phpicalendar), or available for remote subscription (which Evolution, et al supports).
The golden calf for opensource would be an application that supports client-server group calendaring and scheduling, with PDA synchronizing, and multi-platform support. The only thing even remotely moving in this direction is CalDAV, which AFAICT, is moving at a glacial pace.
Until this problem is resolved, there is no defense against "Why don't we just use Exchange for this?"
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2)
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2)
There are some commercial apps that appear to come close, but it's clearly not a priority for the OSS folks. My guess on this is that few OSS-oriented folks actually work on internal infrastructure or talk to desktop users
Kontact does it. At present it only replaces Outlook, not Exchange, but the job's half done. I'm pretty happy with how well Kontact works with Lotus Notes, also.
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2)
It's probably not up to snuff for you quite yet (as it was just released, and is technically still a beta), but given some time and some feature growth and likely Mail (OS X) won't be the only application Google has replaced for me.
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2, Informative)
Why would we want a clone of Exchange? (Score:2)
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2, Informative)
What about Chandler [osafoundation.org]? It seems largely to meet your criteria. It is multplatform. It includes individual and workgroup calendars that can be shared across platforms. It includes overlayed multiple calendars (crucial in my view, and poorly handled by Exchange) and manages a single event across calendars.
There is also Scooby [osafoundation.org] for sharing Chandler calendar information with others. But PDA synching is not yet available.
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2)
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2, Informative)
BUT IT'S PURPOSE IS TO EXACTLY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
It connects into Outlook (via the Mapi protocol) and allows you to bypass an exchange server and instead use an open source linux solution. it is already in beta on sourceforge.net...
SO IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO HELP... I AM SURE MY FRIEND WOULD APPRECIATE IT!!!
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:3, Informative)
Admittedly, there is plenty to dislike about it, but Notes has been doing integrated, multi-user calendar+mail for years.
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:3, Funny)
I see your point, but consider how fun it would be to schedule the entire marketing department for prostate exams on April 1st. Including the women.
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2)
Yeah, the same luser managers who decide on what groupware package to standardize on...
Seriously though, it isn't just luser managers. You need to sit down for 30 minutes to talk to 3 customers about your latest problem/issue/prototype/requirements/whatever. You could call them on the phone and leave voicemails asking for 3 suggested times to
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:3, Insightful)
Most apps don't simply drop a sched in your calendar. What they do is simplify the process of finding non-conflicting schedules. If someone wants to meet with you, they'll send a request and the calendar app will find a time when everyone invited can attend. If it does, it will ask for confirmation and you can either re-schedule, accept or reject.
Otherwise you would have to respond each request with a time when you are free, that might or m
Re:None do what is required to displace Exchange. (Score:2)
I actually use Kontact for all my work, publishing an iCal ICS file up to a phpiCalendar server where my family and workmates can browse and see my schedule combined with others. However, the only one that can actually alter my calendar is me, so this comes under 'ca
Re:Agreed. (Score:2)
Re:Agreed. (Score:2)
http://www.novell.com/products/groupwise/ [novell.com]
Pencil and paper (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Pencil and paper (Score:5, Interesting)
You beat me to it...
I just spent two weeks working and exploring in São Paulo, Brasil (my home is in Florida). I've never been to São Paulo before, and had a rather complex schedule of work and touristing, all managed with a couple of print-outs and old-fashion pen-and-paper notes. No PDA, no GPS, a borrowed cell phone just for emergencies, my laptop secured at the company offices. I did have a real (and decent quality) magentic compass in my watch, just to make certain I didn't get turned around.
I never worried about finding an internet terminal, or having my tech stolen, or carrying flashy stuff to identify me as a "rich" American. No worries about batteries, either.
I love my tech as much as the next geek, but I'm a believer in the right amount of tech for the job at hand. Sometimes, paper and pen are all that's needed, and the tech just gets cumbersome or disracting.
Re:Pencil and paper (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Pencil and paper (Score:2)
sri
Outlook Web (Score:2)
Re:Outlook Web (Score:2)
Event calender for a small community (Score:2)
try a Kiko account (Score:2)
Re:try a Kiko account (Score:2)
Re:try a Kiko account (Score:2)
The command line tool "remind" (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:The command line tool "remind" (Score:2)
Yes, coming from the Slashdot user that still hosts a Gopher server... Why again should I use a "solution" that brings me back into the stone age? I'm sure that remind is fantastic (I would like to see GMail allow me to repeat on Mon/Wed only -- something that wasn't available as of Friday) but I'm sure it also includes archaic commands.
Sorry but PS printing isn't something I need. Sync, group and web access, and sharing without extra coding is what I'm looking for.
Re:The command line tool "remind" (Score:2)
You can repeat an event on any days you like -- click on the event and on its time and use the ckeckboxes.
Re:Get with the program (Score:2)
Sounds to me like your problem is; you can't be bothered learing how to use a computer.
And a hack saw provides all the functionality of a band saw.
Need to get from New York to Paris? Ocean liner works just fine. It also has much higher baggage limits than those new-fangled jets.
And who needs gcc? Last time I checked the Athlon/Pentium opcode tables were published standards. Compilers are just for people too st
None (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:None (Score:2)
Outlook (Score:2)
This AJAX stuff sucks.
Incompatible calendars (Score:4, Insightful)
I have a Palm Tungsten T3 but it's not very useful because I have to maintain 2-3 incompatible calendars to keep it useful. Import/Export is simply not a solution unless you are changing calendars and dumping the old one. Google Calendar is nice but it doesn't efficiently exchange data with my desktop calendar, work calendar and pda. It's got potential but but we'll see where it goes. Few/none of the calendar makers have shown any inclination to work together so far (customer lock in and all that) so I'm not optimistic.
nonAjaxPostItLowTech (Score:2)
My PDA (Score:2, Insightful)
AJAX=Bending over backwards (Score:2)
It staggers me as to how people can think this stuff is so wonderful. AJAX is the embodiment of everything thats wrong with HTML as an application development medium. It's basically architecture overkill to accomplish the most rudimentary functionality for a more traditional native client side application.
Is this really the way of the future ?! Enourmous amounts of client side javascript, overcomplicated ht
Comment removed (Score:3, Informative)
Re:open-xchange.org (Score:2)
Re:open-xchange.org (Score:2)
Supplementary question (Score:2)
Synchonization is an ugly hack that needs to be retired. It makes shared calendars almost impossible.
Yahoo! is the best option I have found to date, that has a useable smart phone option. They at least provide a WAP interface. Overall, though, I am still looking for something better.
I really like the concepts and general UI in the Google Calendar but, until they have a WAP interface or s
features I'm looking for (Score:2, Insightful)
What I want on my webcalendar:
If anyone knows of a solution out there that fits my needs, let me know. If any developpers are reading this, please take note.
Undecided :P (Score:2, Insightful)
Since my PocketPCs cacked out (the batteries would run out because I primarily used my laptop), I started relying on my previously-misused brain, and countless miscellaneous pieces of scrap paper ("lists") that I kept in my pockets. Now I r
Spongecell's got read/write API and iPod sync (Score:2, Interesting)
Alternative to On-line Calendars: Portable Sunbird (Score:2)
The major problem that I have with one of the on-line calendars is that your information is stored on someone else's server. Although it is unlikely that anyone would use this information, the potential is there. Not that I'm worried if someone finds out that I'm going to a baseball game next week, but the principal of the thing; I don't want anyone... not some hacker, and not the government... having access to my schedule.
Instead, I am using Portable Sunbird (Portable Sunbird [johnhaller.com]) on a UBS Drive that goes
ReminderFox (Score:3, Interesting)
I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:4, Interesting)
I haven't explored all of the available calendars, but I've tried a few. My biggest problem with all of the ones I've tried thus far is that they try to replicate the 'boxes in a grid' design of paper calendars. I would prefer to see someone come up with a calendar that uses a list view, so I can always see by default a four-week view, with all of the dates laid out vertically.
I would find it much more efficient to look at dates that are stacked vertically, so I can scroll up or scroll down through the year. Weeks could be delineated by simple horizontal lines, and months by lightly shaded background colors.
Boxes truncate long words and are particularly inefficient for screen display, because the resolution of computer screens is so crappy compared to the resolution and flexibility of pen and paper. Providing a single long horizontal space for all the information relating to a day would be much more advantageous.
Adding more and more features to a flawed paradigm is simply annoying to me. Give me a layout that works, before adding all kinds of Ajax. Think outside the box (sorry, I had to say it).
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:2)
See Google Calendar's Agenda view.
This is nice, but as with kiko calendar, it only shows upcoming events. What I'd really like is a calendar app that allows me to switch the default box view to a list view, so I can see all the days in a month in one vertically-oriented view. I like being able to see upcoming events that way, but it would be really nice if I could see everything that way.
I understand that the calendar grid is the accepted paradigm for displaying days, weeks, and months, but I am conti
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:2)
http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/reques
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:2)
Now, give me an application that will do this right on my desktop and be visible at all times (instead of requiring me to fire up a browser just to look at), and we'll talk.
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:2)
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:2)
Why is leaving another program open all the time any different than just leaving a browser window open all the time? Especially because if you can install another program on your desktop, you can probably install Firefox, and then just leave Kiko open in a tab.
I just really don't understand this complaint, despite it's frequency, and I'd be happy if you could explain it to me.
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:2)
Have you tried kiko's upcoming view? It's exactly what you're asking for. As a Kiko developer, I made sure that we had a list.
Nice. I just signed up for an account to see what you were talking about. I like the upcoming view, though I would also really enjoy it if the month view could be switched in prefs to the same kind of list view you use to show upcoming appointments.
I understand that you can't please all the people all the time, and I know I'm probably in the minority in my annoyance with calend
Re:I want a calendar with no boxes (Score:2)
You have been on SLASHDOT TOO LONG (Score:2)
Now your brain has been made fully compliant to the slashdot standard of simple horizontal lines, and monster scrolling.
Honestly now that I have spent enought time on slashdot, I want the slashdot style interface for my personal calendar, slashdot green and all. Su
Re:You have been on SLASHDOT TOO LONG (Score:2)
Now your brain has been made fully compliant to the slashdot standard of simple horizontal lines, and monster scrolling.
Actually, since you could pack more text on screen if you had the days in a month listed as a series of horizontal lines of text, it would take up less, not more space than a calendar showing a month in the standard grid view. By scrolling I simply meant that the text would be arrayed vertically, not that it would necessitate scrolling in the browser window. I'm actually looking for a
Come back to me... (Score:2)
Julian works for me! (Score:2)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Calendar [wikipedia.org]
Currently the time is: 2453842.03565
plans (Score:2)
aiming too low (Score:2)
AJAX Calendars (Score:2)
Here's what I demand:
AJAX - Without it, a web calendar is as ineffective and nasty as creating ASCII art in VI.
Easy recurrence settings - I want to easily set an appointment for every wednesday without filling out a three-page questionnaire on the topic.
Right-click support - When I want to do something, I often look for a right-click context menu to do it in. Google, I'm ashamed of
Playboy Calendar (Score:2)
Unfortunately, Outlook + Exchange (Score:2)
Outlook and Exchange themselves blow. But this is one killer feature that I simply cannot, and do not want to, live without. Unfortunately it's also going to be a tough one for open source or small companies to break into, due
Use Outlook as a pipe (Score:2)
I use a very old copy of Outlook as an intermediary to keep them in sync - Treo syncs with Outlook, which then syncs with Yahoo. I never use Outlook for anything other than this purpose, but it's particularly well suited to this task - like it or not, just about everything can sync with Outlook.
I'll be checking out calendar.google.com, now that
Re:The best one would be the one that: (Score:2)
Even simpler: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Evaluating truth (Score:3, Funny)
(- 1 Parent)
Re:Cat got your -1 Overrated mod? (Score:2)