Review: Pocket Informant 8

Pocket Informant, Editor’s Choice and Winner of 2008 Best PIM award from Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine, was the first full PIM (personal information management) for Windows Mobile in 2000 and with version 8 Smartphones are now fully supported. With a scalable interface that can go between the touchable finger user interface, to a stylus use interface, all the way to a completely one handed interface Pocket Informant 8 works the way you want it to.

My full review – including plenty of screenshots, key features, and install info – is after the jump!

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QuickList:

System/OS/Device Requirements: Pocket PC 2003/2003SE/5.0/6 with a 32MB RAM device minimum
Price: $29.95
Company: Web Information Solutions, Inc.
Download here or grab the free trial here

INSTALL/SETUP

1. Download the Pocket Informant 8 installer right here. I recommend downloading this file to your Desktop for easy access. You can archive it later.

2. Synchronize your mobile device with the desktop PC.

3. If you have Pocket Informant 2007 or earlier already installed on your Windows Mobile device go ahead and uninstall it first

4. Run the Pocket_Informant_Setup.exe that you downloaded in Step 1.

5. Follow the on-screen installation instructions on the desktop PC. During Pocket Informant installation on the mobile device you will see a dialog box that asks you where you wish to install the software – Device or Storage Card. On Pocket PC devices, Pocket Informant only supports installation on the Device, not a storage card.

6. As always, I strongly recommend making a full backup of your device when installing any software.

Launching Pocket Informant

Upon initial installation Pocket Informant will be in your Programs list. Simply open it from your Programs list and it will launch into its initial screen asking you if you wish to visit the Roles and Features section.

Registering Pocket Informant

Once you launch Pocket Informant you will be given the number of days left in the trial and it will ask you to register the application. Simply click Register and enter your registration code. You can also enter your email address here to subscribe for new version updates as well as to register for support. If you need to access this screen while using Pocket Informant simply go to the My Informant menu on the right Soft Key (or use the Tools menu when using the Classic Menubar) and then choose “About”.

KEY FEATURES

• Smartphone version – Same codebase for SP and PPC
• Fully one handed interface
• New! Events View lets you track tasks and appointments as they come
• New! Journal View gives you both dated and parent groupings of all journals
• Roles based UI lets you scale the featureset from a basic “Pocket Outlook with Benefits”, to “Task” and “Appointment” focused modes as well as a power user mode
• Contact links/Phone numbers in the subject of appointments/tasks
• Franklin Covey Goals, Mission, and Compass/Roles added
• Completely redesigned settings
• Month View has a new FilmStrip mode
• Smooth Scrolling and Touch modes
• Touch A-Z side bar in Contacts
• Many other new features and improvements

CONCLUSION

I have personally used several other PIM applications but none quite met all of my needs quite like Pocket Informant. It has a some really great features and a very easy to use interface. It provides all the necessary tools to manage my calendar, contacts, notes, task lists and alarms. I find the notes feature especially useful. I can attach a recorded message, drawing and typed text in a note. If I am using the note as a reminder, I can set an alarm for the note. With one click I can add the date and time to additional notes to keep track of what I am working on and organize it by category. The macros and filters provide many additional options. I like the fact that it is simple to use for a novice or can provide the features needed for the expert user as well.

RATING (out of 5)

Download: Pocket Informant 8