Jpilot for the 770, anyone?
 

So I've been struggling with the 770 as a PIM. I know it was intentionally bereft of these functions, but of course it is fully capable of the activity.

My desired functions are pretty simple: calendar (with alarms), address book, to-do, and memopad.

So I've tried the GPE apps, but they're not very useable. Lots of clicking and awkward alarming. I've lost data more than once. I think there's potential there, but it's got that 'engineer' feeling all over it, with a lot of options but not a lot of consideration of how to actually use the thing when you're talking to someone, trying to get their info, say, or in a meeting trying to bang out some notes or scheduling.

Someone did a basic, proof-of-concept port of Jpilot for the 770. Of course, why on earth would someone want to sync their Palm to their 770? It's silly. (I don't think that was his intention, and this is not a critique of his efforts. In fact, I'm pleased that he made the effort, and has mapped out the needs for a full port.)

Then I thought: wow, couldn't you simplify the app a little, make it save its data to the MMC card (and maybe a backup in flash), then sync your desktop version of Jpilot to the MMC card? I'm thinking that it would actually make the code simpler, etc. Doesn't require hotsync, you can remove all the extra stuff for backups or installs (ie: all the extra apps on the Palm, data, etc.), usernames, et al: you're not trying to deal with the PalmOS at all. Just your data. You're talking about 4 files now (address.dat, todo.dat, calendar.dat and memo.dat, if I recall correctly.) It might be a good idea to simplify the desktop version as well.

Jpilot already imports CVS, and of course all the Palm data for people like me. I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of conversion tools to Palm format as well (if CVS is not available for whatever you're using.)

Jpilot is really quite good, and with a smart port it should be really useful. Best of all it's simple and direct, everything right there. You don't have to switch between apps. The only thing that I can think of that it might need is the ability to sync with online calendars and address books (a la Google). I can live without that, but I'd like it if it were possible later.

But of course I am not a programmer (just a power user.) So all I can do is hope someone might be interested, and say that I would throw some money toward a finished, functional, stable port.

Anyone?

m a r

PIM for IT [was: Jpilot for the 770, anyone?]
 

I couldn't agree more about the need (and your assesment). <rant> Nokia's decission to leave out PDA functionality from the IT is the worst example of ideological product absolutism. In reality, even if all that functionality was available through the Inet services, which it is not, it should be accessible at all times, and not only when one gets lucky to be within a hotspot range. When all along the argument in the industry has been between one (smartphone (w/PDA)) or two devices (phone + PDA), Nokia, a phone company, is suggesting with the IT a three device (Inet + phone + PDA) option... laughable.</rant>
So yes, please! Anyone?! The brain-dump functionality of a PDA is fundamental in any personal communication device. For all that the IT has going fo it, I'm back to my PalmOS based PDA as a can't-do-without carry-along.