The other day, David made a good case in favor of continuing to use Filofax, rather than switching to an all-electronic setup. I'm not going to challenge his aesthetic choices -- hard to beat the leathery smell of a high-end Filofax or the sweep of a Mont Blanc over good paper -- but I am going to stick up for digital on some of the functional issues he raised.So, with at least a nod to using objective criteria, here's the smackdown :
The Contenders:
In this corner...Wearing leather shorts and looking strong for its advanced age, stands the venerable, world-class Filofax.
Our challenger…In the plastic body suit and the see-through screen protector, the powerful Windows Mobile phone.
Round One: Fast Note-Taking
• Filofax: Grab a pen, flip it open, find a blank page, begin writing. (4 steps)
• Windows Mobile: Press pre-set button that opens note, begin writing. (2 steps -- 3 if you use a stylus)
Winner: Windows Mobile
Round Two: Losing Data
• Filofax: Lose the Filofax, you've lost everything.
• Windows Mobile: Data syncs to server and other computers as soon as you enter it, where it's also backed up.
Winner: Windows Mobile
Round Three: Resource availability (how long can you keep using without "refreshing")
• Filofax: You're OK until a pen runs dry or you run out of blank/pre-printed pages (which, I might add are quite a bit more expensive than regular paper) (8 points)
• Windows Mobile: You can go as long as your batteries run and memory holds out. (In my case, with 8 GB of memory and two tiny backup batteries that keep me running for almost 36 hours of straight use, that's a long time)
Winner:Windows Mobile , since I'd rather carry two batteries (less than 2 ounces) than a pile of paper or extra pens.
Round Four: Weather resistance
• Filofax: Use it in the rain and the pages warp and curl, the ink runs, the leather is ruined, and the whole thing is a soggy mess. Forever.
• Windows Mobile: Throw it is a clear plastic sleeve (I use Aquapac) and you can use the it in torrential ran -- and even under shallow water -- with no problem. (Note I said USE, not just store.) And, like an old-fashioned space pen, you can write at any angle.
Winner:Windows Mobile
Round Five: Data backup/archiving
• Filofax: Take sheets out of the Filofax and scan them if you want to save them. Trim and clean up the scans, tag, and file. Data is not searchable, nor can it be retrieved remotely by the Filofax.
• Windows Mobile: All data saves and archives along with Outlook (or whatever) data. Handwritten notes can be converted to text and are searchable. Archives are accessible through wireless connections to desktop or by storing on card at all times.
Winner: Windows Mobile
Round Six: Reviewing notes
• Filofax: Using David's example, he reviews notes nightly and on weekends, and transfers what he wants to his laptop.
• Windows Mobile: Notes and data are reviewable on Windows Mobile, computer, or laptop at all times, no need for transfer or any extra steps or effort. (If you must review them on paper, you can always print them out.)
Winner: Windows Mobile
Round Seven: Theft or loss risk
• Filofax: As Charles Grodin learned, even the reward leaf won't get your Filofax back or protect the data you have in it.
• Windows Mobile: Device (and storage card) are password protected, sensitive data is encrypted, plus I can do a remote wipe of the entire through from the web.
Winner: Windows Mobile
Round Eight: Versatility
• Filofax: David mentioned he has his Filofax, an iPhone, a MacBook Pro, and a notebook for longer writings. Even just as a single tool, a well-stuffed Filofax can add a few pounds.
•Windows Mobile: I carry one 6-ounce device that gives me:
1. Phone
2. Email (via hosted exchange)
3. Texting
4. Instant messaging (via AIM)
5. Calendar
6. Addresses
7. To-do (next action) list
8. Notebook (in longhand or typing)
9. Handwriting available (via Notes or various programs)
10. Typing (via thumb keyboard or foldout Stowaway)
11. Voice recorder
12. Camera
13. Video Recorder
14. Pen (inside stylus)
15. Calculator
16. Modem for other devices to get online (via ICS)
17. MS Word
18. MS Excel
19. MS OneNote (OK, but limited)
20. MS PowerPoint viewer (admittedly, it sucks)
21. MS Money (through Spb Finance)
22. MS Internet Explorer (please Mozilla, hear my cries…)
23. Adobe Reader
24. Adobe Photoshop Express
25. Alarm clock (Spb Time)
26. Timer (Spb Time and limited built-in)
27. Remote control (via Novii)
28. Music player (MP3, WMA, etc.)
29. Video player (I keep 5 full-length features on my SD card)
30. Tivo and live TV streaming (via Slingplayer and/or Spb Online)
31. Radio (direct via IE or through Spb Online)
32. Instant news/weather (IE, RSS feeds, and email alerts)
33. Newspapers (usually Google Reader, full-text Spb Insight)
34. Magazines (same as above)
35. Books (eReader or Mobipocket)
36. Remote desktop access (via LogMeIn)
Winner: Windows Mobile. And, with that, I'm going to declare a TKO.Despite this, I want to say again what a great thing Filofaxes are, and add that "I use them because I just like them better" is a perfectly good reason to use them.
But, when people bring up some of the points David (and many others!) have raised, I think they're not assessing Windows Mobile's capabilities and affordances accurately. In my view, there are very few issues where a Filofax outshines a Windows Mobile, even as a notetaker.
So, David, thanks for raising the issues that prompted the Smackdown! I appreciate your feedback!
Posts
4 comments:
Sorry for my silence. I was on a deadline.
I hope you won't think I am trying to avoid my "defeat", but I am not that convinced by the smackdown. In fact, I have the impression this brave old Filofax is well and ready to fight back ;-)
Fast note taking:
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I don't see 4 or 3 steps making such a difference. In fact, going that way one can go a lot deeper in the calculation:
- considering the time to configure the apps to work the way one want, and installing apps, like the SPB ones (great company) you mentionned,
- the time to configure the button to gain quick access to Notes. I don't remember a PDA or phone already configured to give quick access to notes ? And without quick access, your doomed to menus and sub menus which add to the steps count ;-)
- the time one need to reboot a crashed device.
- The time one can not write while using the phone or surfing the Web...
(- the time to backup ?) I did use a backup software, not trusting Windows Active Sync.
- learning the GUI, learning to use the Thumb Keyoard,...
- and worse 8-), the time wasted surfing the Web looking for the "perfect" app or hacks, or... You know what I mean: that may account for hours and hours ;-)
But I don't count like that.
I do count the speed of writing (how many words per minute), the stress on my hands (stilus are so thin! I always purchased bigger ones in specialised shops), and the tranquility of mind: I can sit on my notebook without fear (I am more in the heavyweight league ;-)), I can drop it on the floor, roll over it with a car,... I can even tear a page and give it to someone when needed. It's sturdy.
Backup:
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How old is the oldest file on your computer ? I know very well mine is from 2005, the year I learned the importance of backups.
I have got a bunch of older floppies with a few files, but can't read them anddon't have the app used to create the files they may contain.
While I am writing this, next to my hand is a 1901 edition of Schopenhauer's "Le monde comme volonté et comme représentation", annotated by a previous owner, and now annotated by me, more than a hundred years later.
_That_ is reliable.
Not going that far in the past, I opened a folder (a real one) a fews weeks ago and found the first stories I wrote (dated back around 1990): printed copies of files long gone in digital heaven.
BTW, do not forget I do also transfer papers notes to my computer (by hand or via OCR), so I can search & use them: I love the power of computers, I just do not trust them :-)
Loss:
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My filofax, as my Moleskines are all granted a (nice) reward if found. I have got back the (only) one I lost, this way. I never was given back any digital gismo.
I wouldn't loose that much if I it was to happen: I do back them up almost daily on my computer
Cryptography:
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I never write _that_ sensitive data on an agenda, be it paper or digital.
"All in one" factor:
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I don't consider having _more_ functionalities in a device being a quality per se.
I do appreciate having the functionalties I need, the one that made the device useful.
On a PDA, I don't need Word/XL, Money, video, or a Tivo (to be sincere, I dont even own a tv set at home). I do not need a phonecam as image quality is important to me (I sometimes use them in printed magazines). I don't even read PDF (I did, but stopped years ago) as they are almost never created with such small screens in mind. Not even the one I do publish.
I do use the voice recorder, the music and the video player included in the iPhone. As I use the mail, Web (at least ar real browser) and the phone :)
Sorry for being so long 8)
Hi David,
Thanks for responding – I knew I couldn’t possibly have wiped you out entirely, so I’m glad you came back for another round!
OK, here’s the counterpunch on these. (And, I’m literally “punchy” -- been in bed/on the couch with a cold all day…)
Fast note-taking:
• Programming a button to open a note takes *maybe* two minutes (and it’s a one-time thing), although my current PDA phone actually came with a button pre-programmed for notes as the default. No time loss there, just a single click.
• No GUI to learn. I’m talking straight handwriting. Take a stylus (or a pen or your finger) and start writing on the screen. You can keep the notes in longhand or convert them to text, if you desire. It is EXACTLY like writing on a page, except you never need to turn the page – you just get blank room at the bottom as you write. Click the button, start writing.
• I take notes on my PDA when I’m on the phone all the time, using the speakerphone, a BT headset, or wired headphones. I’ve even been known to scribble a note in the car as I’m talking to someone over through my car stereo. (Only while parked, of course…) You can surf the web while taking notes by flipping between screens (and you can cut and paste info), but I seldom need to do that on the fly.
• I’ve had devices freeze many times, but I can honestly say that it’s never been a problem when I’ve wanted to take notes. I use the native WinMob Notes app, which is pretty straightforward. (The program I’ve vote “most hang prone” is Flexmail. I love that it allows me to handle multiple accounts, but I seldom use it unless I have a specific need to send on a separate account, because it freezes so much.)
• On backing up notes, I take a slightly different approach. If I’m in a meeting or interview, I immediately email a copy of the notes to myself at the end of the session (or on a break). That way, the notes are securely backed up with no further effort on my part. After that, I could toss my PDA out the window and still have my notes – way more secure than paper.
Backup:
• The oldest file on my computer is from 1987 – an old school report. I bumped all my floppies to my hard drive years ago, and I back them up regularly. I’ve done several batch conversions over the years to move them to current formats, so no worries there.
• I’m a backup freak. I keep SEVEN constantly synced versions of all files, an external hard-drive backup once a week, and quarterly DVD backups. To my mind, you can’t back up enough.
• The Schopenhauer text sounds wonderful – I have quite a few books more than 100 years old, too, which I treasure. But, are they as secure as an electronic file? Not a chance. Let’s say I scanned the Schopenhauer text today (and backed it up to my various systems) Then, tomorrow, disaster strikes: A fire or flood (or spill or whatever) destroys it. In fact, the same disaster befalls my computers. Guess what? No loss on the digital side, because I’ve backed up the data offsite – and I even have emailed it to a few friends at even more sites. Personally, I’d pick to have both the original text AND the digital, but digital is the more reliable medium.
• There is no digital heaven, only a digital hell, where un-backed-up files go for all eternity. Follow the Digital Commandment: Thou shall back up constantly, and you will avoid this ignominious end.
• If you’re scanning your handwritten notes, that’s cool, but you could save yourself a lot more time by writing them digitally (through a PDA or on a Tablet PC) in the first place. Faster, less work, and more secure from the start. Also, they’re more “editable,” since you can convert them to text, if you want.
• One tip for you, if you do scan handwritten notes: Take advantage of any opportunity you have to fax the notes (along with any handouts) to yourself even before you leave a site. You won’t have to scan them again when you get home, you’ve immediately created a “backup” copy, and you can avoid dragging notes around all day.
Loss and cryptography:
• Remember, when you’re digital, it’s not the device, it’s the data. Lately, I’ve been thinking of it this way: If I lose this device would I lose data? If I lose this device, would any data security be compromised? I can answer “no” to the first one on every device and computer. On the second one, I’m not 100 percent safe on any device (PDA or computer), but I am safer than on paper. (Easier to encypt data and paper.)
All-in-one factor:
• This one definitely is a matter of taste. I know several people who carry multiple PDAs (like 2 Blackberries) or prefer a PDA, separate phone, iPod, and laptop for lugging around. I’m into traveling light.
I'm betting that old Filofax still has another round to go on this...
Cheers,
kal
I can see both sides of this argument. I have both (Windows Mobile and Filofax) and the one factor I think sets them apart is size. My Filofax is A5, so by the time I open it out, for each day I have my calendar, daily to-dos and all my notes for the day in one A4 spread. The calendar and tasks are on the left, as I'm right-handed and write less in there than the notes, and my notes page is on the right.
I can see everything for the day in one view and in one place. Just due to the form factor of a Windows Mobile screen, you can't do that.
Yes, granted, you could do it with a laptop, but (and you can call me old-fashioned if you like), I find people flipping open a laptop and typing away in a meeting just plain rude, as you never know whether that person is actually paying attention and making notes, or firing off an email to Jim on Project X.
I'm working on a project now with a certain very large software company, where the start of every meeting is delayed while they all faff about under the desks, finding power and plugging their laptops in, working out if they have guest wi-fi access in whatever building they are in, passing around the usernames and passwords for said guest wi-fi access and then connecting up to their corporate VPN. You can then see them peering at their screen looking at their list of emails to see if Jim has sent them anything they need to respond to urgently (despite being on the customer's time).
Meanwhile, I've sat down, flipped open my Filofax to today, and I'm ready to go. At most, I might need to retrieve a page from a top-bound pad at the back if my notes extend to more than one page.
I've seen the customer getting visibly irked with this, but they just don't seem to care...
Kal, I'm sure you can be just as ready with your WM device as I a with my Filofax, but having used both, I'd hate to take notes on a small device like that in a two hour meeting, especially as most of the time there are relatively few actions that actually come out of the notes. Most are generally used for reference purposes later.
However, there's a very nice Dell Axim X51v on eBay at the moment I have my eye on :D
Oh, one last thing. I print my own pages on demand using standard A5 paper, and it keeps the cost down considerably. One of these days I'll get round to publishing the set, in case anyone else has any use for them.
Hi Howard,
You and I must go to some of the same meetings. ;-)
I'll *almost* concede on the "see it all" point. I can view a given day, any to-dos for that day (although I don't use to-dos this way), and related notes in Pocket Informant or on my Today screen in Spb Diary. It doesn't give much room for taking notes (especially handwritten ones), but it is very viewable.
On note-taking, I actually prefer using my WinMob device to anything else. I had used paper reporter pads for years, which are not a whole lot wider than a mobile phone, so I'm very comfortable with a narrow-screen form factor.
Lately, I've been taking my Tablet PC to meetings to record handwritten notes. I think it's a little "friendlier" than setting up a laptop in front of you at a meeting. I also prefer taking notes in longhand -- so being able to write on the screen (and convert to text later) really appeals to me.
I jotted down some thoughts about the differences between WinMob note-taking and Tablet note-taking, so I'll post them soon. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Thanks,
kal
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