Windows Mobile Phone v. Filofax Smackdown!

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!

DIY Ebooks, part 2

(Responding to the post below, Caroline asked a great question about ebook and scan formats. As I started to answer her, I realized that my answer was getting so long it probably makes a better blog post than comment response. So, Caroline, here goes:)

Trying to use ebooks (like reference books) as PDFs can be cumbersome, especially if the file is really large and not optimized for use as a book.

As an alternative, I turn the PDFs I create into .pdb files, which I can annotate and organize with chapter headings and photos. I can read these in either eReader or Mobipocket, both of which are free and available on multiple platforms, including Windows Mobile.

Here's my process:

1. Scan as PDFs -- Creates an image of the page for future use and reference.

2. OCR them and save as plain .txt files -- Gives me an open source copy of the book's text, which, like the PDFs, I should be able to use well into the future.

3. Edit/clean up as Word documents -- I work with this program all the time, so it's the easiest one for me to work with. I've also created several macros to help me clean up text after scanning.

4. Convert to .pdb -- These are easy to create (through the eReader book creator), inserts pictures well, and works with both eReader and Mobipocket.

5. For books with lots of pictures, such as biographies, I also save the photos as Tiffs. To insert these into a .pdb file, I have to convert them to PNGs first.

Mobipocket also offers an much more streamlined (and free) alternative to creating ebooks -- just drop-and-drag a PDF, Word doc, or other file onto the Mobipocket window, and it will convert itself to an ebook automatically. It's not as "clean" as an edited ebook, but it's a quick way to make a smaller ebook.

DIY Ebooks

As a voracious ebook reader, I have one big frustration: Although the availability of titles available through my favorite book stores, eReader and Mobipocket, is impressive -- and growing -- the stores still lack most out-of-print and "less popular" titles.

The other day, though, I found a great -- and free -- source for new ebooks: The public library. While my local does not have an ebook "lending" program as some systems do, they have shelves of what the do-it-yourself ebookmaker wants: Thousands of old books whose bindings are already broken, flexible, and easy to flatten for scanning. And, it's all free.

So, I've been taking matters into my own hands lately, by scanning some of the traditional books I've bought and never gotten around to reading -- and library books. Although it's a fairly time-consuming process -- an hour or two to scan and another hour to clean up the text and convert it to a .pdb file -- like many scanning tasks, it's easy to fit in for a few minutes here and there during the day or as I'm watching TV.

The process isn't perfect. Getting a book flat enough to get a decent scan is tough on the binding, and books with a lot of footnotes and references -- like many of the biographies I enjoy -- require a lot of clean up to create a good text.

Still, it gets the job done.

EDITED: To correct text pasted out of order

Before tech...Filofax

Just so my Luddite friends -- I'm looking at you, Daly -- don't feel totally teched-out in this blog, I've prepared the video montage below as a tribute to the Filofax.

Well, actually, it's a bunch of "cameos" a Filofax makes as the MacGuffin in the 1990 film Taking Care of Business. Plot summary: Yuppie Charles Grodin loses his Filofax, escaped con Jim Belushi finds it and takes over this life...

Although I don't use one for data capture or PIM storage any more, I still have my trusty Filofax (four of them, actually, and lots of old filler sheets), and I keep credit cards, checkbooks, deposit slips, stamps, gift cards, membership cards, library cards, and even extra cash stored in one I keep in my desk. I even have a USB key with backups of key files hooked to it. It never leaves my desk.

Anyway, UnDigital Ones, enjoy!

Blogging from OneNote

I'm really on a OneNote jag this week...

One of the cool features I discovered in OneNote recently is the ability to collect ideas, compose blog entries, and publish them directly to a blog.

So, here's a test post, directly from OneNote.

This could be a very handy feature, especially since I have OneNote on my PDA phone and all my computers. Being able to collect, process, and act on information all from the same synchronized platform makes a lot of sense to me.

Is "getting away from it all" the right idea?

I was in a discussion group recently where someone commented that she valued "getting away from the electronics."

This struck me as odd: Why "get away from" electronics? That it would be like saying I wanted to get away from electric lights or modern plumbing. They're all just tools that serve functions, no more, no less. Not having them around means I can do less -- for fun or work.

Although the person later clarified that she meant "get away from it all," not just electronics specifically, I suspect her first thought actually reflects what a lot of people feel: Having electronic devices, especially cell phones, Blackberries and other PDAs, and access to "everything" wherever they are creates stress. Leave the device behind, and the stress goes away.

The thing is, that's a terrible strategy.

Sure, we all need time to think, to disengage, and to relax. But, cutting off access to "the electronics" is really nothing more than "shooting the messenger." The pressures and responsibilities don't go away, it's just that you've removed your ability to manage them.

Ultimately, that's not a work/life balance, that's a crash diet. And, like a fad diet, you might see some benefits for a week or two, but when things return to normal, you're in thicker than ever.

One of the things I've learned from using David Allen's Getting Things Done approach to personal management is the skill of "opting in" to focus on something, releasing my focus, and refocusing on something else. It happens on a micro level with ongoing interruptions, and on a macro level, when I chose to devote my time to doing one thing over another.

As technologies make the old boundaries of time and location even less relevant for determining where your focus evaporate, developing an ability to chose your intentions -- without having to cast off your tools -- is going to become an even more critical skill.

To my mind, this means learning more about how to "get to it all" in all aspects of life, and less about getting away from any of it.

OneNote is starting to blow me away

Although I've had Microsoft OneNote on my computers and my PDA phone for years, I've been slow to the party getting into this program. Every time I opened it I thought, right, it's blank paper that I can organize with tabs. Great. Zzzzzzzzzzzz...

The fact that I came upon OneNote, which syncs to PDAs only manually through ActiveSync, just as I had moved to hosted exchange service to sync all Outlook info wirelessly, didn't increase it's appeal.

The lack of handwriting recognition or even writing -- features that had been in earlier Windows Mobile versions, but are fading fast -- was another strike against.

Now, though, I think I'm finally starting to get it. Here's what's making the difference:

1. Audio/notetaking synchronization -- OneNote automatically syncs audio recordings with the notes you're taking, whether by typing or in writing on a tablet PC. As someone who does endless interviews and has spent hours transcribing and re-listening to tapes, this is useful beyond belief.

2. Audio search -- Similarly, OneNote will index audio recordings so that you can search for phrases or words you SPOKE, as well as wrote. No speech training required.

3. Integration with Outlook Tasks -- Outlook Tasks is my life -- My whole GTD system resides there. OneNote gives me a way to create tasks in Outlook directly from notes I take in a single click. Processing could not be easier.

4. Wireless synching -- It's not quite the same as hosted exchange, but by creating a peer-to-peer network through LogMeIn's free Hamachi service (more on this in the future), I've been able to take advantage of OneNote's PC synchronization features through the Internet. I can write on my tablet PC's screen and what it appear almost in real time on my desktop PC's copy of OneNote.

5. Handwriting recognition -- I miss the excellent handwriting recognition and "Transcriber" functions in the old Pocket PC platforms. (Why are they gone? Dumb, MS, dumb...) But, OneNote's ability to transcribe handwriting is pretty stunning.

I'm still figuring out uses for OneNote, so I'm eager to hear how others are using it. Please send ideas my way!

Amazon info on Allen's new book

Late last year, Amazon and other book-buying sites started showing placeholders for, "Making It All Work," a new book by Getting Things Done author David Allen that is coming out on December 30. Now, Amazon is showing a few more details, offering what appears to be a "back cover flap" description of book:

Now, David Allen leads the world on a new path to achieve focus, control, and perspective. Throw out everything you know about productivity-- Making It All Work will make life and work a game you can win. For those who have already experienced the clarity of mind from reading Getting Things Done, Making It All Work will take the process to the next level.

David Allen shows us how to excel in dealing with our daily commitments, the unexpected, and the information overload that threatens to drown us. Making It All Work provides an instantly usable, success-building tool kit for staying ahead of the game.

Making It All Work addresses: how to figure out where you are in life and what you need; how to be your own consultant and a CEO of your life; moving from hope to trust in decision-making; when not to set goals; harnessing intuition, spontaneity, and serendipity; and why life is like business and business is like life.

December 30. Doesn't give me much time for a new David Allen-inspired life by January 1...

Mygazines' slow erosion

Back in July, I came across Mygazines.com, a YouTube-like site where users could upload scans of magazines or articles for all to share. Although I was a little suspicious about the the excellent quality of the scans -- they had a very high-end look for random user uploads -- I was thrilled to find free copies of magazines I no longer buy in paper.

What's more, the anonymous Carribean-based company running off out-of-reach PirateBay-related servers seemed impenetrable to even the most aggressive publishers.

(Fun? Yes. Copyright infringement? Absolutely.)

Well, I'm betting that some publisher has broken through, because the site's inventory of mainstream magazines is dwindling fast. First went the Time-Life offerings, then the Hearsts, and so on.

I hope Mygazines finds a way to bring them back, even through a paid model. Many of the top mags are offering most, if not all, of their content for free these days, but except for a handful that publish on Zinio.com or Relay, it's hard to find "emags" of top titles.

Infrared dead?

I like do-it-all devices, which is one of the reasons I'm still hanging on to my circa 2005 Windows Mobile HTC Apache (xv6700) PDA phone. True, it's not as sleek as some newer models, it doesn't have as much memory, and it's getting a little slow, but thanks to reflashing with newer, sleeker OS's, it does just about about everything I could want.

But when I first saw the specs of the HTC Touch Pro -- a thin, super-powered WinMob touchscreen with a keyboard -- I thought I might jump...until I noticed the lack of infrared. Why HTC, why? Verizon cripples your devices enough -- do you have to help them?

I know, Bluetooth, EVDO, and wi-fi make data exchange via IR redundant, but as a 24/7 PDA user, my phone is also my universal remote. Wherever I am -- sometimes even in public places -- I can fire up Novii Remote Deluxe, aim my 6700 at a TV or Tivo, and run the world. Don't make me go back to the old remote-control forest.

Bring back IR. I'll wait for you...

How secure is too secure?

Maybe it's the uncertainty in the global financial markets, a wave of crazy weather, or a lousy fall TV season, but lately I've been seeing a near-constant flow of comments and stories about how -- and even if -- home computers need security.

The "lock it down" mentality made sense to me for years -- as someone with a fully paperless office, the idea of having something spew my data out to the world is pretty daunting.

But, earlier this year, my friend John from the Yahoo paperless group suggested to me that I probably don't need much, if any, online security. His advice was to surf in Firefox with NoScript and AdAware on, crank up the spam filters on my email, and use virtualization -- software that lets you operate in a "virtual image" of your system without writing data or making changes to the underlying system

I haven't tried virtualization yet -- although I've been promising John that I will soon -- but I took his advice on the other stuff: I strengthened my router's firewall, moved to Firefox, and got tough on spam. Four months later, scans say I haven't had a spyware issue or problem yet.

Sound crazy? The folks at don't think so. Check out the story from this month's issue about how much security is really enough.

Welcome to The Beginning...

Many thanks to the participants in the GTD and Paperless groups -- and other points unknown -- who have been encouraging me to blog about observations, lifehacks, and other random opinions. I haven't quite figured out whether they're encouraging this to get me to stop talking in discussion groups or expand on some of this stuff even more, but we'll soon find out.

I encourage you all to chime in with contradictions, agreements, more info, gripes, praise, and everything else. My plan is to let the comments go in a free-for-all, unless things get obscene, obnoxious, or spam-filled.

(Of course, I also plan to be an arbitrary dictator, changing course and rules with no notice to anyone, so, we'll see...)

Meanwhile, have fun. I hope we all enjoy the ride.