from Palm desktop to Outlook...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pierre_Cat
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Pierre_Cat

Hello!

I'm coming from a palm background, and I'm used to the simple Palm
desktop
PIM. Because pocketPC platform offers some interesting feature, I'm
evaluating
Outlook (desktop) + pocket outlook (handheld). Although I have an open
mind about Outlook, I must say that I find it quite weird... Here are
a few points which I really do not understand :

Creating a meeting/event at a precise time seems impossible: it seems
that times must be "aligned" on the default boundary (hour,
half-hour...), and I don't know how to easily create an event at
10:40am for example.

Once I have clicked on an event in the calendar for example in the
week view on Outlook (desktop), it becomes difficult to access the
properties form of the event: the UI seems to assume that I want to
edit "in place" the name of the event, and I must:
- first click elsewhere to deselect the edition of the current event
- then double click on the event to access its properties!!
Really frustrating!

Is there a way to have the due date of the "to do" appear in the
calendar,
like floating events in Datebk?

Why do I cannot pick a category to assign to a task, like in the
calendar?
this is really weird... I must type the name of the category each
time!

Also, category filtering for tasks works in a really weird way in
Outlook:

- when I click on the "category" column, outlook complains that I
cannot filter
by this field. Why ?

- I must go in the "organize" form, then select "using categories"
where it is
said that "to use category filtering you must go in 'by using
display'" ???
can someone explain me that mess ?

Are these issues real, or do I simply misunderstand some obvious
things ?

Also, I'm wondering why alarm do not wake up the ppc: is it a bug of
my PPC, an iPAQ? (I understand that it is not an Outlook related
issue).

Thanks!

Pierre
 
Answers inline below.

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

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In
Pierre_Cat said:
Hello!

I'm coming from a palm background, and I'm used to the simple Palm
desktop
PIM. Because pocketPC platform offers some interesting feature, I'm
evaluating
Outlook (desktop) + pocket outlook (handheld). Although I have an open
mind about Outlook, I must say that I find it quite weird... Here are
a few points which I really do not understand :

Creating a meeting/event at a precise time seems impossible: it seems
that times must be "aligned" on the default boundary (hour,
half-hour...), and I don't know how to easily create an event at
10:40am for example.
Click to expand...

You can type any valid time values you want into the start and end time
boxes in an appointment form, task form, etc. You can even type a shortcut,
like 1040a, and when you tab out of the field the value will change to 10:40
AM.
Once I have clicked on an event in the calendar for example in the
week view on Outlook (desktop), it becomes difficult to access the
properties form of the event: the UI seems to assume that I want to
edit "in place" the name of the event, and I must:
- first click elsewhere to deselect the edition of the current event
- then double click on the event to access its properties!!
Really frustrating!
Click to expand...

This will happen if you click in a text field or otherwise editable field,
assuming the view has "Allow in-cell editing" enabled. Try clicking on the
icon for the item instead, if you want to simply select the item; or
double-click the icon to open the form.
Is there a way to have the due date of the "to do" appear in the
calendar,
like floating events in Datebk?
Click to expand...

Tasks cannot appear in the Calendar automatically, but you can right-click a
task and drag it to the Calendar folder, and you will get a list of options
for creating a new appointment based on that task.
Why do I cannot pick a category to assign to a task, like in the
calendar?
this is really weird... I must type the name of the category each
time!
Click to expand...

The Categories button and box should appear at the bottom right of a task
form -- do you not see this on yours? You can click the button to get to
the Master Category List if you want to choose one ore more categories from
the list or customize the list.
Also, category filtering for tasks works in a really weird way in
Outlook:

- when I click on the "category" column, outlook complains that I
cannot filter
by this field. Why ?

- I must go in the "organize" form, then select "using categories"
where it is
said that "to use category filtering you must go in 'by using
display'" ???
can someone explain me that mess ?
Click to expand...

You cannot *sort* by the Category field, but in most view types, you can
either *group* by the Category field (in fact many folders have a "By
Category" view built in) or you can use View | Current View | Customize
Current View to add a filter to show items belonging to only one or more of
the available categories. (Note -- in Outlook 2003, it's View | Arrange By
| Current View | Customize Current View. Since you're evaluating Outlook I
guess you're probably evaluating the latest one!)
Are these issues real, or do I simply misunderstand some obvious
things ?

Also, I'm wondering why alarm do not wake up the ppc: is it a bug of
my PPC, an iPAQ? (I understand that it is not an Outlook related
issue).
Click to expand...

Sorry, can't help you on that one...I use a Palm OS device myself.
 
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