1 PIM – Personal Information Manager

With so many personal information managers out there available for download what should you be looking at when deciding which one to go for? My advice would be to always see who offers free versions with the chance to upgrade at a later date. Click the comparison tab and see what the paid for version offers over the free version and make sure that the features it offers are relevant for your needs. It goes without saying that they should all offer a calendar or scheduler and a diary but what other features can you expect to see?

No PIM should be absent of a decent calendar

I could list a whole page of features taken from the top software suppliers of PIMs, some features I haven’t even heard of myself but here are a few options that would appeal to me. Does it make use of an email client and contacts list? Can I schedule tasks and make notes? Can I Synchronize it with my Blackberry device and if so does it do it automatically as I am terrible at remembering? Can I send print commands and does it have a CSV import and export feature? Can I link to my Facebook and Twitter account and does it support QuickView?

For me a quick and easy tasks function is a must

One final point which would be a must for me, can you update and work offline and will your PIM software sync automatically for you once you have connected to the Internet? Many PIM’s use a centralized server and no Internet connection means no access. That would be of no use to me, I need continued access even in poor reception areas.

Remember though, these are all features that I would need to see offered in a PIM. If many but not all were available in a free PIM download then as long as they were all available in a paid for version I would need to evaluate which ones I could do without while I assessed if it was the right piece of software for me.

PIM or personal information managers are usually pieces of software that are used to assist the end user in the organisation of their time. Consider a PIM to be a to-do-list manager or a diary to assist your work flow. They can range from quite basic and free to download to being more comprehensive and in depth, paid for ones will usually include functions such as; a journal, an address book, an events calendar with reminders, an area for notes, an email facility and even tasks and event management. Before you go splashing out on a PIM you first need to consider what you are actually going to be using it for. Many of the free to download PIMs offer most of the basic functions, some more than others but it is pointless to pay for a PIM if you are not going to need or use all the functions it comes with.

You will find that many of the sites which advertise a free version of a personal information manager offer both the free and a paid for version as well. These are often the more  popular as they not only provide a try before you buy option but many users find that the free version offers everything they currently need at that moment in time and they can always upgrade later when and if the time arises that they need to. Sites offering any kind of paid for version are often better supported with bug fixes and improved support.