Oh the irony...
My PDA died and can't afford a new one/ I used my PDA only because it was conveient and neater when dates changed.

So, who makes a decent, inexpensive one? Thanks!

Have you checked out e-bay, you can usually find PDA's reasonably there.

Dawn

Well, I'm actually better off with paper. Much quicker data entry. Thanks

Quo Vadis planners are FP friendly and relatively inexpensive. I have Leatherlette 4 x 6 weekly planner that I paid $16 or so. I think there are even cheaper models. I tried to use them but I went back to Palm since my work schedule is regularly irregular I bought mine online but they are available at Barns & Noble and often at university bookstores.
Quo Vadis Planners & Agendas

What's the most you would pay for a planner?

What kind of calendar do you need in the planner? Page per month, page per week, page per day?

Do you need anything other than a calendar in the planner?
- Addresses, phone numbers, email
- Record of phone calls or conversations
- To Do list(s)
- Space to make notes to yourself?
- Pen/pencil loop

- Would something like the "hipster" (http://www.DIYPlanner.com) work for you?

You'll get better recommendations and waste less of your time and the time of posters trying to offer suggestions if you can be a little more specific in your request. Otherwise it's going to be a very frustrating exercise for everyone.

I'm still using a Psion 5MX.

Old but reliable. B/W screen only but it does have a useable QWERTY keyboard and is very programmable. The planner on this gives me every option imaginable. I've also loaded it with Plan5 which is rather useful for project management.

I also use a thing called a notebook (this is made from paper, of all things) with a pen (another weird, but strangely fascinating, device).

I really like the format of Day-Timer's planners. They're not bad with FPs and they provide, IMO, the right amount of space to enter your various bits of information. You can get them a quarter at a time, starting any quarter you want, and they're not a ton of money.

Go to diyplanner.com and build your own.

Really, you can print your planner on whatever paper you like and assemble the pages you want, however you want, in whatever binder you choose. Here's mine, as an example.

I second Sonia's recommendation of Day-Timers. They have lots of options.

When I pull out my Day-Timer and fountain pen, people really think I'm part of the 19th century!

Ron

And yet another vote for Day Timer, doing it right since 1947.

I would also recommend Franklin -Convey (functionally it is the same thing at a higher price), BUT, it is a sold product and the sales people just rub me the wrong way. Not once, but everytime. YMMV

I suggest Planner Pads (plannerpads.com) for those who need more room for notes on ideas and projects than scheduled appointment times. I've used the small size for years to great profit.

Laurence

I'm using the new 18-month Moleskine Planner. Plenty of room for me

I forgot how much I do like the DIY planner, plus you can use good paper.

Checking out plannerpads.com with interest.

MUST BE POCKET SIZED! (sorry, no filofaxes, etc)
Page per week is perfect
I use it primarily for a calandar, phone numbers go straight to my phone, email addresses get saved on googles.
Notes and To Do is covered by a Rhodia squared notebook

Pencil Loop would be nice, but not necessary. I like the Moleskin weekly, but it doesn't come in academic year format.

Thanks

My work supplies me with a Franklin Covey day timer, and I LOVE it. I use the larger Monarch size 8 1/2 x 11. I have never been more organized.

Bob

Had to look it up since Marketing changed all the names, grrrrrrr.

Day Timer the covers are 1/2" larger in both heigth & width than the paper:


Paper dimensions:


"Pocket" 3.5" x 6.5"

"Compact" 3" x 5 "

If you just need the academic year format I would guess you could find it through college bookstores or their suppliers in various styles.

For Quo Vadis follow the link to Academic Year Planners on this page.

You can see online and local retailers here.

Note Quo Vadis is owned by Exacompta, same company that owns Clairefontaine & Rhodia.

I used to use the Franklin Planner. It just got too expensive for me. I tried the Moleskine Large Weekly, but it didn't have enought room in the daily columns for notes. I've got a nice stash of other Moleskines and Miquelrius, so maybe I'll try to make my own. Maybe something like this.....Rohdesign

Or instead, I think I'll check out the Quo Vadis after looking at the Taki links. Those look really good.

I bought a new Palm but I couldn't get into the habit of using it, so I gave it to my wife who needs it much more than I do. I keep everything in iCal on my Mac PowerBook, and would sync it to the PDA.

I started to look for a replacement in paper form, but I was not liking the idea of a third book in addition to my Bible and Moleskine. Then I discovered the awesome printing options I have in iCal! I can print out daily, weekly, and monthly with a bunch of options and sizes. Now I print a weekly schedule along with a monthly for updates, trim a bit off the edge and fold them in half to fit perfectly in my Moleskine.

It is much cleaner than my handwriting, and more efficient. Then when Apple ever comes out with a PDA device I can try again!

If you carry a journal then this might work for you too.

Jason

I have been using the Franklin Covey stuff for years. For short periods I have tried to go all digital, but it just doesn't work for me. Currently I use the Franklin Covey wirebound Compass system with 1 week on 2 pages (classic size). I can fit a whole year in a thin binder. I've found that I prefer my notes in a separate section than on the "daily" pages--so they are all found in the same place. I have their compass daily note pad in the back of the folder for general everyday notes and a small Moleskine for the more private or permanant stuff. Before I bought my last refill I tried the DIY Planner stuff, but after an hour or two of messing around trying to get it just the way I wanted it, I realized I could buy the whole year already together in a wirebound system at Franklin Covey for $15 or so(not including a leather binder.......).

I second Jason idea find the ideal calendar format from your computer and print it.

You can use tiny pocket size binders,

insert your own pages to pocket size Rollabind http://www.rollabindsystems.com/simplemerc...4&pcid=1&lang=0

using their punch http://www.rollabindsystems.com/simplemerc...60125001&pcid=1

Try pocketmod.com.

I read about this in The Boston Globe a few weeks ago. It's a customizable template that can be printed on a standard 8x11 piece of paper and then folded up in a way that you have an 8-page planner that fits into a shirt pocket.

I've been using this for the last few weeks and its handy and much more convenient than other planners I've used.

Hi..just adding more to the Moleskine idea - I had the same feeling of loss AND liberation when my PDA died a couple of months ago.. and I just received my new planner, a limited edition red moleskine diary for 2007. It's not more expensive than the black ones, just a very beautiful bright red

whoa, the day timers are a bit too expensive for me. I scored a weekly moleskin and so far it's making me happy. (well, I gotta wait until 2007 to use it, but..)

That brings up the economy point, that almost no one seems to attend to these days. The least expensive "planners" I have seen, and that is least expensive to the end user as everything has a cost somewhere, are the imprinted advertiser planners gifted out by some companies. You have to hunt for them but they are no cost to you. The best bet for finding them is asking your business contacts.

I have tried numerous planners... levenger circa-- nice system, but I didn't like thepaper. So after I started cutting down the Rhodia paper to fit, I decided that was just too much work. I now use a Moleskine, and use a Levenger 3x5 card for my to do list andplace it in the front plastic pocket. Each page is given a date, and the topic, and the last 5 lines on every page are kept blank EXCEPT for action items that result out of a meeting. Also any meetings with my staff are in brown ink.

This way it solves the orignial problem I had with Moleskin that it was then too hard to find any notes from the past. Alright maybe a little neurotic.

I picked up a 5.375" x 3.5" (h x w) 18 month planner at a local bargain outlet. To my pleasant surprise, it takes fountain pen ink quite nicely.

William

My work also gives me a Franklin-Covey planner, the price is right (department pays for the refills) and I'm the picture of organization and the example of the 7 Habits...

also, the paper is pretty good with my pens

french

edited because I can't type

Interesting sparky--what was it about the circa paper that you did not like? I personally quite like the circa paper, better than I do the moleskine, but then that's what makes this whole thing interesting after all.

Garage Boy - you may want to look at a Canadian Company called Lee Valley.

Lee Valley

They have a system called the Portable office. Harvard Planner - along with a log book. They fold into one another. I gave one of my daughters one for University.

I'm sorry - you wanted pocket size didn't you. Didn't notice that post.

Bill Wood

I use a pocket Filofax

It's a bit on the big size for pocketing, really, but it takes enough paper for plenty of notes, sheets can be moved around to reorganise, it doubles up as my wallet (space for cards and money), and fits my Pilot Birdie perfectly.

I've used both PDA's and Day Timers for many years. I like the largest size Day Timer because it uses standard sized paper. I keep one of those single-page 3-hole punches in it. If I'm handed a memo, etc., I can punch a hole in it and place in the Day Timer, at least temporarily. Fifteen years ago I carried one of the smaller sizes but I filled it up very fast. I've been carrying the same Day-Timer now for over 10 years. I use Outlook on my laptop for the calendar, but like having the DT address book and some required medical documentation that travels with me. Also, the accessories are priced better than Franklin and some of those alternatives.

I tried a PDA at work, but it failed to sync quite often. I gave it up.

Now I use a Franklin Covey 8.5 x 11 cover, and make my own calendars. A word processor makes handy tables; you can make the squares any size you want, lots of room to write, etc.

I wouldn't spend the $$ for the refills; I have to do it MY WAY. :bunny1: :bunny1: :bunny1: :bunny1:

I couldn't find a diary that was set up the way I wanted, so I made one, using Word for the basic format and Excel to calculate the dates, which Word brings in with a mail merge. I then print it through FinePrint in booklet format on A4 so I end up with an A5 size diary that looks like this:



A long arm stapler is useful for this and other projects.

Doing it this way, I can use the paper I want and start my diary on any date I want, rather than - say - 1 January! I can also keep it small and portable by just printing a couple of months at a time, then adding month pages at the back to capture later information:



I've also printed out my Outlook address book in a simlar format, adding blank pages at the rear to capture new details I can update later to Outlook.

And yes, I do have a PDA, and have used one since 1998, but I've concluded I work better on paper.

Ray