A short while ago I got a new phone. A smartphone. This smartphone contains, as all smartphones, and even a lot of not-so-smart-phones, an agenda function. I have started using this function, and all-in-all it is not really bad. However, I may revert back to the good old paper diary anyway.
A couple of years ago, I have had a PDA, a personal digital thingy (apparatus, assistant, artifact, anything-else-starting-with-an-a). I used the diary function on that thing as well. A disadvantage was that when the batteries of the PDA ran out, all data was lost. To keep my diary available in those circumstances I had to frequently synchronise the thing with my PC. I am not really good in keeping batteries of devices loaded all the time, and I am also not very disciplined in synchronising stuff between various devices. When the PDA was overridden (yes, by a car; the PDA died in the accident) a couple of months after I started using it, I decided to go back to the paper diary.
The smartphone I use now does not loose its data when the batteries go empty. So that disadvantage is no longer there. Synchronisation is still the same story.
I also use my diaries as a sort of, well... diaries. Not only as agenda for appointments. Also to make notes about things that happened. Sort of like a paper blog. I like doing that, and I also collect my old diaries. If I would definitively move to an electronic diary the notes would be in the phone. I do have a special application on my laptop to retrieve the agenda an all notes and such. I can even see and edit that stuff on my laptop. And I can't help the idea about formats that may change over years, having to work with nuts and bolts in later years to retrieve the information. And what will happen if I go to another phone, something that will definitely happen in a couple of years?
Making entries in the smartphone is easy. The thing has a full keyboard. Reading and using the agenda function is quite reasonable. Overviews are a bit difficult. Editing and viewing on the laptop are fine. And still I am contemplating to move back to my paper diary. And the thoughts in the direction of moving back are getting stronger every day.
A couple of years ago, I have had a PDA, a personal digital thingy (apparatus, assistant, artifact, anything-else-starting-with-an-a). I used the diary function on that thing as well. A disadvantage was that when the batteries of the PDA ran out, all data was lost. To keep my diary available in those circumstances I had to frequently synchronise the thing with my PC. I am not really good in keeping batteries of devices loaded all the time, and I am also not very disciplined in synchronising stuff between various devices. When the PDA was overridden (yes, by a car; the PDA died in the accident) a couple of months after I started using it, I decided to go back to the paper diary.
The smartphone I use now does not loose its data when the batteries go empty. So that disadvantage is no longer there. Synchronisation is still the same story.
I also use my diaries as a sort of, well... diaries. Not only as agenda for appointments. Also to make notes about things that happened. Sort of like a paper blog. I like doing that, and I also collect my old diaries. If I would definitively move to an electronic diary the notes would be in the phone. I do have a special application on my laptop to retrieve the agenda an all notes and such. I can even see and edit that stuff on my laptop. And I can't help the idea about formats that may change over years, having to work with nuts and bolts in later years to retrieve the information. And what will happen if I go to another phone, something that will definitely happen in a couple of years?
Making entries in the smartphone is easy. The thing has a full keyboard. Reading and using the agenda function is quite reasonable. Overviews are a bit difficult. Editing and viewing on the laptop are fine. And still I am contemplating to move back to my paper diary. And the thoughts in the direction of moving back are getting stronger every day.
1 comment:
Keep up the good work.
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