I'm happy with Happy Calendar
A good reminder system has been my holy grail. I even downloaded
an expensive international-brand software with the intent of
immediately registering it and getting on with life. It had a
trial period though, and combined with a procrastination streak,
I held off. I'm glad I did. This is a true story.
Within weeks, I became more frustrated than anything, a feeling
sort of like being accidentally wrapped in the telephone cord .
I became more willing to consider shareware PIM's, downloaded the
most lauded one, wasn't thrilled, and then I downloaded Happy
Calendar.
This is the absolute best PIM for individual, non-network use. To
my taste, it surpasses the usefulness of the bulky, more
expensive brand-name offerings. All of the typical features for
appointments, to-do's, and reminders are there, but I found that
Happy Calendar had features that really suited me.. The tab-style
layout also shows the useful option of organizing text notes
separately from the diary entries. Password, sounds, layout, etc.
are all customizable too.
A favorite option of mine is the "Quick Alarm" that can
be accessed from the tool bar. Within 2 clicks you can have an
alarm set, with a dialog box that pops up saying whatever it is
you wanted to be reminded of to your .wav file of choice. I use
mine to tell me when the tea is ready.
On the main screen with the day's events, there's room for notes
or a diary entry, an option I use often. These daily entries even
have a search function, an example of how this PIM fits in some
things that the bloated biggies forget. Also accessible by the
tab-style layout are calendar views by the week, month, and year.
A functional and (better yet) easy-to-use phone book with ample
room for e-mail, URL's, and notes. The browser or e-mail system
is activated by double-clicking on an entry, nicely enough.
Moreover, it has a unique, comfortable, and attractive interface.
The graphics are actually fun and stylish. (I notice this quality
in the author's other shareware. I for one welcome any attempt at
people "breaking outside the box" of the standard Win95
program.)
I highly recommend this program, especially for those like me,
who need it for school, work, and daily appointments and notes
for living, versus for sharing over a network or using as a
business expense-time keeper.