Do you ever feel like that it is either Outlook or nothing when it comes to a reliable PIM for Windows? While Linux users have Evolution and Kontact, you never really hear too much about really good PIMs that will provide you with the functionality one might expect from a good Windows application.

Well, it took a little research, but I believe that I have located two outstanding options that you may wish to consider.

The first one looks like an up and coming PIM application. Awesome if you are not needing PDA support, but like so many PIMs out there, missing the boat if you need to sync it with your mobile devices. Speaking for myself, I use a Palm Zire 31 for my Linux needs with Kontact and then my Windows powered Smart Phone w/Outlook 2000 from within the Windows world. Since I have everything set to stay in sync with the other (long story on that one), I needed a Windows PIM that can happily accommodate both Palm and Pocket PC/Microsoft ActiveSync. After scrounging for what seems like forever, I came across a program called MultiCalendar.

Now, I have not set it up with syncing just yet. Yet from what I have seen thus far, this PIM appears to be an outstanding alternative to Outlook nonetheless. Displaying your day with a true modern feel, I have to say this blows the heck out of other alternative PIMs for Windows that I have worked with to date. As a matter of fact, since I have everything backed up safely in Kontact, I might go ahead and allow this to take on my Smart Phone needs. Who knows, perhaps this app will sell me on a new Windows PIM altogether? I mean, it claims to import Outlook data with no hassles and the support for both Palm and Pocket PC appears to be spot on. Maybe I will take the plunge.

What do you think? Should I throw caution to the wind with this one? Since none of the newer versions of Outlook have done a darn thing to impress me, I think this could in fact be the sleeping beauty in the Windows world that I have been waiting for! Guess I will have to take it for a test drive to find out. Well, either that or wait to hear any input that you may have about this software…

Tags: palm, smartphone, pim, pocket pc, outlook, activesync