Problem with Axim and Notes

[gooseduck]

I've posted about this problem before. After obtaining additional data, I am restating my problem for your input.

I am struggling with a problem using Notes in my Pocket PC.
I have a Dell Axim 400/64MB so speed and memory are not a problem.
I transferred my Palm data to Outlook using DataViz Desktop to Go software, then from Outlook to Axim by sync'ing.
I have *** over 800 Notes items *** for a total of less than 2MB of text. I collect all kinds of information such as

restaurant listings, book reviews, etc. so these are not always short notes.
In any case, my old Palm III with only 2MB of memory had no problem with these memos(Notes) and search was lightning fast.
On the Axim, with all these Notes, saving a new Notes with a few words takes almost a minute! Resorting the Notes category

by date or name, etc. takes eons!!!
If I delete all these old Notes files and create new Notes on the Axim, there's no problem with speed. When I add the old

Notes back, at a hundred items or so, the machine starts crawling again. I tried both soft and hard resets several times so

resetting is not the solution.

My questions are:

1. For comparison, what are the number of Notes you have on your Pocket PC and do you see similar speed degradation when

the number of Notes increases?

2. A forum member suggested that the software from DataViz might have added overhead/bug during the data conversion from

Palm to Outlook. Since I haven't had time to re-create enough native-Axim Notes to confirm this theory, I'd like to know if

anyone else used DataViz or other conversion software and encounter similar problem.

Thank you for your help. This problem is a big annoyance for me because without Notes, my Axim is practically useless.

[Samim]

Folders, folders,folders put those 800 notes into 30 or 40 folders and the ppc will be able to deal with them. I think the problem you have is a ppc is not like a palm, it does not like 800 files in one folder. Maybe a database would work for you. I'm not sure a ppc is the way to go if this what your going to use it for. Sorry

Sam

[Double-Trinity]

Folders is one thing... another is this, I haven't really used the notes app, PocketWord is what I use since I have the keyboard for it. It also has the feautres of notes available (writing recognition, etc). You might want to try Pocket Word with Transcriber, or pocket word in Transcriber view instead? but for using notes as a primary purpoes, Palm really is better I believe, a Clie would probalby actaully be best because it has a high-res screen, and uses palm OS5. however, that is not to say there is not a solution for the axim. The pocket word format will take more space, but you will have paragraph formatting, and font formatting.

Palm and PocketPC are toatally differnet mentalities, Palm is focused on organization, and on PIM. Pocket PC's focus is on running applications. They both can do both things, but the primary objectives of each platform are different.

But putting less items into foldres at a time is a plus, since aftre you save, it must load the folder you're curently browser, if it includes 800 separate notes to dispolay all the stats for, that will probably take some time.

[Samim]

I agree, there is not to many things the palm does better than the ppc but this is one of them.

Sam

[gooseduck]

Thank you Sam and Double-Trinity for your input.

I will have to use the Pocket Word format as several have suggested.

My problem is after using the Palm for several years, that's how my memos data were organized on the Palm, that's how things have been working very well for me, and that's what I have to deal with.

I use Outlook when I am at my desk and only use the Axim when the desktop is not availalbe.

Now, in Outlook, I (have no choice but to) use Notes to perform the Palm's memo function. If instead of just sync'ing Calendar, Tasks, Contacts and Notes from Outlook to the PocketPC, I have to sync some external Word files to the Axim, that's not convenient at all.

[mtk111]

I use appointments-calendar entries similar to notes. Use short header in the subject line and reams of paper available for the note. You then can catagorize it, hava a chronological idea when you entered it, can use FIND to search. I used ctrl+f with Palm 3.1 desktop that was with no question the easiest search engine for ALL data entered into the handheld and desktop. Ths is the closest I've found tor easy searching data retreaval of the type info within organizer. Mine was Palm V that did not have notes though.

This may be another alternative,

Good Luck

Mike

AXIM X5 400mhz
Sync Cable
Mitsubishi Phone 5.5 vdc power adaptor
16MB, 256MB CF (SanDisk )
256MB SD (SanDisk) (in the mail)
Sena Case (in the mail)

[gooseduck]

Mike,
Thanks for an excellent alternative! I will try it to see which approach works best. Being new to PocketPC, I didn't know that one can categorize in Calendar.
I agree with you re the Palm's search function. I am not organized enough to remember where certain info is :-).
Outlook is a pain in that one can only search in one type of data such as Calendar or Contacts or Notes or Tasks. Am I correct? I am also fairly new to Outlook.

[mtk111]

gooseduck,

I'm new to Outlook as well since 2/6/03 AXIM delivery. I hope it will be as easy as Palm once over the learning curve. The Find is not broad as in Palm, meaning complete program, you have to search area specific, (Calendar, Contacts .....) BTW it is no longer (ctl+f) keyboard shortcut now changes to (atl+I) go figure. There is a whole new learning curve here. All in all, I thing once "it has trained me", there will be more benifits.

Mike

[JakeRich]

You might also think about putting your notes into a database. HandBase, VisualCE, SDB, etc, all allow you to have a "list" that you can then open to see the data. I have a HandBase database of over 900 items that only takes seconds to open allows cataloging, sorting and then retrieval of the content. In addition, HandBase has thousands of applications available at their website. www.ddhsoftware.com

[JakeRich]

I just looked at ddhsoftware and found a database that has, I think, just about what you need:

Under Miscellaneous, it's called My Life.

"The system has 29 inter-connected HaDBase tables to keep track of the things that matter in your life. "My Life" tracks albums, books movies, plays, DVDs, frequent flyer points, your daily journal, the things you have in your wallet or handbag, insurance policies, bank accounts, authors, your family tree, software on your computer, favorite quotes, bright ideas you have, your shopping list, take-out food orders, your personal stuff, -- just about everything. The program is tighly integrated so as to keep the entry to a minimum. And it can be easily expanded for anything extra that comes along. I have used this myself for about 18 months and it has become essential everyday. Have fun ;-) "

I have just gotten my Axim and I am attempting to port things from my Palm IIIxe.
I am having problems with notes from within Outlook.
I have all the notes from my Palm in Outlook (Notes) and I can read them just fine.
When I sync (last night was the first time I started synching) I get the Notes onto the Axim, but they are all file size 0, and when I click any of them to open them they have about 6-8 junk characters (they look like binary file dumps).

I looked through the manual and found nothing on transfering these Note to my Axim.
I searched this site, and this seemed to be the best match.

I have sufficient memory - Axim 400Mhs, 64 Meg;
All I have added to my Axim is the contact list from Outlook (haven't had time yet).

thanks.

[mtk111]

Do you have 3rd party software installed such as intellisync by Pumatech http://www.pumatech.com/ (free 14 day trial) to be able to sync palm to Outlook?

Good luck

Mike

I don't have anything installed at home, which is where I was doing this.
On my previous work computer I had chapura or chaputa or something installed.

I just had the Palm desktop for home use. I exported (tab delimited) the addresses and notes form that and imported them into Outlook. This worled like a champ, everthing was there and readable, looking good.

The problem was when I synched these notes to go onto the Axim.

[mtk111]

Sorry,

Had Palm V, did not have notes to deal with. 3rd party Free trial software synced all other info perfectly.

Good Luck

Mike