Notes on Productivity Home Page

I am preparing to write a series of posts about my 2009 Productivity Toolkit. For that adventure, I've purchased several tools for myself and my team, including the new BlackBerry Bold 9000 some new Lenovo Laptops and a variety of software applications.



I've had the Bold for just 24 hours, long enough to collect my thoughts and first impressions. Here's my 24-hour report card:

Setup/Operation	EXCELLENT
Device Design	EXCELLENT
Screen/Keyboard	EXCELLENT
Use of standard connectors	EXCELLENT
Voice Call/Quality/Volume	VERY GOOD
Size/Weight	EXCELLENT
Navigation/Ease of Use	EXCELLENT
AT&T Coverage & Network (so far)	VERY GOOD
WiFi Integration	EXCELLENT
BlackBerry as Modem	POOR
BlackBerry Desktop Software	VERY GOOD
Task Management	POOR
Overall Satisfaction	VERY GOOD

Some of you may disagree with my POOR ratings.  I wanted to capture my first impressions. I will continue to test and evaluate these and other features of the Bold offering. I simply wanted to capture my first impressions.

With respect to BlackBerry as Modem, I am basing my comparison today on my experience using PDANet for the Treo 755p which has been outstanding (and fast). I gave the BlackBerry tethering a poor first-impression rating given the installation, changes to the system, reliability and speed. I will continue to test this feature and will report back.

As far as task management, this was a real disappointment. The Palm OS Task manager, while simple, is logically thought out and supports the GTD methodology well. Over the years of design and usability testing of eProductivity I have developed a specific feature set for internal-use that I use evaluate list management software as it relates to how I get things done. For me, the native BlackBerry task management support is a disappointment. Note that I was under no illusion that the BlackBerry Tasks would be that great - people frequently lament the BlackBerry tasks in the GTD forums and blogs. I should point out that there are a variety of third-party applications that claim to address these deficiencies. I plan to review some of these in future posts.

I have yet to integrate the BlackBerry with Lotus Notes or eProductivity - I plan to tackle this project over the weekend.

A few things to keep in mind:
1. I have never owned, used or even used a BlackBerry.
2. I have been a productive Treo user for many years use
      (Currently a Sprint 755p with EVDO Rev A.)
3. I sync my Treo with Lotus Note using CommonTime mNotes
4. To-Date, I use the built-in Palm task application
5. I use my Treo as my internet connection using PDANet by JuneFabrics

I plan to expand on my experience with the BlackBerry as a part of my Productivity Toolkit series on the Notes on Productivity blog.