If one had to retain only one software among all those presented on this blog, it would be certainly Essential PIM - EPIM for the close friends.

It is about a tool all-in-a which proposes to centralize your personal informations. Your calendar, your lists of things to be made, your notes and your contacts are found thus gathered in a single software.

One calls commonly this kind of software a PIM, for Personal Information Manager. There are some much but this one is with my direction one of more succeeds and convivial, in particular thanks to the enormous community of users, who regularly suggest improvements on the forum.

One of the most practical functionalities is the possibility of carrying out the software starting from a key USB in portable version. Thus, where that you are, it is enough to connect your key USB to find all your personal system of organization.

A little more closely let us see the functionalities of this powerful software

General information

Let us underline first of all that the software exists in free version or paying. However, the free version is sufficient for a basic use. The software is translated into French, therefore not concern for those which have evil with English.

Essential PIM has existed for a few years and now has many functionalities which it would be impossible to quote in only one article. I will thus limit myself to essence (it is the case to say it;))

The first launching

When you launch EPIM for the first time, the software will take care with a base of test, stored in a file TEST.EPIM in the Database repertory of the software:

It is this file which will contain all your information, and which will have to thus be safeguarded regularly not to be likely to lose them.

It will be also asked you if you wish to import your data starting from Outlook or Outlook Express, but you will be able to do it later on with the need.

The operation proceeds thanks to small Fichier > Importer > Contacts > Outlook Express or File > Importer > Outlook

Note that this module also makes it possible to import events starting from a calendar iCal or notes starting from a base TreePad or Keynote.

If you wish to start from an empty base, it will be good to create a base EPIM while going in Fichier > Nouveau.

The interface

Here what resembles the total interface:

We have 4 parts here:

• On the left (in green): the bar of tools of the principal screen
• On the left (out of orange): the list of the modules
• On the left (in yellow): a calendar, to reach more easily the one day in particular planning

• On the right (in red): the principal screen

On this capture of screen, one can see that we are in module EPIM Aujourd'hui. It is the instrument panel of the software. One can see there a apper�u events of the calendar for the 7 days to come, as well as the whole of the tasks to be made and the birthdays.

You will be able thanks to this screen to sail towards the �v�nement/la task wanted in their respective module or to notch the tasks to indicate that they are finished.

Let us pass now to the four principal modules.

The organisor

The Organiseur module is the calendar of Essential PIM. It is the place where you will store all your go and dated events. Here a apper�u:

Here, one is for day labourer, but you will be able to also pass in sight weekly, monthly, annual, or to visualize the list of events in the form of table.

Notice on this capture of screen:

• the codes of color, which correspond to categories of tasks (work, important, personal, holidays, to telephone)
• the symbol clock for the tasks with automatic recall
• the purple square symbol more or less filled according to the realization of the task
• the possibility of adding competitor events or which are spread out over several days

A task is added to the choice while clicking on the button to add task, while clicking in a cell of the calendar or while passing by the Ctrl+Maj+T short cut. Here the screen of addition of a task:

Here, one adds a task Weekly meeting which is held each Monday with 10:30 in the C67 room. This task will be stored in the category important (red color) with a recall 5 minutes in advance. The repetition of the task will expire the 18/11/2007. It is an exclusive task, therefore I will not be able to add other tasks to the same moment.

Things to be made

The module to be made of Essential PIM stores things to be made. In fact typically tasks do not have their place in the calendar, therefore not dated. Nevertheless the originators of Essential PIM chose to give the possibility to the user of adding a starting date.

Here a apper�u of the principal screen of the module to be made:

The tasks of this module resemble the tasks of the Organiseur module in simplified version. One will be able to find in particular there information following:

• Hour of beginning
• Hour of expiry
• Realization
• Place
• Importance
• Category

And of course, they once will be notched finished.

Honestly, I do not use this module, I prefer to use a textual file, Excel or a hipster PDA according to the case. Those make it possible to manage the things to be made more effectively.

The catch of notes

The module of catch of notes of Essential PIM my is preferred. It is besides the main reason for which I adopted this software. Here how it is presented:

On the capture of screen, I framed three zones:

• In red: the tree structure of the notes. You can imbricate notes as many as wish it to you, happiness!
• Mauve: the bar of working of the current note
• In green: a apper�u of the current note

The notes are with format rtf (rich text format), which makes it possible to have a broad choice of workings: police forces, images, bonds, tables. You will be able to even make copy-stick images in the notes.

Icing on the cake: it will be possible for you to import/export your notes in various formats such as files rtf, HTML or TXT.

Thanks to Essential PIM, you put finally a term at the dispertion of your notes. Finished the files txt which trail a little everywhere on your desk, you have from now on a place to centralize them. The module of catch of notes of Essential PIM enables you to constitute yourselves your base of personal knowledge and to easily transport it on a key USB.

This module is inspired by a certain type of software called outliner, among which one can quote keynote or TreePad. And it is more effective than the majority of them.

Contacts

Here another very useful module. It is intended to contain all your contacts:

The interest is obvious: to centralize all your contacts in a single place. Thus, you will not fear any more to lose your repertories of addresses emails by changing messaging software or to lose your phone numbers by losing your cellphone. And you will easily have access to this information on any computer thanks to your key USB.

Let us announce also the possibility of storing the birthday of your contacts and of parameterizing an automatic recall. Or to add a photograph and notes in connection with a contact. For example, one can imagine to note the list of the possible gifts for the birthday of a contact.

Finally, this module is a complement essential to the module of catch of notes.

Some other good points

I will quote 3 other functionalities which make of Essential PIM a software impossible to circumvent

• The encoding of the database: thanks to encoding, you will be able to protect your bases by password. You will not thus hesitate any more to seize sensitive informations such as unavowable passwords, codes or secrecies!
• Autosaving: Essential PIM proposes automatically to safeguard copies of your base. You will be thus safe from possible losses of data.
• The basket: one often does not meet a basket inside a software. But in the event of false handling, you will be quite content that it is included in EPIM to restore the unobtrusive data.

Small more paying version

Because the developers of Essential PIM deserve to be rewarded for their sorrow, I advise you to buy the paying version.

You will then obtain several functionalities advanced rather enticing, quote in bulk:

• Synchronization with Outlook
• Synchronization with Pocket PC or Palm
• Management multi-user
• The possibility of organizing your things to be made in the form of tree
• Personalized categories
• Groups of contacts
• etc etc

Conclusion

Essential PIM occupies a choice place in my logith�que. I discovered this software more than one year ago and since, it does not leave me any more. Only the length of this article is enough to show the richness of the functionalities. Thanks to this small software, I could make a step ahead as regards organization computer-assisted.

I in addition on the occasion to suggest some improvement with the developers via the forum and I obtained interested answers, although at the present time, they were not implemented yet.

Essential PIM is one of this rare software to neat ergonomics conceived according to the user's needs, without to transfer in the futile one. A must!

You will be able the t�l�chager here

Version tested: 2.02

Your comments are welcome

Tags: note taking, PIM, Prise of notes

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