I broke down a couple of weeks ago and got a smart phone. Couldn't afford an iPhone, so I have an inexpensive Android model (LG Tribute 5). So this has splintered my technology network yet further (Windows PC at work, MacBook for personal use, iPad and now Android -- Ugh). Anyway, I've been trying to come up with a good solution for sharing calendars across these diverse systems, as well as note-taking. Coming up with a calendar that works has been a bear. Or rather, trying to find a way to synchronize my iCal (actually, now just called Calendar) with Google calendar has just not worked. So I am wondering if anyone else is in this position and has come up with a solution.

Notes is less of a big deal, as Google Keep works fine. Evernote works as well, but the more I use Evernote, the more I despise it. But I'd welcome any other note options.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Steve Z.

It depends on what kinds of notes you're taking. For plain text notes, it doesn't get any better than Simplenote for cross-platform syncing.

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

I've been trying to come up with a good solution for sharing calendars
across these diverse systems, as well as note-taking. Coming up with a
calendar that works has been a bear. Or rather, trying to find a way to
synchronize my iCal (actually, now just called Calendar) with Google
calendar has just not worked. So I am wondering if anyone else is in
this position and has come up with a solution.

I manage by just using Google Calendar across all platforms (mostly in the Chrome browser, or hooking its feed into the iOS calendar app and Android app), and it works very well.

Is there a reason why you can't switch from iCal (whatever it is) permanently to Google Calendar everywhere?

If you're not finding the Google Cal interface and features sophisticated enough, I can recommend Pimlical (http://www.pimlicosoftware.com/ though I've only used their Windows desktop app for backing up my Google Cal data (as Google seems to delete old entries to make room for new, once you exceed their quota), besides their legendary Palm app.

Diehard fans love the Android app and widget, but I haven't had the need to try them.

But the desktop app is incredibly sophisticated, and since it runs on Java, it runs on most desktop platforms. And it syncs with Google Cal, whichever way you want it (both ways or just unidirectionally).

As for notes, it's WorkFlowy for me (using it in the Chrome browser across platforms, in HandyFlowy on iOS, and the WorkFlowy Android app).

I use Google Calendar. It isn't fantastic: the iPhone app isn't very intuitive and the web interface has some glitches (using FireFox on Windows). But it works well enough and its free. Unfortunately Google has a habit of periodically killing off useful services.

Andy Brice wrote:

Unfortunately Google
has a habit of periodically killing off useful services.

While that's true (and yet another reason to back up the data onto Pimlical or similar), I can't see them killing off Calendar anytime soon. It's at the heart of their ecosystem. It would be like killing Gmail.

Considering that Google is just beginning to branch into the corporate market to attack the dominance of MS (e.g. by corporate versions of Chromebooks, or integrating Android with Chrome OS, so you can use MS Office apps on a Chromebook), they will always need a calendar app to provide an alternative to Outlook.

Thank you for the responses.

I have been trying to avoid leaving the iCalendar ecosystem entirely for two reasons. First, I just like it and am used to it. It works flawlessly and I've come to rely on it. The second reason is that, though it is dependent on Apple for syncing, it lives by itself. Whereas, Google Calendar relies on Google maintaining it. Not that there is a big chance that Google will drop Calendar, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility.

That said, it looks like the only option is to go with Google Calendar, though I'm exploring a couple of other possibilities.

As for notes, I am going to give SimpleNote a try. I can use CintaNotes on my Windows PC, and Tinderbox on my MacBook integrates with SimpleNote.

Anyway, thanks again for the advice. I still welcome any other options anyone may think of.

Steve Z.

I have been multi-OS for some time (PC/iPad/Android phone) and have been using Pocket Informant as my app on my iPad2 and Galaxy Note 3 phone. The primary source for my calendar is Google, but PI's apps initially provided me with a good interface (and at the time I was also using Toodledo which is supported in the app). They have been offering up more features and services that I have not kept up with, but the core app on both platforms has been reasonably good to me. I believe they have rebranded the name of the company, but here is their home page: http://pocketinformant.com/ . It is worth consideration.

Good luck,

--Ken

My "system" is kind of haphazard, and has grown up as I have gone along.
I currently have 4 different devices that I use on a daily basis: Mac laptop, 4th generation iPad, Android tablet, Android phone. The phone is the most recent addition. Up until April I was a flip phone user, then Verizon had a deal I couldn't pass up.
I am at a University that uses Google Calendar or Exchange as the calendar of choice. The medical school(where I work)is mostly Exchange. However, I am more tied in to the Google universe. My daily calendar is in Google calendar, and I also subscribe to several other calendars including a couple of instrument sign up calendars. All told, I have 4 different calendars that I manage in Google calendar.
However, I seldom actually log in to Google calendar to manage things directly. Rather, I have different programs on each of my machines to manage things.
On the Mac I use Busycal. It works pretty well, and allows me to view and manage all of my calendars on one screen. I can also open or close any individual calendar if I want to declutter things.
On the iPad I use Informant. It is from the same folks who made Pocket Informant for Windows CE. I used to use that on an Ipaq many years ago. It works well.
On the Android phone and my Android tablet I am using Business Calendar. I paid for the Pro version.
All of these work well together. I can enter a meeting on one device, and it shows up on all of the others. Likewise, deleting from one device is replicated on all others.
The thing that ties all of these together is Google Calendar. I've found that this works pretty well as a back end for the programs that I use on each device.
The Med School may be pushing faculty onto Exchange. I'm okay with that-I used Exchange along with Outlook at the last place I worked. However, I am not sure how well Exchange will work and play with the devices I already have set up, and I am not sure what a mixture of Google Calendar and Exchange will look like.

Jim

Stephen Zeoli wrote:

That said, it looks like the only option is to go with Google Calendar,
though I'm exploring a couple of other possibilities.

Steve, a vote of support for Google calendar, also for its sharing options. We've been using it for years now at my team and have never looked back.

Dr Andus, thanks for the heads up on Pimlical; I had no idea they had a Linux version. The only other cross-platform desktop calendar I have tried is Rainlendar, but Pimlical looks more advanced.