Google applications

I just started using Gogle’s Calendar application and I have to say, I’m impressed.

For years I’ve been using Microsoft Outlook as a way to archive all of my email – both personal and work.  About a year or two ago I started to use GMail as a way to organize and coordinate my email for storage and writing both offline and online.

Basically, I like Outlook as an email client – which is not a rave review, but suffice it to say, I don’t think the web browser is the end-all be-all application environment.  There’s still something to be said for a fully-featured desktop app.  I would probably like other applications, like Thunderbird or Eudora or you name it – but I’ve used Outlook at every job for the last 10 years and it’s good enough for what I want.

The beauty of GMail is that I can continue to use Outlook when I’m at my desktop or I can use GMail when I’m away from the desktop – either way I still have all of my email accessible to me.  This is because of two beautiful concepts from Google.  First, they store all of my email – no deletion policies (ask me about my cell phone’s deletion policies in which I can’t have more than 50 text messages before it starts denying delivery).  Second, they have a very open policy with POP/SMTP connectivity, allowing the free-flow of emails back and forth the way I want it.

As an aside, Google also does not stamp stupid ads at the bottom of my email (a la Yahoo) and they allow me to send mail using my GMail account but signed from my domain name (knuetter.com).

Well, after wanting better access to my calendar, I decided to follow suit.  I downloaded a Google App that sits on my desktop computer that automatically syncs my Google Calendar (GCalendar?) with my Outlook.  We’ll see how it goes (as I’ve only just recently done this) but I’m optimistic that this is going to work out as expected and allow me to have untethered access to my calendar – just like my mail.

Now I just need to upgrade my cell phone with better internet access (instead of the horrific Verizon internet interface).

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