08/17/2010 – We now have a GTD & BlackBerry Setup Guide! Visit the David Allen Company store to get your copy. It’s loaded with tips, tricks and expert coaching advice of applying GTD to your BlackBerry.
A pretty common question we get from BlackBerry users is how to integrate Outlook Tasks with their BlackBerry. For the most part, there is a good one-to-one sync between Outlook Tasks and a BlackBerry device–if your service and server allows it (check with your carrier and/or IT dept. to find out if this is or can be enabled for you.)
If you setup Outlook like our GTD & Outlook Setup Guide describes, you should be able to have that carry over to Tasks on the BlackBerry. The trick for seeing your Task categories is to “Filter” them.
Several of our staff use BlackBerry devices, including presenter + coach Wayne Pepper. Listen to Wayne’s podcast on how he uses a BlackBerry for GTD (16 min). He also wrote about an app he uses on his BlackBerry for quick capture.
I have just recently reverted back to the native tasks application on my Blackberry with the help of the GTD setup guide for Outlook 2007–well worth the 10 dollars for enhancing both my desktop and mobile interfaces. I was using TodoMatrix from RexWireless and loved the cross-referencing between project tasks and built-in context views but as I entered my third month of using the TodoMatrix, my projects folders and context based actions lists grew to the point where it slowed down the performance of my Blackberry Curve 8330 to the point where I hated using it–imagine that! I’m patiently waiting for Big Red to roll out the Tour 2, but in the interim, going back to driving my system with a cleaned up Outlook interface in my office and a more simple, filtered set of lists on my Blackberry has reinvigorated my system to the point where I may not go back to TodoMatrix. Besides, entering tasks from the web-based RexDesktop was always a pain to me. Sound like you’re in a similar situation? Try the setup guide if you’re on Outlook ’07 and see if you experience the same enhancements. Would love to hear from others.
regards,
@walterafable
There is a free whitepaper called “Implementing GTD® (Getting Things Done®) with Microsoft Outlook® and a BlackBerry® Wireless Handheld”: http://www.s4bb.com/whitepapers/
We provide a solution for a flawless GTD workflow between BlackBerry devices and Microsoft Outlook. Check out:
http://www.s4bb.com/software/nextaction/
http://www.s4bb.com/software/nextaction/nextaction-desktop-add-in/
As per a blog post of a few weeks ago, I have implemented:
Windows 7
Outlook 2007
Netcentrics GTD Add-in for Outlok
Blackberry Bold 9700
Now have a pretty robust system – email comes down from the cloud and Outlook sync works well.
Leighton
As an affitional comment, I also have Outlook BCM ( Business COntact Manager – lightweight CRM) also installed. Have yet to sync opportunities up but I am looking into that.
lj
Simple can be best. After purchasing Next Action! from S4BB, I have uninstalled it and am using the native application, synched to Outlook 2007.
Others mileage may vary
rdgeorge