OrganizeMe for the PlayBook

Let’s face it; being organized isn’t an easy task. For sure there are a few services that help you keep your life in check, but they seem to be missing a few important features. Since I’m possibly the worst one out there for keeping things organized, I thought that I would take a look at a new application for the BlackBerry PlayBook called OrganizeMe!. OrganizeMe! has been designed to assist in your everyday life, whether you are already organized or not it’s certainly an application that many could find as a benefit.

Features:

  • Many different object types (notes, bookmarks, recipes, shopping lists, todo-lists, packing-lists...)
  • Possibility to create different notebooks
  • Extensive filters and full context search on all elements (highlighting results corresponding to the search term)
  • All data is available offline

One of the intriguing features of OrganizeMe! is it’s ability to keep all your notes, tasks, memos, and more all in one place. Whether you are building a shopping list from your BlackBerry PlayBook while in the kitchen, or you’re online and find a new piece of furniture and want to document it, OrganizeMe! will help you with both. Continue reading to see if OrganizeMe! will help you be more organized in you're daily life.

Developer: Sven Ziegler Version (at time of review):  1.3.2
File Size: 6 mb
OS Requirements: BlackBerry OS 2.0 and above
Cost: $2.99 Website: www.sven-ziegler.com

Using OrganizeMe! is as straightforward to use as it sounds. First off you’ll need to create an account on Springpad.com. Springpad is the organizational service that works in the back-end and allows you to sync everything on your Playbook and desktop computer. Once you’ve created that account, you can now go and open up the OrganizeMe! application and login. From here on in all you need to worry about is how much milk is left in the fridge. Creating lists on OrganizeMe! is as easy as hitting the plus sign within the application, or heading over to Springpad and building your lists and tasks there. 

Setting up and using OrganizeMe!

Setting up OrganizeMe! is actually quite painless. I’ve broken it down into a few steps to help you get going as quickly as possible.

  1. Create a spring pad account – this can be done from within the OrganizeMe! application or via Springpad.com.
  2. Login to the OrganizeMe! application with your Springpad credentials.
  3. Once you’ve logged in you can now start creating notes and more. In the application, you’ll want to tap on the plus icon in the bottom of the first field. This will open a text field to enter in information on the notebook (i.e. work tasks, school tasks)
  4. Once you’ve started a category you will not be able to add tasks, notes, videos etc. to your notebook. This is done the same way as creating a notebook, except it is done in the center column.
  5. You’re now on your way to being a little more organized! Don’t forget you can also create notes and tasks from SpringPad.com and have them synced on your PlayBook.

The Good 

  • Cross platform sync (desktop computer and BlackBerry PlayBook)
  • Ability to add photos and YouTube Videos
  • Account import from Evernote and Google Note

The Bad

  • Not able to upload photos from your PlayBook into a note
  • Slight lag in multi text input fields
  • Constant sync does get in the way of performance. (I recommend turning this off in the settings)

The bottom line

Whether you’re organizationally challenged, or just need a new way to keep things in check. OrganizeMe! for the BlackBerry PlayBook is surely an option. With the ability to import your existing data from other services like Google or Evernote, making the switch to OrganizeMe! really easy. While the benefits of the application can be found throughout, the lag in text input fields can become a pain. The developer has informed me that this seems to be an issue with RIM’s Webworks development on the BlackBerry PlayBook, so hopefully a fix is on its way. I still find the application to be extremely handy. What I started to do today is make all my notes on the computer and have them wirelessly synced back to the PlayBook. From there, I can view the notes while on the go. If you aren't feeling like spending the $2.99 right off the bat to give OrganizeMe! a go don't worry, you can download a trial version here.

OrganizeMe!:
Sven Ziegler

Pros

  • OrganizeMe! for the PlayBook is a lightweight and simple to use application, and the ability to import your data from Google and Evernote is definitely a huge bonus.

Cons

  • While the app is extremely useful the little bit of lag I found in the text entry field can become a slight bother.

The Bottom Line

While I did mention the slight lag in the text field, there are a ton of other features that this application brings to the table that make it worth the download. The ability to import from Google and Evernote make life much easier when migrating to the Springpad service.     More information/purchase OrganizeMe!

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