When I first reviewed the HP 620LX, I alluded to an incredible program that makes any H/PC the invaluable pocket tool Bill Gates had intended. Were it not for Odyssey Computing's Pocket On-Schedule®, I would still be using my old HP 200LX as my "accessory Brain". As with many other Microsoft products, the personal information manager (PIM) packaged with all H/PC units is good, but could be better. Pocket On-Schedule® does just that!

It takes the inadequate, frustrating aspects of Pocket Outlook® and seamlessly imports your existing data into the best PIM that I have ever used. There is even a desktop version for Windows 95, 98, and NT (On-Schedule 97) that coordinates and easily synchronizes with you and your H/PC.

I have been anxiously awaiting the final release of Pocket On-Schedule (version 2.2) for Windows CE 1.0 and 2.0. I encourage any of you currently using, or planning to purchase any H/PC, to run to your nearest computer and download the free 30 day trial versions of Pocket On-Schedule and On-Schedule 97® from Odyssey's web page. If your needs are anything like mine, you will soon find that your H/PC will be more functional and user friendly with the addition features of Pocket On-Schedule®. "Features of Pocket On-Schedule® (not found in Pocket Outlook) include the ability to create multiple phone books, calendars, and task lists (e.g. business, personal, medical, etc.), contact history linking, and the ability to integrate with other Windows CE applications such as bFAX, Pocket Word, Pocket InBox, and Pocket Internet Explorer. For those of you who are not familiar with contact history, this feature allows you to automatically link activities, appointments, phone calls, e-mails and ad-hoc items to a contact record. You can simply click on the Show History icon to see the entire history for a contact or patient. This feature will display a journal that lists all the appointments, visits, phone calls, and other activities relating to a patient and you can also enter notes that describe the nature of the activity. This way, if you are talking to a patient while you are out of the office, you can easily check on the patient history. On top of all that, Pocket On-Schedule is also fully compatible with Pocket Outlook and can synchronize seamlessly with Outlook 97 on the desktop."

The layout of the phone book entries is divided into five tabs--work, personal, phone, e-mail and notes. The wonderful functionality of this format becomes apparent the first time you use it. Pocket Outlook's® contact manager gives you less information, while requiring more key strokes. The phone book acts as to "remember" names, phone numbers, addresses, anniversaries, notes, e-mail and web addresses. In Pocket On-Schedule® and On Schedule 97®, phones numbers will be dialed, web and e-mail can be accessed, and addresses can be seen on a map all at the touch of the screen, or a click of a mouse. In addition, if you use Notify™, by AirMedia (reviewed previously), On Schedule's "pager" field will link to it with a click of your mouse (or touch screen).

The calendar function provides a "usable" Month View where you can add, modify and delete appointments. (The HP 620 LX provides a month view designed for "viewing only", you can't modify any appointments in this mode as you can in Pocket On-Schedule.) There is also an 8 month calendar view (when using "wide screen" H/PC's). The user also has the ability to customize and define many of his/her preferences in all modes. Another great touch is the powerful "Find" feature that searches across all databases on the H/PC. A toolbar across the top of Pocket On-Schedule allows the user one touch access to the phonebook, calendar, task list ("to dos"), search and find, along with links to other HP/C functions.

Both Odyssey products are extremely intuitive and easy to master. There are many features that may not be readily apparent to the user. One can read the thorough, well written user's manual to get full benefit from the product(s), or if you would rather have a visual lesson, I recommend you also order the instructional training videos from Wolf's Byte Productions. Wolf's Byte produces two, 1-hour long videos--one for Pocket On-Schedule® and another for On-Schedule 97®. The "teacher" in the videos is from Odyssey's excellent tech support team. After watching these tapes, you, too, will see just how powerful and useful are these Odyssey products.

When used in conjunction with On-Schedule 97, full updating and synchronization of Pocket On-Schedules' data can be quickly achieved. I have used many of the desktop and palmtop PIM's on the market today, and have not found any as complete, and easy as the Odyssey programs. My only wish is that the Odyssey programs would seamlessly link into my office scheduler. Maybe someday. Pocket-OnSchedule's® lists for $89.99, as does On-Schedule 97®. There is also a special bundle price of $159.95 when buying both On-Schedule 97 and Pocket On-Schedule v2 together. The
training videos cost $39 each for On Schedule™ or Pocket OnSchedule® or $69.99 for both. Once you add On-Schedule® to your HP/C and desktop PC, you will wonder how you ever functioned without them.

4/4 Speculums!

Edward M. Zabrek, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
Technology Correspondent
OBGYN.net