CNET Editors' review
Microsoft Outlook is a very popular way to keep up with e-mail, calendars, to-do lists, and contact information. Unfortunately, it's not very portable; the information on one computer isn't accessible on another computer without some maneuvering. EssentialPIM Portable is an alternative to Outlook that makes it easy to keep e-mail, schedules, and contacts handy wherever you go.
EssentialPIM Portable's portability doesn't come just from its small size. This attractive personal information manager can actually only be run on U3 smart drives. Its interface reminds us a lot of Outlook, and anyone with Outlook experience should find the navigation quite familiar. There are tabs for e-mail, calendar, to-do list, notes, and contacts. All of the program's features are easy to use; it was even quick and painless to configure our e-mail account. You use EssentialPIM Portable just as you would any other e-mail client or schedule manager; the only difference is that you plug in your USB drive to access it and then, when you're done, you take it with you to be used elsewhere. EssentialPIM makes it easy for users to transition from another PIM, with options for importing information from both Outlook and iCal. The program's Help file is well-written and thorough, with plenty of screenshots. Overall, we think that EssentialPIM Portable is an innovative way to make software-based personal information management useful on multiple computers.
EssentialPIM Portable comes as a zip file and is accessible after extraction with no need to install. We recommend this program to all users.
Publisher's Description
From Astonsoft:
This absolutely free PIM can store, manage and encrypt data: day, week, month, or year schedules, to do lists for keeping all your tasks up-to-date, notes (pictures, tables, any formatted text), and contacts. It offers Rijndael 128-bit encryption, MS Outlook import or export, search capabilities, versatile print features, and adjustable contacts storage. EssentialPIM Free Portable is U3-compliant and works straight from your removable media.
What's new in this version: Version 4.54 fixes some issues with data filtering in To Do, couple of AV error messages, and many other minor omissions.
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All versions:
3.5 starsout of 6 votes
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Current version:
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"Close- but not quite"
Version: EssentialPIM Free Portable 4.52
Pros
looks nice.
Cons
Purchase the lastest version 4.52 and found that message rules create a flooding issue. Creating a rule " If From- Move to folder" causes the same piece of mail to be delivered over and over during which time no other mail can be recieved until you delete the rule. EPIM support going on a week now with 2 useless emails sent to me in very poor english with no resolution in sight.
My only choice right now is to not have any rules and move all my messages around to their proper folders manually after they have been recieved into my inbox.Summary
Day1:(from me)
Dear Support, what is causing the error below when I click send & receive ?
> I
> >> am using IMAP if that matters.
> >>
> >> Problem description:
> >>
> >> Unexpected Non-last response
> >> line (i.e. data line) did not start
> >> with a *, offending line:
> >> Return-path:
> >>
> >> Thanks for a prompt response.
DAY3:From support
Hello,
> >
> >What mail service you are using? Does it always happens?
> >
> >Thank you.
Day3(from me)
yes it happens 2 or 3 times a day- however I have figured some things out.
> 1. Epim stops recieving all other email because it floods itself with 1 email.
> 2. The mails only that flood are any that I make rules for.
> 3. My work around for now is to log into my webmail and delete the piece of
> mail that is flooding - Then EPIM starts recieving other mail again
> 4. Problem seems specific to applying rules within EPIM - none of my other
> email clients had this isssue( Outlook, Thunderbird etc.)
DAY5(From support)
Hello,
What mail service you are using? Also, is it IMAP or POP3?
What kind of rule gives this problem? Send a screenshot of its details please.
Day5 (From me)
1. 2.40 GHz Quad Core Processors. CentOS 5.5 Enterprise Linux.
2. as explained below- I am using IMAP
3. Any message rule "if from - move to folder"
4. screenshot? of what? the error message? here it is again-
Unexpected Non-last response
>> >> line (i.e. data line) did not start
>> >> with a *, offending line:
>> >> Return-path:
Again this error message appears when the problem is happening - if I delete
all the message rules the problem does NOT happen and mail flows as it should.
If I APPLY a message rule "if from - move to folder" the problem starts
happening again and I will get the same piece of mail over and over, thereby
stopping all other mail flow until the flood has been stopped. -
"Useless proprietary waste of space."
Version: EssentialPIM Free Portable 4.24
Pros
It's trash, nothing to like.
Cons
It won't run on my memory card.
Summary
This program will only run on a special memory card called a U3 card, made by Sandisk. The U3 cards have a program in a hidden partition that's very difficult to delete. The program installs itself onto your computer whenever you connect the card to a usb port.
I can't stand this kind of crap. Instead of making something that just blooming works, it will only work with THEIR hardware. Sony has done similar things, with their pointless memory cards in several different versions with similar, confusing names.
I'll avoid Sandisk stuff from now on. -
"5 stars for a free product (4 if it was a pay product)"
Version: EssentialPIM Free Portable 4.02
Pros
Free
Photo support
Plethora of fields
Foreign Language supportCons
Well, maybe if there was a little more versatility with the "Edit Field" option it would be better. Haven't found anything to complain about yet.
Summary
This is the most versatile personal information manager that I have found for free that supports other languages. You can rename fields, rearrange fields, add fields, delete fields. Heck, you could change everything around and use it as a database for your CD collection. I am using it to keep track of what name/face goes with what alias for my online friends, it is perfect for that. I am completely satisfied with it.
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"program that manages reminder"
Version: EssentialPIM Free Portable 3.73
Pros
Great
Free
none installation
Easy interface
Useful for bringing self all memoryCons
None at this time
Summary
Program who needs for anybody
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"Brilliant!"
Version: EssentialPIM Free Portable 1.71
Pros
I've tried a number of tools like this one, but this is the only one I've ever got along with. It's so simple. Other programs have tons of unwanted features, making it really complicated just to add a simple reminder, then trying to manage all the reminders is just simply a pain. With EssentialPIM you've basically got 5 sections:
Schedule: Great for making a schedule of all the things you have to do. Allows for day, week month or year views.
To Do: My favourite one, add a To Do, and it shows in the list. Allows you to enter a start date and end date, a completion %, category, extra notes and a date to popup a reminder. Reminders can pop up on the desktop, play a sound, and display a customized message. All these features are optional - you can add a 'To Do' without selecting any of these. They all appear in one simple list with a notes pane underneath telling you more info about each one when you click on it.
Notes: Easy to use notepad - create a new note, give it a name and type into it. List of notes appears on the side and you click one to look at/ edit it. Includes a great rich text editor. Notes can be ordered however you want, includes a search feature and a handy mini calendar is shown at the bottom.
Contacts: Add/Edit/Delete & Search your contacts. Allows you to add info for Personal and/or Business. You can save notes on each contact and a picture. Contact info saved includes all basic name, address, etc, plus extras like website, MSN, ICQ etc. You can also add your own fields if you want to store extra information about them.
EPIM Today: An easy to read overview of the schedule and To Do notes for the day.
Lots of options and alternative languages are available, and it allows you to save and load EPIM database files for backing up data or storing multiple databases of info.
Simple, light on resources, tiny download. Fantastic! Try it :-)
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