Autumn 2011 | p2p Magaz i ne |
21
Tradition versus
technology
Have iPhones and smartphones, iPads and tablets,
heralded the demise of the more traditional paper-based
diaries and planners?
OPINION
The traditional paper planner, with its
fnite number of pages, space and time
frame, is being challenged with the
electronic diary, but which is better?
Just like the paper version, an
electronic diary stored on a computer,
allows the user to browse, mark and
enter appointments. But, unlike a paper
diary, the computer automatically adds
extra room for each day, or new pages
when needed; retains copies of diaries
from previous years and reminds you via
an audible alarm, in advance of meetings
and appointments.
Perhaps the most important
advantage of an electronic diary over a
paper one is in its ability to be shared
across the network. Meeting times can
be found, arranged and confrmed for any
number of people, all from the computer,
a feature which increases effciency and
saves both time and resource.
While it’s fair to say that electronic
diaries held on desktop computers
are not as portable as paper diaries
– handheld smartphones (which can
be linked to Outlook etc.) are. These
technologically-advanced palm-sized
products help to keep us organised while
on the move – they let us take notes,
store phone numbers, manage to-do lists,
keep track of calendars, listen to music,
and there are thousands of apps that you
can install to make them an even more
valuable (and often distracting) tool.
Size matters here as well – today, even
laptops and netbooks can be smaller than
some paper planners, particularly when
you consider the quantity of information
they can store, plus, all of the information
can be backed up, which isn’t the case
with a paper-based system.
But despite all of this, the paper
planner does still have its advantages
and is this writer’s preferred choice. My
paper planner doesn’t have to plugged
in or synched, I don’t have to dig out
cables, re-boot the address book or virus
scan my diary – the battery never goes
fat and I can doodle away to my heart’s
content.
Accessing my calendar at the fip of a
paper page is a lot faster than switching
on my PC or tapping buttons on my
iPhone. I can make notes, highlight key
appointments and colour code entries if
I so wish and I don't have to worry about
whether the information has been saved
or not – the evidence is
right in front of me, in
my own (sometimes
illegible)
handwriting.
I never lose data, my diary doesn’t
freeze on me or mysteriously shut
down, and it’s a lot easier to read (bad
handwriting aside). Plus, technology costs
- with a paper planner I don’t have to
worry about being landed with a huge bill
when it ‘expires’ or becomes obsolescent
– a refll diary costs much much less than
a new smartphone or laptop.
So, for all paper-based planner
stalwarts, P2P recommends checking out
www.paperblanks.com
,
www.collinsdebden.co.uk
,
www.letts.
co.uk
,
www.hamelinpaperbrands.
co.uk
and
www.flofax.co.uk
, for
a great range of 2012 diaries,
desk diaries and personal
diaries, personal organisers
and address books, in a wide
range of sizes and styles.
www.binfo.co.uk