In my recent change to the Google Android from a Palm, I required two main functions. The second one was to be able to synchronize my Android to Microsoft Outlook. I have been using Outlook as a PIM (Personal Information Manager) for years now, as it's the 'de facto' standard in the corporate world. I was pleasantly surprised to find DejaOffice by CompanionLink.

Being on the Palm platform for years, I became kind of pampered when synchronizing data with Outlook. This really was one of Palm Pilot's strong points. So when I found DejaOffice, it was just the perfect replacement for the conduits from Palm. With the ability to sync Contacts, Tasks, Calendar, and Notes, this is a 'must-have' if you use Outlook. Here's a quote from their site:

Data from the PC sync to DejaOffice, a mobile office application suite for Android. DejaOffice features robust contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes apps that provide enhanced functionality over the native Android applications. Contacts and calendar automatically sync with the native Android databases to allow for full functionality with other apps.

I highly recommend you give this program a try. It's available from the Android page at CompanionLink.

In my recent change to the Google Android from a Palm, I required two main functions. The first one was the ability to create, edit, and view Microsoft Office documents on the Android. I was pleased to see that DataViz, the creators of Documents To Go, had a version for the Android platform.

I have used Documents To Go for around a decade now on the Palm platform. The basic features are the same between the platforms, with a few minor changes. There is Word To Go (Microsoft Word), Sheet To Go (Microsoft Excel), Slideshow To Go (Microsoft PowerPoint), and PDF To Go (Adobe Acrobat). I like to create documents on my workstation, sync them with SyncToy to my Android and then be able to view/edit them when I am away from the office. Plus, you can also open up documents you have downloaded too. (like PDFs). Here's a quote from their web site:

Whether you’re an organization looking to mobilize your sales professionals or an individual looking to increase personal productivity, leaving your office or laptop behind does not have to mean leaving your crucial files and work behind.

Now you can get your work done no matter where you are by using Documents To Go to view, edit and create Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files as well as view Adobe PDF files on your Android-powered smartphone. And since it is full-featured yet easy to use, Documents To Go is one mobile office suite that makes good business sense.

There is a free version of Document To Go, and it's available on the Android page at DataViz.

Note: SyncToy is no longer available for download from Microsoft's servers. The links at the bottom of this article have been revised to third party downloads. For an alternative file synchronization software, take a look at Allway Sync.

I recently migrated to a Google Android and needed a program to sync files between it and my workstation. I had used SyncToy 2.0 from Microsoft on Windows XP (32-bit), so I decided to give SyncToy 2.1 a try on Windows 7 (64-bit).

Once the installation was complete, I created a new folder on my computer to synchronize with the Android. I then opened up SyncToy and made a Folder Pair between the memory card on the Android (via USB cable) and the new folder on my computer.

Clicking on the Preview button will show what files and folders are synchronized, type of operation, last modified, etc. Here's a quote from the SyncToy page:

There are files from all kinds of sources that we want to store and manage. Files are created by our digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, portable media players, camcorders, PDAs, and laptops. Increasingly, computer users are using different folders, drives, and even different computers (such as a laptop and a desktop) to store, manage, retrieve and view files. Yet managing hundreds or thousands of files is still largely a manual operation. In some cases it is necessary to regularly get copies of files from another location to add to primary location; in other cases there is a need to keep two storage locations exactly in sync. Some users manage files manually, dragging and dropping from one place to another and keeping track of whether the locations are synchronized in their heads. Other users may use two or more applications to provide this functionality.

Now there is an easier way. SyncToy, a free PowerToy for Microsoft Windows, is an easy to use, highly customizable program that helps users to do the heavy lifting involved with the copying, moving, and synchronization of different directories. Most common operations can be performed with just a few clicks of the mouse, and additional customization is available without additional complexity. SyncToy can manage multiple sets of folders at the same time; it can combine files from two folders in one case, and mimic renames and deletes in another case. Unlike other applications, SyncToy actually keeps track of renames to files and will make sure those changes get carried over to the synchronized folder.

I have used SyncToy over the years without any issues and recommend it to anyone who needs to synchronize files between devices. SyncToy runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and comes in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. For more information on SyncToy, follow the links below.

SyncToy - 32-bit version

SyncToy - 64-bit version

With the purchase of Palm by HP, I am reminded that the Palm Pilot is dead. For years I had been using a Palm Pilot, starting with a Vx, then an M505, and finally a TX. It was all of the applications available for the Palm OS platform that keep me there. So when my cellular phone provider, Verizon Wireless, had a great deal on a Google Android, I decided to go for it.

Palm TX and Google Android side by side (vertical and horizontal views)

The first thing I had to look at was getting the same functionally from the Android as I did from the Palm. I started with the existing applications I used on the Palm. Sure enough, Dataviz, creators of Documents To Go, had a version for the Android. It has almost all of the same functions as the Palm version.

Next was synchronizing Microsoft Outlook with the Android. I was using the conduits in the Palm Desktop to sync with Outlook, so I had to look around to see what I could find. I came across CompanionLink, makers of DejaOffice. It has all of the same functions as the Palm conduits.

And last but not least, since the SD card in the Android appears as a removable disk in Windows 7, it is just a matter of synchronizing between the two. For this, I am using SyncToy 2.1 from Microsoft to work just right for me.

Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts (based on Windows 7)

Press	To
	Open or close the Start menu
+ Pause	Display the System Properties dialog box
+ D	Display the desktop
+ M	Minimize all windows
+ Shift + M	Restore minimized windows to the desktop
+ E	Open Computer
+ F	Search for a file or folder
Ctrl + + F	Search for computers (if you're on a network)
+ L	Lock your computer or switch users
+ R	Open the Run dialog box
+ T	Cycle through programs on the taskbar
+ number	Start the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number. If the program is already running, switch to that program
Shift + + number	Start a new instance of the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Ctrl + + number	Switch to the last active window of the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number
Alt + + number	Open the Jump List for the program pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number
+ Tab	Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D
Ctrl + + Tab	Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D
Ctrl + + B	Switch to the program that displayed a message in the notification area
+ Spacebar	Preview the desktop
+ Up Arrow	Maximize the window
+ Left Arrow	Maximize the window to the left side of the screen
+ Right Arrow	Maximize the window to the right side of the screen
+ Down Arrow	Minimize the window
+ Home	Minimize all but the active window
+ Shift + Up Arrow	Stretch the window to the top and bottom of the screen
+ Shift + Left Arrow or Right Arrow	Move a window from one monitor to another
+ P	Choose a presentation display mode
+ G	Cycle through gadgets
+ U	Open Ease of Access Center
+ X	Open Windows Mobility Center