I’ve recently started using Google Calendar and Google Contacts as my primary places for storing events and contacts.  The reason is because it’s an easily accessible location (online) from virtually anywhere - even while traveling with my iPhone and it syncs nicely with my iPhone (from over the “air”). 

At first, using Google Calendar can be a bit strange.  I’m not used to having “separate” calendars for things.  I mean, why not just assign categories or tags like Google Email rather than create a separate colour-coded calendar?  I can understand separating working from home, but how do you separate personal appointments from personal reminders?  They sit on the same calendar, but you can’t differentiate it with colours.  I can see how the calendar separation becomes useful for multiple people, like reminders about my children’s appointments.  I think it probably just takes getting used to - but I am pretty happy with the tool itself and that it syncs properly to iPhone.  Plus, if I get my husband to join on, we can share out calendars and sync with each other.  Or rather, I start slotting stuff on his behalf!

There are some really neat features of Google Calendar and mobile applications.  For example, you can add events to your calendar via SMS or you can have Google Calendar SMS you with your calendar!  Those are neat features, but you’ll have to set up your phone and Google Calendar.

The Google Contacts however, is a bit lacking.  It doesn’t allow embedding of photos (which most applications allow like Palm Desktop or Outlook) and it doesn’t have a very detailed design for personal information of people like birthdays and anniversaries or even a custom field.  I find it’s a bit limited in its functionality, but because it’s still functional and it syncs, I will continue to use it (for now).  You just have to be careful of the sorting of contacts because it will still create entries for people who email you (but you don’t necessarily want them in your address book).

In general, Google is really an ideal tool for mobility, consolidation and ease of use.  They make the user experience amazing and I think they really listen to the users when creating these tools.  Some people may be hesitant on putting private or personal information “online” but truthfully, it’s pretty secure and when will the internet ever stop to exist?

The other option of course is to go mobileMefrom Apple.  This online application was designed for iPhone users to sync their Macs or PCs with calendar, contacts, photos, the works.  However, there is a $99 USD/year charge for usage (with a 30-day trial).  I know a few friends using it and they have @me.com accounts (which is kind of neat).  However, given my current fruggal spending, I am not going to spend $99 USD on a solution when google readily provides one for me free of charge!