I have started using Google’s Calendar as my primary means of keeping track of things. I was using Outlook at work for a while, but I didn’t use it very much because I could only accesss it at work. When I decided to move to a online calendar I knew it would be between Yahoo and Google. Here is how I came to the decision I did.

They both have good import/export abilities so importing prexisting calendars isn’t a big deal. Yahoo syncing is a bit easier if you use Outlook both at home and work because they have software called Intellisync that does it for you. It is a separate application that you have to install on both your computers.

I tried setting up remote calendar using mozilla lighting and I got the events to display correctly, but I couldn’t add new ones or edit the current ones. I used the private iCal URL that google provides. I am not sure why this was not working, it seems like it should. It probably is something wrong on the Mozilla side of things becasue I have seen the private iCal URL’s work in other applications.

Here are some good Google Calendar tips. Of note are the Firefox plugin Quick Add, which is quite handy. Also not linked is the Google Calendar module that was recently released that allows integration into the google.com/ig portal. The Google Calendar integration with it’s desktop search program is useful, but I find that I am using the portal integration more. It is possible that people who preffer a different portal would find the Desktop Search integration more useful.

Google Calendar
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Pros:

• Easy to use: Ajax data entry, and all around better UI
• Firefox plugins: Google calendar quick add is quite handy
• SMS integration: Ability to recieve and create appointments on your calendar via a cell phone
• Better portal integration: The google.com/ig widget is very good
• Google calendar API: Allows developers to create services
• Multiple Calendar sharing is easy

Cons:

• Can’t export to CSV.
• Can’t send reminders to email address other than gmail
• Limited outlook/palm integration: google needs something like intellisync

Yahoo Calendar
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Pros:

• Personal url is easy to share: calendar.yahoo.com/(yahoo username)
• Send reminders to email addresses other than yahoo
• Integration with Palm and Outlook: intellisync is really good if you use outlook at home and office or you use palm desktop
• Addresses.yahoo.com integration: Yahoo contact management is superior to google’s (or lack thereof).
• Appointment entry via yahoo messanger, something that gtalk can’t do (yet)
• Integration with Yahoo Groups

Cons:

• New appointments require lengthy form to be filled out
• Not integrated with google.com/ig (my preffered portal)
• Yahoo calendar widget (konfabulator) doesn’t work behind firewall
• No iCal URL link or developer API