Calendar App: Which one?

[MacNoobGuy]

Hi all, I need a cross-platform app, one that runs on Windows and Mac OSX and iOS devices. I know Apple has their own calendar app, but I don't want something that'll lock me into a platform. I just want to be able to write notes on dates coming up.

I have Evernote and it's great, but I don't think it supports a calendar app.

Thank you!

 

[Jessica Lares]

Any reason not to use the iCloud.com website when you're on Windows?

 

[Dark Dragoon]

The built in Calendar app works with a variety of servers/services (standard CalDAV).

Do you really need a cross platform calendar application, or do you need a service which various calendar applications on different platforms can synchronise with?

 

[MacNoobGuy]

I just need something that I can run on Windows/iOS/Mac so that I can switch if my Mac or Windows machine dies.

 

[petvas]

I just need something that I can run on Windows/iOS/Mac so that I can switch if my Mac or Windows machine dies.

You could use iCloud on windows and Mac. Have a look here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1455?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Of course you could use a hosted Exchange account that works on almost any platform, or use Gmail.

 

[MiesVanDerRobot]

I use iCloud as my calendar service, Sunrise on iOS, and Fantastical on OSX. When on Windows, I just use iCloud.com.

But if I were really determined to have a desktop app interface from Windows, I'd install iCloud Control Panel for Windows and use Outlook.

 

[robgendreau]

Since you wanna share all over the place, first look at what "cloud" you want to host your stuff online. There are tons, from freebies like Google to paid services to iCloud, which you sorta pay for (depending on storage, etc). I find iCloud to be horrible, but that's me; I prefer Fruux. But YMMV.

Then, once you select a service, select the client to access that service. There are some things that access many different services, some only one. Again, I like Fruux because it's basic caldav and carddav, which can be accessed by lots of clients like Fantastical. But you could also go the Outlook route if you choose to use a cloud service that's more compatible with that, say if your work used Outlook and an Exchange server.

And there are some cross platform applications that work at least on different desktop OSes, Lightning by Mozilla eg.

 

[MacNoobGuy]

Right, I haven't been able to find something cross-platform.

 

[Dark Dragoon]

Right, I haven't been able to find something cross-platform.

Why bother, surely it's the actual data which needs to be available cross platform, not the application itself.

So if you want someone else to host the data, for example:
- iCloud
- Google
- Microsoft probably supports it via their services

Or you can host it yourself, for example:
- OS X Server
- Microsoft Exchange
- ownCloud
- Baïkal
- Radicale

Then you just use whatever application you like on each platform,
as the application itself doesn't really matter as long as it supports the service e.g. calDAV.
It doesn't make sense to use the same application on each platform.

As a bonus many of these services either hosted by someone else or self hosted can be setup with access via web browser as well.

 

[ScottNWDW]

I primarily use the built in calendar with iCloud. I do use BusyCal 2 on the Mac a lot and on iOS I also use Pocket Informant. On the rare occasion I use a PC, iCloud.com works great, and Outlook also syncs with it as well.

 

[robgendreau]

Right, I haven't been able to find something cross-platform.

Um, check out Microsoft Office. Cross platform. Or Thunderbird/Lightning: cross platform.Rainlendar.

But again, it doesn't matter much. There aren't many because most all calendaring is done via a service in the cloud, so you can pick any of numerous iOS, Windows, MacOS, Linux or whatever clients.

 

[MacNoobGuy]

Why bother, surely it's the actual data which needs to be available cross platform, not the application itself.

So if you want someone else to host the data, for example:
- iCloud
- Google
- Microsoft probably supports it via their services

Or you can host it yourself, for example:
- OS X Server
- Microsoft Exchange
- ownCloud
- Baïkal
- Radicale

Then you just use whatever application you like on each platform,
as the application itself doesn't really matter as long as it supports the service e.g. calDAV.
It doesn't make sense to use the same application on each platform.

As a bonus many of these services either hosted by someone else or self hosted can be setup with access via web browser as well.

Alright, thanks for your reply.

Hosting the data myself seems a bit overkill...

 

[sixrom]

Although I have an iCloud account, I find Google far better, faster & reliable across the various platforms I use. They're also much more progressive, constantly adding useful features & benefits. In addition, the businesses I collaborate with are all Google based.