My Contacts are divided into Business, Personal, and a very few Unfiled (the few services which don't neatly fall into either category, like Palm's tech-support contact info). I just haven't felt the need to subdivide more than that (nor, for that matter, have I felt the need to aggregate doctors or family or such).

As for Memos, they're all over the map. Generally the rule is "stuff I want with me when I'm not near my computer." So, to that end, I have lists of books I want; videos I might like to rent sometime; albums I have (and their condition, so I can buy a better one if I see it at the used-record store); restaurants I want to try (with addresses and perhaps recommended dishes); etc. I have quotes; a note on what keys to press to switch on the lights at work; encrypted lists of accounts and IDs for places where I don't have 'em memorized yet (I use a separate software package for encryption). There also are a few bits of info I've encountered which I'll remove as soon as I sync to my computer and put them in a more appropriate place. Categories here are Business and Personal; just haven't needed to organize differently.

Tasks is where I make the biggest differentiation. My categories there are Business, LTPM (my particular group at work), Personal, and a category for tasks for my food co-op (at which I am on a Board) and one for another social organization in which I'm an Officer.

Tasks receive priorities based on when they need to be done. Priority 1 has to be done today or maybe tomorrow. Priority 2: do them soon. Priority 3: whenever. Priority 4: maybe someday, but some time element is associated with them (seasonal activity, etc.). Of course, priorities can change with time. "Buy snow shovel" can be a 3 until about October, when it needs to become a 2.

While Tasks can have due dates, many times I will want to mark some time in my schedule to work on that task (calls, shopping, taxes, etc.), so I will put a Priority 1 or 2 Task on my calendar instead. I won't duplicate the entry.

There are third-party programs you can buy for your Palm that work off the internal Calendar/Tasks/Contacts list but present the information differently and offer attractive features. For example, a program called Datebk5 offers a floating to-do that automatically assigns itself to the next day if you don't check it off today. Other programs are better at connecting Contacts with events or presenting your Calendar in more flexible formats.

I use a program called Month.Planner, which I've liked very much. I'm currently trying a program called TMP to see if I like it better. There is quite a selection out there, at prices that range from free to around $60. Let me know if you'd like additional help in identifying worthwhile programs to try.

I have a few more divisions in my palm than you seem to-
contacts I have them split up into local businesses that have directions and numbers *just like you do. I also have Husband's family, my family, medical people, and a section for passwords etc. (Not top secret ones but like for webpages where you sign in or for club memberships etc)

In my tasks I have split them up into different catagories
gifts- I list people under that with a note about what I have bought so far or what I think they might like or what I am looking to buy that person. House goals- here is where I list my wishes for the house- gazebo, landscaping, or types of plants I want to try for the year. I have a daily section that I list my to do list that is current. I have paid for a program titled redo. It pops things into each catagory as I have scheduled them - so each wednesday in my daily section a task titled garbage shows up. This has been great for those repeating things- birthdays, garbage day, yearly appts. I have a John section that lists the things I want to bug him into doing when he has some time. OF course, my to do list for him is different than his to do list but it is those nagging little things that I think he should/could do that I don't like to do and I just keep it as a reminder to myself that I don't want to forget to ask him to pull down something out of the attic for instance when he has a minute. I also have one for notes to myself- books to buy, movies to rent etc.

I don't use memos and maybe I should but it just seems that tasks and calender can cover everything I want.

Ginger

Here are some of mine:
Contacts Categories
Friends
Family
Mustangs (Girls softball team)
Services (Cleaning man, electrician, garage door, etc)
Medical (Doctors, Dentist, HMO data, Hospital, etc)
Temporary (Probate attorney-hate him)
Explore (Places and things that I want to try Ex: Furniture store in Orlando)

Memos Categories:
How to-Work (Ex: How to order passwords for new employees)
How to-Technical (Ex: How to download a file that won't open)
How to-House (Ex: How to set sprinkler timer)
Best Products (Product reviews that I have read and want to try Ex: Reese peanut butter)
House Measurements (Ex: Air Conditioner filter sizes)

contacts:
personal, work, health, service

memos:
vital, shopping, financial, wish list

Task list
Out
Home
work

I also have a program called DateMate that tracks birthdays and anniversaries and reminds me a few days in advance.
plus i added velcro to a wallet and keep my pam there with all my cards and money, makes keeping track of purchases with pocket money really easy

Thanks for sharing, all.

Steve, as you mentioned in another thread, one of the best features about the Palm is the search function. Sometimes there are too many categories and you can't remember where you "filed" something -- BUT, very easy to retrieve. I haven't yet utilized the Priority feature, maybe because while I know that it is a 1-5 scale (most to least important), I never thought about the numbers in terms of a time frame. Thanks for explaining your methods. Good ideas!

I try to simplify the categories, the fewer the better. (I used to have separate "Family" categories in Contacts, but neither DH nor I have a large family, so I just combined them.)

Dayenu, great Palm wallet! When I owned the m105 I had a great Palm "glove", taking up very little extra space. I now have the Zire which came with a hard case, but more bulky than the glove, so sometimes my Palm goes unprotected. I love your option!

Mustangs, I like your EXPLORE category. Looks like I will be able to merge some of my categories and call it EXPLORE.

Ginger, may I steal "House Goals"? I have (paper) file folders for each room that I stash notes and ideas into -- but jotting them on the road will be a help too! You should explore the Memo feature.

As far as adding on programs, I haven't found the need, really. Events/occasions are entered with an alarm and a repeat.

I do wish that when printing out a "Day" view it would print out the whole day (maybe in 15-minute increments, the way Outlook does) instead of just the times where you have appointments listed. That way you can look at your day (and appointments) then plan how to fill the time in-between.

Thanks again!

Maura