Most of my information is managed on-line. There is one exception to this - my daily work log.
This daily work log is just a simple 7"x5" notebook that I carry around with me when I'm at work. I start the day each day by making note in there indicating the date and I glance back at the notes from the previous day to see if there are any to-do's that I need to move from my notes to my to-do list. From there, it's simply a notepad. I write down the things that I'm working on (I do not keep strict time records here, but have in the past) and I will also use it to take notes in a meeting.
I'm trying use some other tools to supplement the notebook. Specifically, I'm using a little tool that I found from lifehacks, Quick-Log. It seems to work pretty smoothly and with a few modifications, I can easily add detailed notes to the log using the ".LOG" feature of notepad (you can't have a less complex tool I don't believe).
So far, the biggest issue is that I don't always have the laptop available. If the laptop is off, it takes a while to boot, even if it's in hibernation. The notebook beats this by being "always on" and easily accessible. So the Quick-log is not the best solution for me, but hopefully I'll use it enough that I can search for a topic, find the date, then reference the notebook if I need more details.
In the distant past, when I carried a newton Message pad, I did not carry the notebook. There was also a short time when I had a Handspring Visor Prism with a Targus Stowaway Keyboard that allowed me to take notes quickly enough that I did not carry the notebook.
I would like to get back to something like either of those solutions now. It's much easier to search for stuff when it's captured in an electronic form. As for my work log, I can easily browse it by date, but it's impossible to search by topic in it - I have to do a "full scan" any time I want to find information.
I currently carry the Apple iPhone (first generation) and really like it a lot, the addition of a keyboard (bluetooth or via the connector) would let me use it as a replacement for my laptop for MOST of the applications that I need and it would eliminate the notebook.
Maybe someone in Apple will see how much more useful the iPhone would be with an optional portable keyboard and add that as an option one day.
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