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KeySuite 2.0
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By Larry Garfield, Friday 8 August 2003  
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Outlook experts Chapura are back, with a full Outlook-in-the-Palm suite. Larry Garfield weighs in, and finds an excellent product... for Outlook users.
The Palm OS PIM applications are generally regarded as well-designed and easy to use, but they're not the most full-featured. For users who want more options, Chapura's KeySuite offers an impressive array of features in a well-designed package.
KeySuite is a set of four independent but well-integrated applications, KeyDates, KeyContacts, KeyTasks, and KeyNotes, each of which replaces one of the basic Palm PIMs. The total size of the suite is a hefty 1.1 MB. We looked at KeyContacts back in November of last year, which has now matured and grown to include siblings.
  | | Ill: Chapura |
KeySuite's main function is to duplicate the plethora of functions and fields available in Microsoft Outlook for Windows on the Palm, and at that it does an admirable job. Nealy all of the features of Outlook are available in KeySuite, and in most cases are fairly well designed. That includes support for over 40 contact fields in KeyContacts, start and end dates for tasks, partial completion, billing time, recurrences for events (the Outlook equivalent of repeating events), and record linking. It also supports Outlook Folders (essentially super-categories), and records can be placed in multiple categories as well. All of that information and metadata propagates back to Outlook as well, and if Outlook is connected to an Exchange server will propagate back to it as well via Outlook.
All four programs are designed to mimic the default PIM apps in most respects, making for a very low learning curve. By default, each program maps to the corresponding button on the device but every screen includes a select box to jump directly to any other program, so users can map just one program to one key and then use the select box to access the others, freeing up 3 hard buttons for other programs.
The integration between the programs is excellent and almost completely transparent, as it should be. Users can link an event, for instance, to the KeyContacts records for attendees, and open each up directly from KeyDates. In addition, the "New" button in each program is a "Combo Box". Tapping the main part of the button opens a new record for the current program, while tapping the arrow next to it lets the user create a new record for any program. Other features include Palm NavPad support and quick lookup and dial from KeyContacts.
Because of all the additional features it supports, KeySuite does not use the built-in Palm PIM databases, opting for its own instead. While that does make it easier to sync to Outlook, and allows for 32 KB memo entries (Outlook has a 32 KB limit on notes), it does mean that users who don't already have their data in Outlook on the desktop will have a difficult time transferring their data over. Chapura's web site describes a somewhat clumsy "loopback beaming" process, but the lack of a simple import function is disappointing.
  | | Ill: Chapura |
We were also surprised by what Chapura did not improve. For example, KeyDates still has all the same limitations on alarms as the built-in Date Book, including a limited set of alarms, limited repeat counts, and so on. Why Chapura would not fix one of the most annoying limitations of the default PIM apps we do not know. KeySuite also does not include an e-mail client, which Chapura claims many device licensees consider "their territory".
KeySuite's main drawback, however, is its Outlook integration. Users who use Outlook for Windows on the desktop will not have a problem, but for anyone else, KeySuite offers no synchronization options whatsoever. According to Chapura's own information, more than half of all Palm OS users sync with something other than Outlook, and those users are essentially left out in the cold. At the very least, an open format to allow 3rd parties to develop conduits to sync to Lotus Notes, Mac OS X PIM applications, or the recently-released Free Software Kolab server would have been appreciated.
Conclusion
KeySuite is a well-built, clean, tightly integrated, solid compliment for anyone who synchronizes his or her Palm OS handheld with Microsoft Outlook. It offers more features than most users know exist, but makes all of them easily accessible with no hassle. That only applies for users who use Outlook, however. Users who do not use MS Outlook need not apply. That is very unfortunate, as KeySuite is an excellent program. It still has a few gaps that we're disappointed Chapura did not include, but on the whole KeySuite is an excellent companion for anyone using Microsoft Outlook.
What’s positive: Features galore, tight integration, Outlook support
What’s negative: Outlook only, a few missing obvious features
Overall: 
Availability
KeySuite sells for $79.95 USD, but Chapura is running an introductory pricing plan of $49.95 USD. The program components are not available separately, and KeyContacts has been discontinued as an independent program. KeySuite is compatible with any Palm OS 3.5 or higher handheld and Microsoft Outlook 2000 or higher for Windows on the desktop.
Conclusion
KeySuite is a well-built, clean, tightly integrated, solid compliment for anyone who synchronizes his or her Palm OS handheld with Microsoft Outlook. It offers more features than most users know exist, but makes all of them easily accessible with no hassle. That only applies for users who use Outlook, however. Users who do not use MS Outlook need not apply. That is very unfortunate, as KeySuite is an excellent program. It still has a few gaps that we're disappointed Chapura did not include, but on the whole KeySuite is an excellent companion for anyone using Microsoft Outlook.
What's positive:
Features galore, tight integration, Outlook support
What's negative:
Outlook only, a few missing obvious features
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| Hands-on impressions, news, reviews, prices and release dates; now all-in-one-page: |
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