Daily planners have been largely replaced by electronic devices.
Daily planners, which include all notebooks with a page or section for each day of the year, can be a useful organizational tool. However, in recent years many people have abandoned daily planners for personal digital assistants, organizers on cell phones and computer calendar programs. There are several problems with daily planners that make the switch to digital an attractive option.
Size
One of the main problems of a daily planner is its size. The smallest models are usually the size of a small notebook and may be more than an inch thick, with larger planners taking on the dimensions of a large book. These planners are heavy and can be difficult to carry in a purse or briefcase. They also require desk space to lay open and write in. This is a key disadvantage when comparing a daily planner to a PDA, which fits easily in a pocket and can be operated with one hand or from a standing position.
Storage Space
Another problem with daily planners is their relative lack of space for storing information. A daily planner will have a limited amount of space dedicated to each day, regardless of how many activities you have scheduled for that day. Carrying over one date's appointments to another date's page can be confusing. PDAs and computer calendars can hold many times the amount of information that a daily planner can, and they can also produce longer pages or larger blocks for particularly busy days.
Search Options
Daily planners are challenging to search in for a specific piece of information. Even the best organized planner with an index or page tabs still requires the user to flip through pages looking for the information. Bookmarks and other page markers add to the bulk of the planner and are easy to misplace.
Backup Options
Daily planners are difficult and time-consuming to back up. Transferring information to a computer required manual typing. Keeping track of especially important pieces of data from the planner by writing them out by hand is laborious and uses even more paper than the planner itself contains. However, this step may be important since losing a daily planner without copying any of its contents can be a personal organizational nightmare.
Replacement Needs
Finally, daily planners require frequent replacement. Most planners cover the span of one year, meaning that you'll need to buy a new model or new insert pages each year. This cost can add up over time, making a high-end planner more expensive than an electronic substitute. The paper and leather used to create daily planners also strain natural resources and end up taking up space in a landfill or burdening the recycling infrastructure.
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