Free esyPlanner is a powerful, attractive calendar and scheduling app

Like many of you, I use a web-based app for my calendaring needs. My customers, however, aren't necessarily keen to make the switch from desktop applications just yet - and I have a number who need a good way to manage appointments and schedules from their PCs.

esyPlanner is a nice option. It sports a nice looking interface and provides both a full-featured calendar and Post-It style notes. Create and color code your categories, and set up multiple calendars to keep things like customer appointments separate from staff meetings.

Support for recurring events is excellent. Apart from daily/weekly/monthly events, you can set up "every X number" -- like every 3 days, 2 weeks, etc. It makes marking things like due dates and routine maintenance easy.

The learning curve with this app is kept to a minimum, so it's perfect for shop owners who aren't so computer-savvy. Tooltip balloons let you know which button does what, and they're small enough that they don't get in the way.