VueMinder Lite

VueMinder Lite is a feature-rich calendar that will keep you on schedule, thanks to its reminders and desktop overlay and that syncs with Google Calendar and Outlook and offers you the ability to subscribe to dozens of public calendars of various types.

PROS

Google and Public calendar support: When you start VueMinder Lite for the first time, you’ll go through a brief setup process where you can sbscribe to public calendars and sync with your own Google Calendar. We were particularly impressed with the catalog of public calendars available, ranging from religious and national holidays, to weather and sports, to even scientific and historic calendars.

Desktop overlay: The first time we minimized the main window of VueMinder Lite, we were very surprised to still be looking at it on our desktop. The optional desktop overlay is on by default and is very customizable; we could pick and choose its timespan, show and hide optional panels, resize it, and even change its transparency levels.

A multitude of features: From the moment you set eyes on this application, you’ll know that it means business. In this free version of the software you’ll find features that even paid products don’t offer, such as the ability to be notified not only some time before the beginning of an event, but also before its end.

CONS

An up-to-date Windows 7 installation is required: It’s not often that an app depends on system updates to function, but that’s the case here. If you want to use the software’s Google Calendar integration on a PC with Windows 7 or earlier, you need to ensure that it is up to date or at the very least that it has update KB2468871 installed.

BOTTOM LINE

If you rely on your calendar to keep you on track throughout your day, you’ll definitely benefit from VueMinder Lite. Even if you tend to use your smartphone as your hub for calendars and reminders, the nice desktop overlay that this software provides offers a really convenient and fast way to see what’s next on your agenda.