default time zone for new calendar entries

[georgmuench]

Problem:

I constantly travel between East Coast and Europe. The default time
zone for new calendar entries remains East Coast. Is there a way to
tie this default time zone to the time zone currently set on my
computer? What I would like to happen is that when I change my current
time zone I automatically change the default time zone of Entourage.
Is that possible?

Tx

 

[Diane Ross]

I constantly travel between East Coast and Europe. The default time
zone for new calendar entries remains East Coast. Is there a way to
tie this default time zone to the time zone currently set on my
computer? What I would like to happen is that when I change my current
time zone I automatically change the default time zone of Entourage.
Is that possible?

There are three ways you can correctly handle time zone changes in Entourage
X and 2004:

€ Leave everything alone and live with the system's time not jiving with
your current location

€ Adjust the time zone in Date & Time and change the _default_ time zone
for new calendar events in Entourage's prefs

€ Adjust the time zone in Date & Time and manually specify the time zone of
the event on a per-event basis

(user's comments) I prefer the last option. In case you weren't aware of
this functionality, you can assign a time zone to any event. With the event
window open click on the Options button at the far right-end of the window's
toolbar and pick a time zone from the Time Zone menu. Alternatively you can
choose the time zone from an appropriately named item in the "Event" menu
which appears when you have a calendar even window front most.

Comes in very handy when, for example, you're in Los Angeles trying to
schedule an event that will be occurring in Rome. Instead of trying to add
nine hours to the time of the event so that you enter it correctly in the
event window, just enter the time local to Rome and then set the event's
time zone to "Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna".

 

[georgmuench]

Diane, thanks a lot. I am working with your last option currently and
it does work. However, when I'm in Europe, I occasionally forget to
change the time-zone to Europe on a per-event basis, so I was
wondering whether there is a way that changing the date&time would
automatically change the default time zone in entourage prefs. I guess
not. Tx, George

 

[Keysaw]

There are three ways you can correctly handle time zone changes in Entourage
X and 2004:

€ Leave everything alone and live with the system's time not jiving with
your current location

€ Adjust the time zone in Date & Time and change the _default_ time zone
for new calendar events in Entourage's prefs

€ Adjust the time zone in Date & Time and manually specify the time zone of
the event on a per-event basis

(user's comments) I prefer the last option. In case you weren't aware of
this functionality, you can assign a time zone to any event. With the event
window open click on the Options button at the far right-end of the window's
toolbar and pick a time zone from the Time Zone menu. Alternatively you can
choose the time zone from an appropriately named item in the "Event" menu
which appears when you have a calendar even window front most.

I too have been very frustrated with the time zone handling. It would
be nice if there was a time zone popup right next to the time entries
so the user is always aware of which time zone is getting entered.

AND it would be nice if the default was the computer's time zone. When
I change the time zone on my computer, I expect all applications to
pick that up automatically, yet Entourage ignores it. I usually end up
scheduling a meeting or two before I get it right, sending a lot of
meeting updates and cancellations.

Oh well, another case of Microsoft getting the user interface 90%
right, but claiming 100%. Don't they ever do user testing on things?

Keith

 

[Diane Ross]

Oh well, another case of Microsoft getting the user interface 90%
right, but claiming 100%. Don't they ever do user testing on things?

Microsoft does use the Feedback to help decide features to add to Entourage.
One of the hardest concepts for me is understanding the time frame for
adding new features. Bill Smith wrote about this in this blog article:

Office 2008 is in beta‹what does this tell us?

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2007/05/office_2008_is_in_betawhat_doe.html>

How to send feedback: Under Help in the Entourage menu bar select "Send
Feedback on Entourage" to request this feature, or click on this direct link
to enter Mac Product Feedback:

<http://www.microsoft.com/mac/default.aspx?pid=feedback>

 

[Diane Ross]

Diane, thanks a lot. I am working with your last option currently and
it does work. However, when I'm in Europe, I occasionally forget to
change the time-zone to Europe on a per-event basis, so I was
wondering whether there is a way that changing the date&time would
automatically change the default time zone in entourage prefs. I guess
not. Tx, George

You might be able to do this with an AppleScript, but it might just be
easier to create a task to remind you.

 

[Lynda_Dean]

Is it possible to change the default time zone? That is what I really need to do but I don't know how

Lynda Dean

 

[Diane Ross]

Is it possible to change the default time zone? That is what I really need to
do but I don't know how

System Preferences --> Date & Time --> Time Zone tab.

You'll find System Preferences under the blue Apple in the Menu bar.