I've been looking at getting a cell phone that can handle all my needs, including calendaring.  Well, the problem is I'd like to sync my personal calendar and my work calendar without publishing my personal calendar to work.

I use Outlook 2003 at work (Exchange 2003) and home.

So there are several Outlook sync apps out there, but they all seem to require the use of Outlook categories.  You then select which categories to sync and in which direction.  This allows granular control.  So in order to separate my personal calendar from my work calendar, I have to at least identify ALL of my personal calendar items with a category.  Not so bad to manually change them once.  But I would have to manually set a category for every calendar event I create!  Ah, but I can just set a default category so I never have to think about it, right?  No, the silly problem is that there is no easy way to have a default category set on your calendar items.  OK, so now you're saying "this guy has no idea what he's talking about."  Go and check...I'll wait here.  OK, now onward.  ;)

How on Earth could Microsoft have been releasing this Outlook product and be considered the premier product without such a seemingly simple setting (Set a default category for appointments and/or contacts)?  Apparently, just by never doing it.

So here is:

How to set a default category for all Outlook appointments:

1. Open Outlook 2003 or higher.
2. Open (select) the default Calendar folder or create a new folder for calendar items.
3. While the correct calendar folder is selected, click "Tools/Forms/Design a form"
4. Select Appointment from the "Standard Forms Library".
5. The Form Designer will open the "Appointment" template.
6. Click on the Category button in the lower right of the Appointment tab.
7. Select (or create) at least one category to use as the default for all items in this calendar and click OK. You can choose multiple categories if you want.
8. Click "Tools/Forms/Publish form as".
9. At the top left, select the "Personal Forms Library", then provide a useful name for your form (such as PersonalAppt or WorkAppt) and click Publish.
10. Click File/Close.  Do NOT save changes.
11. Right click the calendar folder you wish to use this new "default category" on and choose Properties.
12. Change "When posting to this folder" to use the form name you created in step 9.  (You may have to browse by choosing Forms...)  Click OK.
13. Now create a new calendar appointment in this calendar.  Note that it should automatically have the category (ies) that you set in the template.  If not you may have not selected the correct form or saved it on the properties window.

This same process can be performed for any pre-existing form type such as contacts, appointments, notes, etc.  just make sure to change the correct folder to use the new form you created. Enjoy!