RE: A PDA in every pocket?

["Joe Malin" <jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com>]

I have a PDA and a cell phone. I suppose I could get by with just a cell
phone, but I'm too used to the PDA.

I started with PDAs in my previous career as an international product
manager. I found that I could not keep track of phone numbers, tasks,
and so forth in a paper organizer. For a short time I used a laptop,
until I tried to retrieve someone's phone number while buzzing through
the streets of London in an overcrowded taxicab.

When I reached home, I immediately purchased a PalmPilot. Since then
I've had a Palm, Palm III, Handspring Vizor, and currently have a Sony
Clie. This only proves that I love my toys...

I have lots of information crammed into my Clie. I do lots of stuff
outside of work, including STC, clubs, and so forth. The PDA serves as
offloaded memory; I don't have to keep track of appointments or to-dos
in my head. I can store useful bits of information in it (and securely)
as well as the phone number of just about everyone I've ever met,
restaurants I've used, yadayadayada.

Some other kewl things I use it for:
* restaurant bill calculator.
* Pocket Quicken; record my expenses as I transact 'em and transfer them
automatically to Quicken.
* HandyShopper; a neat electronic grocery list
* Shadow: electronic checklist means I usually don't leave stuff at home
when I'm on a camping/biking/skiing 
  trip.
* AccountManager: always have all my ids, passwords, etc.
* Conv-It: converts units for all sorts of wonderful stuff.
* SmartList To Go: lots of little databases of stuff, including books,
music, doctor bills
* MPG: track mileage and gas mileage for my vehicles
* Games
* Emergency flash memory/Map storage. I can download GIFs and JPGs to
it, which means I can carry around maps
  to my favorite places.
* Hebrew calendar: *When* is Hanukah again?

Pros:
* Instant on
* Lightweight
* Mucho free software
* Handwriting recognition: I've got big hands. Ever tried to type while
crammed into a taxi?
* Audible alarms
* Synchronization: always have a backup somewhere

Cons:
* Sony not only discontinued *this model*, it discontinued the Clie
entirely.
* Palm PDA fading into the sunset
* Small screen
* YARED (Yet Another Rechargeable Electronic Device): I now have to
carry a power strip with me when I go anywhere.
* Keeping synchronized among three computers, a cell phone, and a PDA; I
need my own IT person!

JOe


Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com 
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.	

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-techwr-l-216553 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:bounce-techwr-l-216553 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of
mlist -at- safenet-inc -dot- com
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2005 12:41 PM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: A PDA in every pocket?


Over in the "Blogs replace newsletters" thread, Bill Swallow
noted:

> I read blog content unplugged as well as when plugged in. Have 
> Bluetooth PDA, will travel. ;-)

This raised a question in my little brain:
Do most of the rest of y'all have PDAs?  What is your primary usage of
them? What are you hoping for, technology-wise that would prompt you to
switch from PDA to handheld PC, or from handheld PC to... what?
Or are you fully satisfied with the current state of the beast? 


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