PDA: A WORTHWHILE TOOL FOR YOU? TOC GENERAL DISCUSSION Potential Shortcomings Discussion BIG PICTURE Recommendation COMBINED DEVICES GROUPS OF FEATURES [Needs more update for newer devices, and the "smartphone" combination of PDA and phone.] PDAs offer POTENTIAL of: - portable data (your address book, for example) - portable do lists - data capture, when you have several minutes or more, that is much more portable than a laptop (now including built-in camera on costly models, which facilitates capturing notes and photos on one device) - email All with potential of saving the time you'd otherwise take to rewrite hand-written lists. But these shortcomings: - traditionally require use of stylus (as input precision is needed and a pen might scratch the display face - though with care you might be able to use the end of a plastic ballpoint pen with tip retracted (ballpoint tips can have sharp edges, and fancier pens have metal ends). However newer touch screen technology and software facilitates use of a finger. - or require use of a tiny keypad by some means (the arrangement of the Blackberry from RIM as used on cell-phone PDAs, a slide-out keyboard, a temporary on-screen keyboard display (used by the iPhone for example), or a character writing method as Palm uses (which takes display space) - fragile (get a strong case, such as PocketArmor, iConcepts, RhinoSkin, or Palm - preferably that will not let stylus escape but will allow a portable charge/synch cable to be attached with case on (the docking cradle won't fit anyway, unless you build up its bottom to raise it enough to let the lid clear the desk top). - not as quick as writing a note on a piece of paper (a voice recorder would help (available in a lid or case accessory for some PDAs, built into some others), though Palm o/s 4.1 lets you just start writing a note when in day view. - still not small enough to fit in a men's shirt pocket (a few index cards fit easily in pocket, a PDA is bulkier especially if a protective case is used - unless it is the tiny Rex which is useful for just reading information such as address book as its character entry method is very slow). - dependent on a base computer for loading much of the available application software (some comes in a memory module which more recent PDAs often have). - may be dependent on the base computer for backup (though many have a removeable card you could use for backup if you have the appropriate software) - files are not easily transferable from PDA to desktop. (DocsToGo works well from desktop to Palm PDA, copy & paste from Palm's companion desktop software into other Windows applications works; additional software such as WordSmith may help (it handles RTF file format, which Word and WordPerfect can handle). Yes folks, as with your PC you'll "want" to spend money on additional software for your PDA ;-). Windows-based PDAs may be better than Palm ones.) - copying/synching of address books may be difficult due to limited ability of PDA to accept field definitions used in desktop address book software. (At best it will require detail massaging of the content of export from the software and editting of fields in the PDA - which may not have the ability to add enough fields or handle split fields. See palmaddr.txt linked from http://wwww.keithsketchley.com/pamgnl.htm for my experience with Client Manager 2000 and Palm o/s 4.1.x. - email takes special setup and added modem or built-in wireless (may be restricted to certain providers, newer better units have WiFi), and a cooperative email service provider (though with Internet connectivity and a built-in browser webmail is practical). - Palm's original "Graffiti" hand-writing recognition does not function well (error rate is far too high; some of the misinterpretations are so unexpected (given differences between the characters) that they are difficult to accept as anything but deficient Palm software). I've met people who are much happier with hand-writing recognition on their Sony PDA. (Two products from http://www.shopcic.com may be worth looking at: Jot uses the upper screen and offers flexibility of character shape, Complete assumes what word you mean based on letters entered thus far.) - even with an external keyboard the PDA is slower to use than a PC, in part because some PC key functions don't exist on the Palm. - the display is too small to provide week-at-a-glance display of event identification for effective planning (it just provides a bar indicating that there is at least one event scheduled, but does have some display details at top of screen if stylus is touched to event - hopefully you can hold some of them in mind while viewing others :-). (Month-at-a-glance view does not have that rollover detail capability, it just flips to the day view when you press the date. The companion Desktop software for Palms, to run on a regular PC, is much better though different, so I often use it and then sync to the PDA (with 15 times the screen area it should be better :-). Outlook views may also be useable (the Palm can use Outlook with workarounds for some models, and I'd expect that PDAs using Windows for PDAs could use Outlook. Then you can lay printouts of weeks/months side by side on the desk or put them in a paper binder (um, that suggestion really shows the shortcomings of PDAs? ;-). (I do not have experience with newer devices that can scroll easily, such as the iPhone.) - the monochrome display of earlier Palm models is not easy to read, and in some low light conditions it is more readable with light off ("go figure" - or get an optical engineer to explain :-). (I speak of the improved Palm monochrome display - I must be fortunate to not have used the original version. I suspect part of the problem is high reflectivity of the surface - and using screen protectors may not help.) The colour screen on the M505 has much better contrast than the monochrome M500, even where colour is not used (many screens use dark blue lines and text), and the TX is nice, but battery life may be a challenge. - as with PCs, PDAs take too much learning of user interface features, too much fiddling, and too much dealing with software defects. (For examples see Palm Tips below. The addition of features makes use more complicated.) - they depend on a Windows PC or Mac for upgrading software, transferring files, and archiving. You can run for weeks using a backup card, assuming your PDA supports one, but if the PDA's software gets corrupted beyond what reset can fix you'll need a computer to reload it. With Internet connecitivity you may be able backup to a web site. - they can fail, so consider keeping reset/recovery information with you and using a backup card if your model supports one. Note: These comments are based on my experience with the Palm M500, M505, M515, and TX models, and seeing friends use iPod Touch and iPhone devices. BIG PICTURE A PDA must fit into your use of other methods and tools, including the nature of your activities and travels. Otherwise it will not be worth the effort to learn it and manage it (see http://www.keithsketchley.com/palmaddr.txt for an example of the effort). Perhaps using a Palm and a personal computer is akin to having a small old PC running DOS and a new PC running Windows XP, with different applications, and regularly sharing data between them - the user interface and capabilities are quite different, and only simple files will be readable on the other computer. Recognize it is what it is - a very compact holder of some information, with limited data entry capability, not a pen/tablet computer let alone a laptop computer. A PDA will be of most use to those whose use of it is: - in conjunction with a computer, to transfer data back and forth and print it. - frequently revising lists and schedules (thus not having to rewrite a wad of pocket notecards). - an alternative to carrying a wad of pocket notecards with much information (lists). - aided by multiple functions (alarm clock and calculator, for example - perhaps a dictionary card, perhaps supporting plug-in electronic modules.) - avoiding having to carry a laptop computer (though I'd look at a tablet computer or mini-laptop computer - the Palm is in your pocket so more accessible but is less useful for entering and viewing significant amounts of data due to its small size). You should consider what you may get the most benefit from, then choose the brand and model. COMBINED DEVICES If including the PDA function in a cellular phone, I recommend choosing with even more care than justified by choice of either alone, because phones are not universal - they may not be switchable between service providers (especially those with different fundamental multiplexing methods such as GSM versus CDMA).
That said, combination devices are attractive - I even find the alarm clock and calculator in my Palm and the clock in my cellular phone to be useful.
Electronic modules are available for some models, such as the EOps TV tuner card for Pocket PCs. Some models have built-in cameras, which are useful to persons using the PDA to capture data in the field - notes and photos in one device, downloadable to computer back home. GROUPS OF FEATURES - by definition all have calendar function to schedule events, with associated clock - I expect all have note-taking ability - I expect all have synch-to-PC ability, today USB would be the wired connection and Bluetooth the wireless connection (which may be useable to print without a computer), old units may have conventional computer serial bus connection - lower cost units may not have removeable memory, such as the slot for the popular SD cards (perhaps micro-SD cards in phone-PDA combinations). - audio features such as headset jack, speakers, microphones, text to speech (I expect all can make noise, often for alarm function). - GPS navigation receiver map software (be careful of database quality). - Wi-Fi as used on PCs (with that or cellular phone connectivity as in the combined phone-PDAs you can get email or browse the Internet - well, sort of with the tiny display) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright Keith Sketchley 2011.10.04 Legalities detailed on http://www.keithsketchley.com/ apply. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACK in your browser should return you to the page you came here from.