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There's some good discounts on PDA's around now. Anyone use one for their to-do list, schedule, etc...? Not sure if it would be more work than the old fashioned way or if it might help me keep all my lists more organized and in one place. (I was looking at the Sony peg-s320)
-------------------- Alan Dearborn Dearborn Graphics Hampton, NH USA Posts: 271 | From: NH USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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Alan, I was never able to make the paper organizers (Daytimers, etc) work. I had good luck with computer based organizers except that the computer was always at the store and I was always somewhere else. I had a Palm III which survived driving over it with the company truck, and which was then stolen when I left it in a public place. Now I have an M100 which is inexpensive and looks to be more fragile than the Palm III.
People who are good with paper organizers tend not to like the PDA's. A good paper organizer is faster to use if you have the discipline to maintain it. On the other hand the PDA is smaller and easier to carry around, is easily backed up to your computer in case it is lost, and keeps track of things like birthdays and anniversaries forever without the copying everything forward required by manual systems.
I use the PDA for long term things like telephone lists, tax reporting deadlines, tech specs that I can't remember (how many millimeters in an inch, for instance),and appointment scheduling. I think a spiral notebook is still the best way to keep track of daily and weekly activity.
Hope this is helpful to your decision process. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA
Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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For my pocket, I carry a Sharp electronic organizer. It was like $20.00 or $25.00 at Walmart. It holds everything I need it to - calendar/schedule, To Do/Anniversary, Telephone Lists, Memos, Daily Expenses, Clock, and Calculator.
For my bag (that I also take with me in my truck), I carry a Sharp Mobilon Tripad. Don't ask me why everything is "Sharp", it just turned out that way. Anyway, it is a handheld computer, with spreadsheet, word processer, and data base capabilities. It also has the calendar and organizer functions, but those are easier to keep on the pocket organizer. I built my own pricing spreadsheets for sign work, sublimation, and screenprinting, so it's great to have the ability to quote "on-the-fly". And it works like a notebook, too, if you ever needed to jot down notes (it has a "touch screen" and comes with a stylus). It has a lot of functions that I don't use, but can't see working without it.
Anyway, I think they make life and work easier.
Have a great one. Randy
-------------------- Randy Graphic Details Promotional Merchandise Distributor South Glens Falls, NY
Posts: 381 | From: South Glens Falls, NY USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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i had a Palm for a few months when i was doing big website projects (gotta have the right accessories to be in that business). i was AMAZED by the ease of the Palm interface. it is the only piece of hardware or software i've ever had that did exactly what it said it did, and as easily as the ads say. backing it up was not a chore - it took a few seconds (not minutes) to load the software AND back up the thing.
i liked it so much i bought Palm stock. (of course, then the market crashed. oh well, i still like the company).
however, i prefer a paper organizer. i like seeing my week at a glance, which isn't as easy with a PDA. also, i take field notes on graph paper, with dimensions, and its all in the organizer. i couldn't do that with a PDA.
the great thing i did learn from the PDA was how to apply priorities to my "To Do" list.
i'd say, try one out and see how you like it. if you don't like it you can always give it to a friend or sell it on Ebay.
(ps: buy a Palm -- maybe my stock will go up!)
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: ::
Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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I've worn out one and am about 1/2 way through another. In 1996 or so, the industry saw the boom coming for PDA's and many jumped on the bandwagon. Palm (then a division of USRobotics) was the early leader, and held their position as top dog while the others fell. I myself have used the Texas Instruments offering, the Avigo. It was superior to the Palm of its era (1996-97) but lost the battle due to being overpriced, mismanaged and a weak developer base. They can be had today, brand new for about $25-30, which is dirt cheap considering they were once $300. An even better choice for a great used PDA would be the Philips Nino - it was a great piece but overpriced for its era.
Palm is the Mac of PDA's. They started the revolution (there were others before, but none executed as well), but lost the race when they turned greedy. They refused to go color for years, they remained overpriced, and they trickled new models to market until it was too late. Their only saving grace is the developer base - there are literally thousands of software titles available for them.
The Visor has come on strong in the Palm style, but I see it following Palm on the path to extinction. It's liabilites are the same as the Palm for the most part.
Microsoft, as they always do it seems, had a superior product by their third incarnation, and today the Windows CE 2.0 based PDA's are set to be the eventual ruler of the roost. The best of the breed would be the Compaq Ipaq series, along with the HP Jornada series and Casio's Cassiopeia series.
Beautiful color screens, fast processors, lots of options, and their key feature - highest level of intergration with your PC. The biggest problem for now is their price - expect to pay $300-450 for one of these badboys.
If you dont have a dire need for one now, I would recommend holding off till summer. Not only will prices fall, but you will see a lot more celphones carrying the same features as a PDA within them. I am all for one less item in my utility belt if I can have the same functionality.
One thing you have to consider when making your purchase - decide what you want this thing to do for you. The secondary market (3rd party vendors, developers, etc.) is huge for the Palm and pretty large for the CE devices.
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As an address and phone list keeper, Pdas are fine. I still find the various notebooks, ledgers and paper organizers much better and efficient for day to day lists etc. Post it notes are still the most useful item for me along with a daily schedule. As far as the higher end pocket pc's coming out , I would pass. Just another portable computer to lug around that will get little use in anything other than killing idle time with.
-------------------- Wright Signs Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 2785 | From: Wyandotte, MI USA | Registered: Jan 1999
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Hiya Alan, I have a Palm m100 which is, to the best of my knowledge, the base Palm model. While it is not the cure all for everyone with a busy schedule, it does come in very handy. I normally don't use it to take notes when I'm on a job site. The screen is just too small to write down all the details you would need to make a sign. It's strong point is that you have your complete schedule and all your contcacts with you, so you can better manage your time. Any changes you make during your day are easily uploaded to your pc. The other times I find it extreemly useful is when you're not at work and someone asks you about a sign. I'll take their name & number and get back to them at a time more convenient for the both of us. Or any time you just need to write something down. If you're still unsure, start with something cheap like the m100. If you like it, and more importantly, use it, upgrade to something better next summer. Havin' fun, Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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I have been using a new Compaq Ipaq Pocket PC for a little over a month. I had been a die hard Franklin planner user since 1987 and made the switch over a weekend. The first week I opened the old planner a couple of times, but don't even get it out anymore. Great for email reading and short to medium responses on the fly. The emails are actually processed when you return to your main PC and connect to docking station. Can get wireless conection, but more $$. What finally got me over the edge is the handwriting recognition of the pocket pc. I write in my normal writing and it picks up more than accurately enough to be functional. I never wanted to learn the shorthand of the Palm OS system. I also purchased the optional fold out keyboard made by Targus($99) and with that it is like working on normal laptop (other than small screen). Lists, appointments, emails, notes are easy, but what I am still not sure of is that sketching(with Dimensions) is a little limited due primarily to screen size. What might be a great Christmas present would be if the Sign Estimating software could be configured to run on this system. That would be nice to have on the fly.
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I bought a Palm for my husband last year on an impulse. I then came home, got on the web and did some research. I returned the Palm and bought the Visor. I found out that the Visor was the better according to reveiwers. A particular man worked for the Palm corp and had a bunch of ideas for features for the Palms but couldn't get anyone at the company to add any of these features. So he broke away and started the company that makes the Visor.
My husband also was a die-hard Franklin day planner type (you know those engineer-types) Once he got everything transferred into his Visor he never looked back. In fact he even put a Bible on his. Now he sits in church and I have to keeep nudging him and telling him to put that thing away becasue it looks like he is playing a Gameboy or something.
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412
Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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