anybody use a PDA?

[freeclimb9]

Handspring? Palm Pilot? Are these things worth the money? Do they ever screw up and lose information?

[Gordonb]

I have a handspring and I love it. I have never lost info because I sync regularly to my laptop. The one time I had to reset the system in the last 2 years I was able to reload all my contact info in just a few minutes. I would be in trouble if it got lost.

[Greg_W]

Gordon, is your cell phone linked to it? That looks like a sweet setup: phone, contact info, and e-mail all in one. What does a setup like that cost, anyway?

[COL._Von_Spanker]

PDA

[slothrop]

I had the cell phone plugin for the Handspring and it blows. The phone gets shitty reception compared to any regular cellphone and it's awkward to hold. The ringer is impossibly quiet. I hardly ever talked on the damn thing. Great idea, poor execution. Maybe the newer fully-integrated Handspring PDA/phones are better...

 

I got a regular ol' phone with the same service plan and it's so much better that I actually use the phone now. I still keep the PDA around for the calendar, todo list, and address book. I'd be lost without it, even though it's broken in strange ways: the screen has some permanently black areas and the thing eats one pair of batteries per day (I use rechargeables).

[gapertimmy]

i'd say wait a bit until the phone pda integration is a bit more solid. it really depends on what you use on your desktop to manage email and contacts. if you are tied to M$ outlook, then a pocket pc is the obvious choice

[Alasdair]

I have had several, and I hated them all. Basically you spend a lot of time setting it up to be usefull and then realize that they really are not that usefull. That is until I got my current device. It is a pocket PC phone edition. It is the only one I have ever actually used. It is pretty good. Best thing about it is you can get the 512 memory card and use it as an MP3 player. Surf the web, get mail while you are out and about. The data plans are really fucking expensive. Keep in mind that I dont have to pay for these things, and if I did I would not have one.

[Alasdair]

Oh and ditto on what timmy said. These things do have some issues, although not serious ones. They are fairly reliable, but I do find myself with the occasional reboot. I am not sure whether I would wait or not, as the 2003 OS (not shipped yet) for the thing is a complete peice of shit right now. It should get better soon.

[gapertimmy]

i have a pocketpc2002, a toshiba model and its ok, but it would be better if it were my cell phone

[snoboy]

I have a Sony Clie PEG T415.

 

I love it.

 

Get the smallest one you can afford. Otherwise you will hate carrying it around.

 

The ability to synch to my computer, then cut and paste notes that I made during the day into emails and such is probably the #1 benefit to me.

 

Check this out.

 

The Pocket PC platform seems better if you want to watch movies, play tunes etc... However if you want it just as an organizer, then the Palm platform has some advantages. Longer battery life, more freeware(?), and lower prices.

 

Be aware that youy can also get your GPS to talk to the PDA if you are a

[JGowans]

I have a Handspring and quite honestly rarely use it. I'll remember it sometimes, synch it up and leave it lying around until the next time I need to install new batteries and do the the same thing all over again.

 

I got mine free from my company, but in retrospect, I'd never buy one myself unless I were travelling a lot for my job.

[JoshK]

I got both a palm and pocket PC at different times for free from people who bought them then found them useless. I no longer have either as I found them useless too. If you think your life is complicated enough to warrant one, it's time to reavaluate your life, not how you store your information. It's another good example of technology providing a solution for a problem that didn't exist, and thus making people think they have a problem, IMHO.

[Jim]

I use the handspring and the IBM for field work. I make up data forms on the PC and download them to the pda, and you can make popup choices to fill in. I also use the pda with a clip-on gps locater. Then you can correlate a data collection point with the data and download later to the GIS system back at the office. I've also used a waterproof case for them. For this stuff it's handy.

 

I never use it for any kind of scheduling. A small calander and a pencil work fine. Some folks here do use them for scheduling, phone numbers, etc., and two have lost all their info when the battery went too low. Seems like a pain to have to backup this stuff. But if you're on the road a lot you may need it I guess.

[bobinc]

In general it helps what I do, especially for stuff way out in the future, but I agree it is probably overkill for many people. Having the phone list is convenient, especially if your address book gets older and packed full of obsolete addresses. Plus some of the add-ins are extremely useful, depending on your needs. In my line of work, it's handy to be able to access some calculation programs from such a compact platform.

 

Unfortunately, if you get too dependent on the thing, it can let you down. I had one go dead for no obvious reason; even though it was backed up, I couldn't reset it through any means and had to get another one. A second one turned up with a cracked display, so it, too, was toast.

 

Backing stuff up on pencil and paper is always a good idea...

[Beck]

I use the latest versions from Mead paper; they come in different colors, cost about a buck, never freeze up, never need batteries. Auto scroll, linear phone list. needs user interface to interact with computer. updateable as often as user wants, virtually unlimited memory (keep main cache near home information system.)

 

the intrusion of techie, chip controlled technology seems a bit much to me sometimes. just say no to expensive toys (unless you can use them out in the mountains)

[erik]

Beck said:

I use the latest versions from Mead paper; they come in different colors, cost about a buck, never freeze up, never need batteries. Auto scroll, linear phone list. needs user interface to interact with computer. updateable as often as user wants, virtually unlimited memory (keep main cache near home information system.)

 

the intrusion of techie, chip controlled technology seems a bit much to me sometimes. just say no to expensive toys (unless you can use them out in the mountains)

 

[rr666]

I've got a Handspring Visor, I have had it for a couple of years or so. I use it a hell of a lot at times, then I will go for awhile and only use it as an expensive address keeper. With as many of them as there are out there. If I lost mine, I would end up buying another one, but probably would not spend much.

[Figger_Eight]

I used to have a job where meetings and appointments were scheduled online and put right into my Outlook calendar. For awhile I tried maintaining an old fashioned Day Planner and keeping it synched with my calendar at work, but after double booking myself for the umpteenth time I got a Palm Pilot and only kept one calendar for everything. Made life tons easier.