A
Anonymous
Guest
I was curious how many of you who are using a pda use a palm vs. a pocket pc.
I use a Palm: specifically a Treo 600 smartphone. A standalone device would be too cumbersome to carry around in addition to a cell phone. The Pocket PC smartphones I've seen either lacked a qwerty thumboard or were too large, better technical specs notwithstanding. The richer multimedia features of the PPC aren't relevant to my use of PDAs, which is mainly as a PIM.
I find the Treo to be the best capture tool for GTD. If there's something I need to write down, I just grab the Treo from my belt and start typing -- much more fluid than using a stylus.
The main area for me where the Treo falls short of PPC smartphones is screen resolution (160 x 160), which compromises web browsing and document reading. The upcoming Treo 650 raises the resolution to 320 x 320.
GTD is a pretty platform-neutral methodology, so I don't really see how either OS has an inherent advantage in this context. The main consideration is to find the form factor and interface that suits you best, and get on with it.
I find the Treo to be the best capture tool for GTD. If there's something I need to write down, I just grab the Treo from my belt and start typing -- much more fluid than using a stylus.
The main area for me where the Treo falls short of PPC smartphones is screen resolution (160 x 160), which compromises web browsing and document reading. The upcoming Treo 650 raises the resolution to 320 x 320.
GTD is a pretty platform-neutral methodology, so I don't really see how either OS has an inherent advantage in this context. The main consideration is to find the form factor and interface that suits you best, and get on with it.
P
Pres
Guest
I was using a Palm at first, then then tried a Pocket PC for all of seven weeks, then went analog with a little three-ring notebook for close to a year, and now for the last four months have been back with Palm. :shock:
I just wasn't able to get into using the Pocket PC (a Japanese Genio e550GD). It was really nice having an actual file system with folders and all that fun stuff (and it had a great Commodore 64 emulator!
), but the problems I had syncing it just killed me.
I was never able to get it to sync reliably no matter how many times I'd reinstall the software...it'd work fine for a while but then it'd forget about me and think I was a Guest. Haunting the various online fora, it appeared that this was not a particularly unusual problem. I'm sure it works fine for some people and that's cool, but the two of us just never got along.
Now on the Palm (well, Clie) I use Narara Bonsai for GTD, Agendus for scheduling, and memopad for memos. It's been working for me so far!
Pres
I just wasn't able to get into using the Pocket PC (a Japanese Genio e550GD). It was really nice having an actual file system with folders and all that fun stuff (and it had a great Commodore 64 emulator!
), but the problems I had syncing it just killed me.I was never able to get it to sync reliably no matter how many times I'd reinstall the software...it'd work fine for a while but then it'd forget about me and think I was a Guest. Haunting the various online fora, it appeared that this was not a particularly unusual problem. I'm sure it works fine for some people and that's cool, but the two of us just never got along.
Now on the Palm (well, Clie) I use Narara Bonsai for GTD, Agendus for scheduling, and memopad for memos. It's been working for me so far!
Pres
M
mobilejarhead
Guest
I use a Pocket PC, specifically, a Dell Axim X5 (I bought it almost 3 years ago), and it has been awesome ever since. I develop software that runs on the Windows platform so I thought it only natural to have a PDA that has an OS that I am familiar with.
My Axim is pretty supped up. I have a 512MB Compact Flash Card, 5 256MB SD Cards (lots of my music on these), a Belkin Compact Flash Wireless Card and tons of software.
I use AgendaFusion as my PIM. It syncs perfectly with Outlook. I have everything in my hand that I would have on my desk. I can read Word .doc files, Excel .xls files, Power Point files, .pdf files, just about anything.
I started storing documents on my 512MB card in folders like @Client-Proposals, @Research and so on. I use TotalCommander as a File Explorer which has a search feature. However it doesn't search in a document. I either need to find an app that does this or write one myself
All in all I love the Pocket PC platform. I am used to the interface, the software, and if I truly need something I can't buy I will write it.
Wishes? Interface to OneNote (which I am using heavily now), GTD add-in for Outlook (maybe I need to write one for AgendaFusion), and as I mentioned a search utility that will let me search in files not just file names or types. Other than that I'm really cookin! Hope that helps.
My Axim is pretty supped up. I have a 512MB Compact Flash Card, 5 256MB SD Cards (lots of my music on these), a Belkin Compact Flash Wireless Card and tons of software.
I use AgendaFusion as my PIM. It syncs perfectly with Outlook. I have everything in my hand that I would have on my desk. I can read Word .doc files, Excel .xls files, Power Point files, .pdf files, just about anything.
I started storing documents on my 512MB card in folders like @Client-Proposals, @Research and so on. I use TotalCommander as a File Explorer which has a search feature. However it doesn't search in a document. I either need to find an app that does this or write one myself
All in all I love the Pocket PC platform. I am used to the interface, the software, and if I truly need something I can't buy I will write it.
Wishes? Interface to OneNote (which I am using heavily now), GTD add-in for Outlook (maybe I need to write one for AgendaFusion), and as I mentioned a search utility that will let me search in files not just file names or types. Other than that I'm really cookin! Hope that helps.
J
JonathanAquino
Guest
mobilejarhead said:
I'm impressed with how long your PDA has lasted; my Handspring Visor is dying after 1 year. I kept my PDA in a leather case in my pants pocket. What kind of case do you use, and where do you normally keep your Axim?
M
mobilejarhead
Guest
I use this case http://www.senacases.com/catalog/DELL-AXIM-X5-CASES-p-1-c-262.html and it has worked perfect.
I use an Outdoor backpack http://www.outdoorproducts.com/proddetail.aspx?sku=4220OP. There is plenty of room to store all my gadgets including my laptop. When I am not in between offices I keep my Axim in its docking station. The leather case helps me keep the unit safe (because I drop it frequently.)
However, I am eyeing a smaller footprint HP iPaq. I think I am looking for a slimmer profile. I would love to slip it in my pocket but my Axim is just too big for that. I saw a nice slim one yesterday at Best Buy, so now I'm thinking "great Christmas present"!
I use an Outdoor backpack http://www.outdoorproducts.com/proddetail.aspx?sku=4220OP. There is plenty of room to store all my gadgets including my laptop. When I am not in between offices I keep my Axim in its docking station. The leather case helps me keep the unit safe (because I drop it frequently.)
However, I am eyeing a smaller footprint HP iPaq. I think I am looking for a slimmer profile. I would love to slip it in my pocket but my Axim is just too big for that. I saw a nice slim one yesterday at Best Buy, so now I'm thinking "great Christmas present"!