Just out of curiousity, how many people in our class use a PDA? I know Don and I do, and I know that Anne Marie won't use one (I'll change that to doesn't use one now, based on her comment below. I'll corrupt her yet!). I have a personal theory that there's a critical threshhold of stuff that you have to reach to really make use of a PDA. I'd like to know what you think.
My first PDA was a hand-me-down Palm V (after my husband upgraded to the Vx). I wasn't sold on the idea of a PDA; in fact, I made a big deal at the time of saying that I preferred my paper organizer. For a long time I used the PDA to organize my address book but I didn't use the calendar. It was only when I came back to school that I became totally dependent on my PDA. I reached a point where I couldn't keep track of my evolving schedule on paper anymore. I think I'd have a hard time going back to paper now.
My current PDA is a Treo 300 communicator, and I'm even more pleased with it than with my previous system (Palm Vx plus Sprint phone plus cable to connect as needed). For one thing, I check my email on my PDA more often now and so am more likely to copy information from email into my calendar, to do, or memos while at work than I was before. It's quick and easy to do on my desktop (although I have ideas for making it even easier), but it used to be just inconvenient enough on my combo system that I didn't do it. Also, I only have to manage one phone list instead of having a list on my phone plus a list on my PDA. I was showing my husband just this morning how easy it is to create a new contact based on a phone number in my call log. So if someone calls me, go to the call log, tap a couple of buttons, switch to my contacts, hit new and paste it in and type a name. I think Handspring could do even more to integrate this, but it's much easier now than it used to be, with much less room for error.
There are apparently ways to integrate the PDA with Outlook and with Lotus Notes, but I haven't really tried it. However, when I go back into a work environment I suspect I'll have to. Those products can make coordinating various schedules somewhat easier, whereas the Palm Desktop is more of an individual PIM tool.
Posted by dcplumer at February 25, 2003 05:15 PMI have been disinclined to acquire a PDA because the functionality they have offered hasn't seemed worthwhile for the "cost" of setup and for integrating the PDA with my existing PC-based PIM applications. I have also been put off by the $$ cost of the PDA and the associated wireless service (which is far more than the super-cheap cel service I now have). However, it is probably time for me to look at the extended capabilities of newer PDA's (with phone) since I haven't looked at them in about a year. If there were a relatively painless way to link my PCs at home and work with my PDA so I could update all my calendars at once or all my contact lists at once, or use one interface to view all my email accounts, I would probably spring for it. As it is, I find it awkward enough just to coordinate my PIM tools (calendar/scheduling, e-mail, web browsing, etc) on my PCs at home and work without adding a PDA to the mix. New PDAs probably offer ways around this problem, but I am not aware of them.
Posted by: Anne Marie on February 25, 2003 05:39 PMIf you use the same system at home and at work (Outlook, for example), I think that your PDA would very easily synchronize the information between them. Although I object to Outlook on various grounds, if I had to use it at work I'd probably use it at home too, at least for scheduling and contact manangement.
Posted by: dcplumer on February 25, 2003 05:43 PMIf only! And, of course, every time I change jobs the PIM tools change. What would be nice is better coordination of the standards for exchange (which I know is coming, slowly).
Posted by: Anne Marie on February 25, 2003 06:04 PMI do use a Palm (SONY Clie), but like Churchill's democracy- it's the worst of all possible PIMs, except for all the others I've tried.
For the basics, I suspect for most people it's not worth the trouble. You can buy a notepad to carry around for 50cents that should last about a month of moderate note taking and get a small calendar almost anywhere.
Where I find real value is the calendar with ALARMS to remind me of things, not only a few minutes before a meeting, but DAYS before something is due. I doubt I'd look ahead in a print calendar to do that. (But could teach myself I suspect.) The Memo lists are also useful, for a handy reference or for checklists of items.
The data entry on all these devices is still embarassingly inefficient and the fact that you can't integrate groups of tasks and tie together different kinds of PIM info (date book and phone number) with the provided software shows a distinct lack of resources thrown into design. There are plenty of add-on applications that are available, but I don't find them winning either. The real trick is to find a good desktop client that pumps data into the PDA. There aren't many of them really, but more net-enabled tools (and devices) may move this forward. Outlook is about the best on the Windows platform I've seen. It's got to be the best gateway into using a PocketPC there is.
As for collaborative work, not to mention supporting knowledge work with PDAs - good luck. Capturing ANY kind of data is a move towards discovering knowledge, but "discovering" that I have a lunch date tomorrow isn't exactly going to propel my company into further profitability.
Posted by: donturn on February 25, 2003 06:23 PMI've had the same Palm V since 98 or 99. I have neglected to upgrade b/c it does exactly what I want it to do now. It has all of my addresses and phone numbers and other info..but for the most part it sits in its cradle at home.
After leaving the working world for school again, I find that most of its functionality is impractical for me. I use a laptop in my design studio on campus, then take it home at night to work. Until I can use Flash/Photoshop/Dreamweaver on a PDA (no thanks)- I'll be sticking with my laptop.
I now use a Hello Kitty calendar that cost $2 for writing when tests are...and I don't think I've opened that since last month.
An old boss of mine who used to call me "gadget girl" would be in shock.
Posted by: Amanda on February 27, 2003 08:08 PMI do not use a PDA. As Don alluded to, a 50 cent notepad and a paper pocket calender work fine for now. I tend to wait before buying new technology anyway--Let someone else work out the kinks. Once the product is more refined (requiring less set-up time and less overall frustration), then I consider it. Even my car has very little in the way of automatic features. I figure that means less to break down, less to fix, less to pour money into.
I have to admit Danielle's PDA and cell phone in one intrigue me, however.
Posted by: Lisa on February 28, 2003 09:14 PMI do not use a PDA. As Don alluded to, a 50 cent notepad and a paper pocket calender work fine for now. I tend to wait before buying new technology anyway--Let someone else work out the kinks. Once the product is more refined (requiring less set-up time and less overall frustration), then I consider it. Even my car has very little in the way of automatic features. I figure that means less to break down, less to fix, less to pour money into.
I have to admit Danielle's PDA and cell phone in one intrigue me, however.
Posted by: Lisa on February 28, 2003 09:15 PMI do not use a PDA, I use a Franklin Covey planner, which I really like. FC also has some PIM software, PlanPlus for MS Outlook, plus stuff for Palm, Visor, and cell phones. If I had the money, I would buy all these integrated gadgets. Being poor, I have the paper version. It's not the coolest, but it works for me.
Posted by: linda on March 2, 2003 04:09 PM