need advice on pda

back alley

back alley

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ok, i am totally out of my element here and i'm starting with absolutely no knowledge base...

after reading gene's comment about his pda and portable keyboard, i started thinking that might be a solution for me.
my 'dream' is to sit in a coffee shop and write poetry.
i previously accomplished this with paper & pencil.
but i have grown used to using a keybord and being able to move sections around with ease.

at the ideal, a machine that i could use at work for keeping myself organized (not alot of need here) and to carry for portable word processing.

i prefer used as my needs are simple and my budget limited.

any and all advice welcomed, especially if you are in a similar position and have found something that works well for you.

thanks,
joe
__________________
 
I have had various PDAs over the years. If you intend to do any serious writing, that is, more than a few sentences, you will need a portable keyboard. I have had a Handspring Visor, Treo 300, Treo 600, and currently use a Treo 650. The Visor had an on-screen keyboard you could tap with a stylus or you could use the graffiti script to write. I never wanted to carry a portable keyboard so it was primarily used for its contact and calendar functions. Using graffiti or the on-screen keyboard was difficult to use for more than a sentence of two.

The Treos have a built in keyboard but, unless you have magical thumbs which never cramp up, it too will be good for only short periods of writing. I use mine every day for responding to and checking my e-mail. I have also used it to edit MS Word docs, but the small screen makes it difficult for me if the document is many pages long. The up-side of the Treo is that it is also a phone so you can carry one less device. It sure beats the days when I felt like a pack mule since I was loaded down with my personal phone, pda, and work cell phone.

All of these Palm OS devices have various programs that will let you compose or edit. Some will permit you to work on MS Word documents. There is similar software available for other PDAs. These all will let you cut and paste, but it certainly isn't the same as working on your home computer.

I have been very happy with my various Palm OS devices. Plus, I absolutely love AvantGo which downloads various newspapers and other materials to my Treo when I sync in the morning. I don't know what I'd do without it.

I have not used any PocketPC devices so I can't help you there.

SRMC
 
I use an AlphaSmart 3000 and love it. It's purely a word processor, meant for portable writing and uploading to your comp via USB or sending directly to a printer, and it's heavy-duty rugged. It has a full-size keyboard, so typing isn't awkward, and mine has the rechargeable nimh battery, which can go for days without a charge. (it's even longer if you use alkaline AAs.) It's aimed at young students, but I actually first saw one from a journalist in Cambodia. Later I heard of anthropologists and journalists using it in conditions lush and arid. Me, well, the last i used it was on public transit and airplanes, and a couple times taking notes in the library.

There's eight preset documents with total space for 100 pages of writing. The only drawback I find is that it's more difficult to edit as I write because the screen is four lines by 40 characters. I find the best is to get it down and keep going writing, and spit it out to my main machine and edit/revise. There's a separate program called Get Utility that's useful for sending text to the AlphaSmart, if you want to read something later or take work home or something.

I got mine on eBay, I think for about $120.

http://www2.alphasmart.com/products/as3000.html
 
A while ago I got an offer from a class fellow, $90 for a Palm m515 and tons of programs, not sure if it was such a good deal but it was locally and prices at eBay seemed to be on par.

Also, after that grabbed a nice Logitech cloth keyboard that also acts as a softcase for $15, you simply unfold the keyboard/case, place it on a table wherever you are and start writing your notes, a la Gene 😉

I've discovered that its also a GREAT thing to bring part of your portfolio with you using AcdSee or similar, so that you have something to show quickly when somebody asks you or just to review your work. I also downloaded an offline html explorer, but still have to work more with it.

As for text editing, well you have all sort of Office-like suites for PDAs, they work pretty well.
 
I don't know what you're price range is, but if you wanna go hardcore, take a look at this review of the Electrovaya Scribbler SC2200. It's a tablet PC with keyboard/base built into the cover. Not cheap, but it has an amazing 8-hour battery, which with most mobile PCs, is unheard of.

I personally have a Palm Vx, with a b&w screen and 8MB of memory. It's older, but it was one of the few from its time that has a slim, rechargeable battery, rather than using AAs. It's got a battery life of something like three or four weeks under occasional use. I only use it for appointments and phone numbers, but I really like it.

8MB isn't a lot of memory, but if you just use the built-in note editor, you can write a lot of text. You could even load up an old pocket version of Word, and get fancy. I'm pretty sure that you can get one of those tiny folding keyboards for it, too.

They're pretty cheap on Ebay, too: Click here.
 
Joe,

That was quick! Things you'll need to do when you pick it up:

1) Connect the docking cradle to a power supply, and the serial port of your PC (I'm guessing it's got the serial connector). Drop your Palm in the dock to get it charging.

2) Install the Palm software on your computer so that you can sync your files, install programs on the Vx, and do updates. The software that comes on the CD will be somewhat out-of-date, but it'll get you started.

3) Go here to get updates to the OS if they haven't been done. The latest is OS 3.5.3 for that device. Step-by-step instructions on finding your OS version. You should also be able to find updates to the Palm Desktop software there.

The built-in Memo Pad text editor is good, but doesn't support really big files. If you're using Outlook, each new memo entry you create appears as a "Note" in Outlook. Here's an article about text editing/word processing on the Palm, with links to commercial software to buy. There are also open-source (free) text editors available. You can find some here.

PM me if you need a hand with anything.
 
bj,

it's on it's way here by courier, i'm at work.
it does not have the software disc but the seller said i could get the software from the palm website. i hope that's correct.
it comes with a bunch of stuff, including a foldable keyboard.

ebay

if you wanna take a look and let me know if i got a decent deal on what i'm getting...i paid 91 cdn for it all.
that would be much appreciated.
any info welcome.

joe
 
Looks like a decent deal, you got some good stuff. That little wallet looks nice, with places for credit cards and such. And a stylus/pen device, which would be mighty handy.

The Palm Desktop software can be downloaded from the same page where you get the OS updates.
 
the bidding got a bit feverish during the last few minutes but i wanted this unit as i had contacted the seller about a quick pick up so i could 'play' with it over the weekend.

ok, i'll look it over, see what i can figure out and maybe contact you if i get into trouble.
thanks for all the help so far, much appreciated.
joe
 
absolutely, totally, 100 percent frustarted.

it works kinda but i can't get it to talk to my computer or to get the portable keyboard to work with it.
the downloaded software seems to be doing nothing, i can't get it to open.

i have it sitting in the charger, the green light is on.
i'm gonna just ignore it for awhile so i don't kill it.

joe
 
Joe,
Click on the hotsync symbol in your system tray. Make sure that the correct type of cable you are using to sync (usb v. serial) is checked. Also, if you can, try rubbing the contacts with a pencil eraser to clean off any film that is keeping the cable from making contact. I used to have occasional sync problems with my Handspring Visor and that usually did the trick.

Don't give up just yet.

SRMC
 
seems i have it working somewhat.
i got it to hotsync, downloaded some upgrades/updates and the keyboard works too.

it's a bit more scratched up than advertised which pisses me off a bit.

will this thing take some kind of word processing software? that's the reason i wanted one in the first place, to write when at my favourite coffee shop.
something simple is fine and free would be nice also.

next, i try to figure out how to get what i write on the pda onto my computer.

why could i not be satisfied with a pen & paper?

joe
 
Joe,

If you use Microsoft Outlook for your email, and want to go really low-tech, you can just use MemoPad, and when you synch (assuming your settings allow it), the memos you write will be added to the "Notes" in Outlook. You would then have to copy the text of these to your Word document, or whatever you use.

If you want to go a little more high-tech than that: Here is a freeware document converter for your PC that allows you to convert Word documents to PalmDoc format, and then you can edit them on your PDA. When you're done, it can convert the PalmDoc files to plain text only.

You'll need a PalmDoc editor to make changes to your files, something like this free program, CSpotRun.

I've never used either of these programs, so you're gonna be the guinea pig! 😉 There is more free software at www.palmopensource.com which you can try.

BJ
 
Joe,

If you're using Outlook, and not Outlook Express, you'll have Notes. It's visible in the folder list. If you don't see the folder list, select the "Folder List" item from the View menu. Notes should have a little yellow sticky-note icon.

BJ
 
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