Less Filling or Tastes Great ?

Gene DeMambro · Post by **Gene DeMambro** » Thu Nov 08, 2001 1:23 am

I have a question that is among the greatest of imponderables ever in the annals of Western civilization:

Palm OS device or a Pocket PC (Windows CE) ?

I'm ready to buy, and I'm itching to get going.

Suggestions and preferences, anyone?

Gene

Arnie Elkins · Post by **Arnie Elkins** » Thu Nov 08, 2001 1:30 am

I have a Palm Pilot, and for what it is, it does a nice job. A friend of mine has had a variety of CE devices, and they are fun toys. The real question is, what are you going to do with it? This is the same question people need to answer about a home computer before they buy one, but few ever do. What software do you need to run on it? Do you simply need a good organizer/date book/phone book, or do you want something more? You really need to find the main software package you want to use, and then figure out what hardware runs it, rather than looking at the hardware first. Try out some of them, if you can. Better yet, borrow one from a friend, if you can, and live with it for a few days. Of course, the friends that let you borrow one for a few days obviously are not using it much, and there may be a reason for that. Or not. It all comes down to how you are going to use it, and what software is available for each platform that will do what you want to do.

So, what are you planning to do with one?

Arnie

Gene DeMambro · Post by **Gene DeMambro** » Thu Nov 08, 2001 3:27 am

Well,

I do have a number of people I need to keep track of, so I'll need a good address book. I'd also use it to store the passwords I need to log into certain password protected websites (work and professionally-related), and I use my Casio organizer to keep track of my Frequent Flyer numbers for the airlines I fly.

Also, many of the useful medical refernce books are available in e-format for PDA use. I'm a pharmacist in a hospital, and it's crucial I have certain medical and drug information handy. I guess I should find out what their hardware requirements are, and then go from there.

Games when I get bored, or when my mania kicks in.

I certainly wouldn't be a "power user", but it would get an opportunity to flex its muscles often enough.

Gene

LeeDarrow · Post by **LeeDarrow** » Thu Nov 08, 2001 8:00 pm

DeMambro-sama,

My recommendation would be to go with the Palm units, preferably one with the expansion slot for adding memory or the PDR. Visor makes a really good set of these puppies and the pricing is reasonable. They work on the Palm OS, link easily to your PC (or Mac for that matter) and are quite rugged.

I have an early Palm Pilot (the m100 for those of you taking notes) and am able to run my entertainment business on it (it has a good calendar/organizer), handle all of my phone numbers, keep notes and to-do items and was very cost effective.

I did do one thing though that I would recommend. I pulled off the flip cover and bought the leather belt holster for it. It's better protected that way and it's not falling out of my pocket all the time.

I even use it to keep track of my computer sales calls, mileage and customer contact information.

CE has a very small market share in comparison to the Palm OS. It will be interesting to see which way the OS issue shakes out. I'm hoping that the Palm OS stays in the forefront. It seems to be more stable in my experience.

Respectfully,

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.
Sales Manager
Computer Innovations, Inc.
Chicago, IL

PS - we are a custom software developer/contract programming house. We do NOT resell hardware, so I won't be asking for orders on these puppies.

Post by **gmattson** » Thu Nov 08, 2001 8:58 pm

Tracy Capone has a different type of unit. . . forgot the name, but she can read e-books on her's while riding the train home every night. I agree with what everyone is saying. . . All depends on what you want it to do.

I have an early model Palm Pilot (compliments of Harry Skeffington) and it does a great job with my appointments, Act contacts and To-dos. It also can download my email (or take it off a computer) and yes. . . play games.

People often spend lots more money on tools they never use.

------------------
GEM

Arnie Elkins · Post by **Arnie Elkins** » Fri Nov 09, 2001 12:23 am

If e-books are a big part of your reason to have one of these critters, you absolutely positively MUST find out the formats in which they are available! Many e-books are available only in a single format, like the one for Palm OS devices--you simply have no option in that case. Others may be more flexible. I have had a couple of doctors that keep the kind of info you are talking on a Palm Pilot, because that is what they had to get to make use of the information. If the information is available in many formats, or you can find a program for both platforms that reads everything you want, THEN you are ready to compare. In my experience so far, there have been many files available only for one or the other, and many of the e-book formats are copy-protected to prevent you from buying it in one format and converting it to something else.

Having said all that, if there is still a choice to be made, I would definitely try out some from each camp, and go with the one I liked best. For me, getting information into the unit is the biggest challenge, and I have not found a solution that is good enough to use one on a daily basis. I suppose if I spent long enough practicing Palm's Graffiti that I might change my mind, but something inside rebels at the idea of learning to write all over again.

All of the units probably do the things you want to do. Find out exactly what software/e-book formats you need to be able to use, and choose from among the hardware that will support that.