What are ways that a PDA could become an extension of my brain?
February 6, 2006 8:39 PM Subscribe
What are ways that a PDA could become an extension of my brain?
Ive carried around a notepad in my pocket for years, but im wondering if theres enough things to make it worthwhile to upgrade to a PDA.
We are either talking online or offline. Online is only a consideration if there is a flatrate data plan for Canada which im not sure if there is or when we will be getting one...
So assuming there isnt, offline i can think of maybe downloading wikipedia to my pda, or maps instead of having GPS, being able to synchronize with my notes on my computer and other standard organizer functions, possibly a searchable database of notes so when i search 'mcdonald's' it will come up with 'dont eat here', and thats all i can think of.
any other ideas?
Ive carried around a notepad in my pocket for years, but im wondering if theres enough things to make it worthwhile to upgrade to a PDA.
We are either talking online or offline. Online is only a consideration if there is a flatrate data plan for Canada which im not sure if there is or when we will be getting one...
So assuming there isnt, offline i can think of maybe downloading wikipedia to my pda, or maps instead of having GPS, being able to synchronize with my notes on my computer and other standard organizer functions, possibly a searchable database of notes so when i search 'mcdonald's' it will come up with 'dont eat here', and thats all i can think of.
any other ideas?
I keep a library of books in mine (classic ebooks are free), as well as mp3s from time to time. I also write songs and use it to track lyrics as well as actual sound clips of me playing and singing.
I have to say that I've have a PocketPC (Toshiba E350) and a Palm Tungsten E, and the PocketPC destroys the Palm in a pepsi challenge.
posted by tcobretti at 8:52 PM on February 6, 2006
I have to say that I've have a PocketPC (Toshiba E350) and a Palm Tungsten E, and the PocketPC destroys the Palm in a pepsi challenge.
posted by tcobretti at 8:52 PM on February 6, 2006
I used to have a Palm Zire 31 with Wikipedia. It was incredibly useful.
posted by matkline at 8:55 PM on February 6, 2006
posted by matkline at 8:55 PM on February 6, 2006
Calendar scheduling? A PDA could vibrate or otherwise actively say "OI! That thing you need to be at is starting soon!", while a notebook is more passive, so you might be able to forget.
Of course, no need if you're not normally late for things :)
posted by -harlequin- at 8:56 PM on February 6, 2006
Of course, no need if you're not normally late for things :)
posted by -harlequin- at 8:56 PM on February 6, 2006
I am a big notetaker, and notetaking with the Palm Desktop application on my two year old Sony Clie has been incredibly useful. It's nice to be able to type notes on my home and work desktop computers, then sync them up with the Clie.
I also have several classic ebooks I found for free on the web.
I also keep a gallery of many family photos.
posted by jayder at 9:09 PM on February 6, 2006
I also have several classic ebooks I found for free on the web.
I also keep a gallery of many family photos.
posted by jayder at 9:09 PM on February 6, 2006
I've only had mine a few months, but so far some of the handiest things I've used it for are reminders for things like eBay auctions ending and which week is garbage week versus recycling week, so I know which bin to take to the curb.
I also keep a checklist (using BrainForest) of movies I want to see, for when I find myself at the video store and can't remember that movie I keep having to remind myself to see.
posted by Robot Johnny at 9:16 PM on February 6, 2006
I also keep a checklist (using BrainForest) of movies I want to see, for when I find myself at the video store and can't remember that movie I keep having to remind myself to see.
posted by Robot Johnny at 9:16 PM on February 6, 2006
Follow your heart... if you're more of a notebook kind of person, then go with that. There are a lot of ways to enhance that if that's what you need... 43 folders, (mainly the hipster pda), and the GTD sites may help.
How busy is your schedule and do you want to remember charging up your PDA or having spare batteries on hand? Do you want the joy of a playing some MP3s or synching your computer's calendar to your PDA and always knowing what's going on? Maybe you want to have some websites downloaded to your PDA for offline browsing when you're stuck somewhere.
Searchable notes? A little wiki on your PDA? Yes. Searchable notes? Yes. There are always tradeoffs. I have a top of the line Sony PDA that gets no use because I'm better off with a pen, index cards (not hardcore hipster, just two or three in a pocket always), and my iPod. Go figure.
Have fun... go out and buy a PDA if you want to try it out... you can always return it or sell it on ebay..
posted by jerryg99 at 9:30 PM on February 6, 2006
How busy is your schedule and do you want to remember charging up your PDA or having spare batteries on hand? Do you want the joy of a playing some MP3s or synching your computer's calendar to your PDA and always knowing what's going on? Maybe you want to have some websites downloaded to your PDA for offline browsing when you're stuck somewhere.
Searchable notes? A little wiki on your PDA? Yes. Searchable notes? Yes. There are always tradeoffs. I have a top of the line Sony PDA that gets no use because I'm better off with a pen, index cards (not hardcore hipster, just two or three in a pocket always), and my iPod. Go figure.
Have fun... go out and buy a PDA if you want to try it out... you can always return it or sell it on ebay..
posted by jerryg99 at 9:30 PM on February 6, 2006
I use mine (Dell PocketPC) a lot for reading ebooks and other texty stuff when travelling. I find it especially good for accademic papers -- if I'm travelling to a conference it's nice to be able to browse through relevant stuff. Reading off a small screen isn't to everyone's taste, though, so you might want to try it for a couple of hours and see if your eyes mind it.
posted by primer_dimer at 5:18 AM on February 7, 2006
posted by primer_dimer at 5:18 AM on February 7, 2006
My Treo is an extension of my brain.
I'm not a "road warrior" -type who needs access to the 'net and email everywhere (including the bathroom,) - but, my Treo is invaluable to me. Here's a few reasons:
- Note taking / Data Storage: As an artist/musician, my ideas can strike almost any time/place, so having access to a massive collection of notes and ideas at hand is extremely important to me. Also, being able to pull up a phone number, email address, or whatever in the most random situations is great.
I have a small "painting" app on my Treo that lets me take little sketches of ideas.
- Time Management: My calander on my Treo is perfect for remembering any/all appointments, schedules, meetings, and reminders I might have.
These two reasons alone are why I can't bear to be without my Treo. I use it and rely on it to augment my own memory - otherwise I'd be in a constant state of worry trying to remember little details. I'd rather use my brainpower in more productive ways and let my little shining-skinned friend take care of the other "everyday" things.
Note: I use a Treo because I don't like carrying a PDA & cellphone seperately. Like I said, I don't need 'net access all the time, but when you're lost or need directions, it really helps to pull up Google Maps on the road.
My advice: Get or borrow a real cheap/older model - most people who've been using PDAs a while usually have at least one older model they'll let you borrow. Spend a week with it to try it out, using it exclusively in place of your old system - then make a decision. It takes a bit to get use to it - spending a few minutes in a Best Buy won't give you the time needed to really "try it out."
posted by itchi23 at 6:49 AM on February 7, 2006
I'm not a "road warrior" -type who needs access to the 'net and email everywhere (including the bathroom,) - but, my Treo is invaluable to me. Here's a few reasons:
- Note taking / Data Storage: As an artist/musician, my ideas can strike almost any time/place, so having access to a massive collection of notes and ideas at hand is extremely important to me. Also, being able to pull up a phone number, email address, or whatever in the most random situations is great.
I have a small "painting" app on my Treo that lets me take little sketches of ideas.
- Time Management: My calander on my Treo is perfect for remembering any/all appointments, schedules, meetings, and reminders I might have.
These two reasons alone are why I can't bear to be without my Treo. I use it and rely on it to augment my own memory - otherwise I'd be in a constant state of worry trying to remember little details. I'd rather use my brainpower in more productive ways and let my little shining-skinned friend take care of the other "everyday" things.
Note: I use a Treo because I don't like carrying a PDA & cellphone seperately. Like I said, I don't need 'net access all the time, but when you're lost or need directions, it really helps to pull up Google Maps on the road.
My advice: Get or borrow a real cheap/older model - most people who've been using PDAs a while usually have at least one older model they'll let you borrow. Spend a week with it to try it out, using it exclusively in place of your old system - then make a decision. It takes a bit to get use to it - spending a few minutes in a Best Buy won't give you the time needed to really "try it out."
posted by itchi23 at 6:49 AM on February 7, 2006
Disclaimer: I work for the Windows Mobile people.
My favorite feature of Windows Mobile 5 and Microsoft Onenote is that notes (voice notes, written notes) i make on my PDA are automatically imported into one note.
So often I've got a 'flash' of an idea -- saying it outloud and having it recorded for later use is incredibly helpful. I used to call myself and leave voice mail, but this is quite a bit easier.
I also get my email, calendar, and web browser all on one. It's good to be able to look up a phone number or directoons on a website when you're on the road.
posted by daver at 9:02 AM on February 7, 2006
My favorite feature of Windows Mobile 5 and Microsoft Onenote is that notes (voice notes, written notes) i make on my PDA are automatically imported into one note.
So often I've got a 'flash' of an idea -- saying it outloud and having it recorded for later use is incredibly helpful. I used to call myself and leave voice mail, but this is quite a bit easier.
I also get my email, calendar, and web browser all on one. It's good to be able to look up a phone number or directoons on a website when you're on the road.
posted by daver at 9:02 AM on February 7, 2006
If you're a big note-taker, you really want a PDA. The biggest reason is simply that it's like a notepad, but better.... it's magic paper that can be anything you need it to be. A calculator, a data store, an address book, a web browser... almost anything you'd run on a computer, you can run on a PDA.
It's not often that something as fundamentally useful as a notepad is replaced with something genuinely better. If you're not sure about the whole idea, pick up a cheapie or a used one and tinker with it a few weeks. I suspect you will abandon notepads for good.
posted by Malor at 9:37 AM on February 7, 2006
It's not often that something as fundamentally useful as a notepad is replaced with something genuinely better. If you're not sure about the whole idea, pick up a cheapie or a used one and tinker with it a few weeks. I suspect you will abandon notepads for good.
posted by Malor at 9:37 AM on February 7, 2006
If you're picking up an older unit, I'd suggest a Palm V - It's the bare-bones minimum of a PDA, and it's reliable enough of a design that you won't have to worry about dealing with hardware flakery or frequent recharging. There's also less doodad crap to distract you from the main point of a getting-to-know-you PDA period - Namely, figuring out how to exploit the interconnection between your brain/life and the device properly.
I'd enter at least four or six contacts by hand, using the stylus. It'll take you practically no time, and the data entry practice is good, particularly since you've got the manual in your lap. Resist the temptation to let a drawing or voice memo app make up for the lack of data entry skill - You can't search them, and, despite your best intentions, you won't get around to putting the info into the PDA correctly later.
I tend to use the whole PDA as a searchable database: Rather than using a seperate app for listing of restaurants and reccomendations, just put the restaurant name, address, and number in the datebook, under the appropriate tag (Food?), then lard information about it into an attached note - Anything from search tags like 'Good' to 'Send people you hate here!' to a sawed-off menu for call-in orders.
Put EVERYTHING in there. 8mb of RAM is huge, if all you're doing is holding text. If you don't think you'll need the data later, put it on a calander note ('Parked car at 1245 W. Altmont, slot D24'), so it'll get dumped to the desktop when you purge the handheld memory.
I wouldn't get hung up on external programs, to start - Get the whole wax-on-wax-off-info-warrior-kung-fu thing of using it as a memory extension down pat, then put programs on slowly. This is usually where people get tangled up - They spend an evening downloading tons of crappy bugware into the handheld, a month trying to puzzle it all out, then justifably get frustrated and give up. That having been said, I've been impressed by Mapopolis' for mapping/GPS software, EasyCalc(Which might be overkill), Keyring and Progect. Plucker is nice, particularly for carrying web-bits around, but the setup can be a pain in the ass.
The entirity of Wikipedia might be a bit much for a PDA, though.
I strongly suggest putting any games on it for the first few months. There's plenty of ways to waste your time just tinkering with the thing - Which, in the end, will be worth more to you than incredible marble rolling skills.
posted by Orb2069 at 10:09 AM on February 7, 2006
I'd enter at least four or six contacts by hand, using the stylus. It'll take you practically no time, and the data entry practice is good, particularly since you've got the manual in your lap. Resist the temptation to let a drawing or voice memo app make up for the lack of data entry skill - You can't search them, and, despite your best intentions, you won't get around to putting the info into the PDA correctly later.
I tend to use the whole PDA as a searchable database: Rather than using a seperate app for listing of restaurants and reccomendations, just put the restaurant name, address, and number in the datebook, under the appropriate tag (Food?), then lard information about it into an attached note - Anything from search tags like 'Good' to 'Send people you hate here!' to a sawed-off menu for call-in orders.
Put EVERYTHING in there. 8mb of RAM is huge, if all you're doing is holding text. If you don't think you'll need the data later, put it on a calander note ('Parked car at 1245 W. Altmont, slot D24'), so it'll get dumped to the desktop when you purge the handheld memory.
I wouldn't get hung up on external programs, to start - Get the whole wax-on-wax-off-info-warrior-kung-fu thing of using it as a memory extension down pat, then put programs on slowly. This is usually where people get tangled up - They spend an evening downloading tons of crappy bugware into the handheld, a month trying to puzzle it all out, then justifably get frustrated and give up. That having been said, I've been impressed by Mapopolis' for mapping/GPS software, EasyCalc(Which might be overkill), Keyring and Progect. Plucker is nice, particularly for carrying web-bits around, but the setup can be a pain in the ass.
The entirity of Wikipedia might be a bit much for a PDA, though.
I strongly suggest putting any games on it for the first few months. There's plenty of ways to waste your time just tinkering with the thing - Which, in the end, will be worth more to you than incredible marble rolling skills.
posted by Orb2069 at 10:09 AM on February 7, 2006
That is, I strongly suggest AVOIDING putting any games on it. Sheesh.
posted by Orb2069 at 10:18 AM on February 7, 2006
posted by Orb2069 at 10:18 AM on February 7, 2006
...but if you insist on games, I can't tell you how much time I've wasted playing Scrabble on my Palm.
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:35 AM on February 7, 2006
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:35 AM on February 7, 2006
I use a Palm as a magic book which never runs out of stories. I have books on there, as other have mentioned, and I download newspaper content to it using Plucker.
But I also just started watching DVDs on it. TCPMP is a great free application for video, audio and image viewing. The ripping and re-encoding for the screen takes a bit of fiddling, but it's fun to be able to watch TV shows without all that iTunes/video iPod nonsense.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 3:07 PM on February 7, 2006
But I also just started watching DVDs on it. TCPMP is a great free application for video, audio and image viewing. The ripping and re-encoding for the screen takes a bit of fiddling, but it's fun to be able to watch TV shows without all that iTunes/video iPod nonsense.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 3:07 PM on February 7, 2006
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posted by GleepGlop at 8:44 PM on February 6, 2006