Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with PDA

How to replace a broken Palm?

creepygirl — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:44:41 -0800

My Palm TX (which I used for games and e-books) died. What should I replace it with? I had a Palm TX that I used to play simple games (Cake Mania, word games) and to read ebooks. The touchscreen digitizer died, and from googling I gather that this is a fairly common problem with the TX, so I'm not really enthused about repairing it or buying another one.

It seems like PDAs are a dying product and being replaced by smartphones. At some point, I would like to buy an iphone, but not until it is available with T-Mobile. Unlocking the iphone is not an option I am willing to consider. I'm rather clueless about all of the options for smartphones.

Basically I want a handheld device that will keep me amused with games and ebooks, and I don't need a lot functionality other than that. I don't need a top-of-the-line device, and I'd feel bad about ditching one for the iphone if it becomes available for T-Mobile next summer. I'd like to keep the cost of the device under $300 if possible. Any suggestions?

PDA replacement in 2009?

ConstantineXVI — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 06:34:43 -0800

Need to replace a PalmOS PDA used primarily as an address book. Key requirements: cheap(ish), easy to use, sane desktop software, not a phone.

Its Alive! Its Alive? (Uses for sad lonely PDA's of yore)

edman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:40:19 -0800

What are some useful or cool apps for the sad lonely PDA's sitting at the bottom of my junk drawer to turn it into a interesting desktop display (ala chumby) I have a handful (5) of older PDAs (Palms, Windows Mobiles), most of them are fairly fast (300mhz and faster) some of them have built in WIFI and or bluetooth. With all the cool technology packed into the devices, it seems it would make a cool desktop eye candy, RSS feeds, twitter, clock, digital picture frame, email notifications (everything that chumby can do). The only one I found was permaclock, which is a picture rotator with alarm clock functionality. Are there other such cool apps such as this? What are you using your old PDAs for?

Text Message Problems

Zeker — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:48:23 -0800

I have a Touch Pro (Fuze) on WinMo 6.5. From my understanding, my text messages are being handled by pocket outlook. Can I use something besides outlook? I HATE HATE HATE HATE pocket outlook. Viewing multimedia messages is such a pain in the butt, it doesn't just display them as they should be, but rather as separate elements (i.e., click this impossibly small icon to view your picture. Jump this loophole to save it, now click here to read the accompanied text, back, now click here to listen to the accompanied music file). Also, sending text messages is horrible. Let me explain why...

Reception sucks indoors. So if a text message fails to send, this is what would typically happen on any other phone...

Message fails >>> message stays in outbox >>> phone keeps an eye out for reception >>> if there's reception, message is re-sent automatically >>> success!

Here's what outlook does...

Message fails >>> message I typed is sent from OUTBOX to MY INBOX (instead of staying in the outbox) >>> I need to click on my message and hit FORWARD >>> erase MY NAME under RECIPIENT NAME >>> re-type the recipient's name >>> keep my finger on send until I see 1 bar of reception >>> hit send, hope it goes through >>> cry in shame of spending 3 minutes to resend 1 message >>> kill myself.

I've tried actually moving the message from the inbox to the outbox, but it gives me an error saying it can't be done.

Who else is annoyed by this? Is there a setting to change the way this behaves? Or better yet, is there a replacement text message manager that works better and actually lets me view my MMS messages nicely? I'd appreciate some help please :D

Can you help me figure out a hybrid paper/electronic system with an iphone or something completely different?

Not Supplied — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:52:50 -0800

I just need a 'Getting Things Done' system that works. Can you help me figure out a hybrid paper/electronic system with an iphone or something completely different? I really want to implement the getting things done system, but having a hard time finding a system that works.

I thought I needed an electronic system. I find it hard to lay out a project in sequential order on paper so using a system that allows subprojects where I can shift things around to my hearts content seems right. I enjoyed using omnifocus on a mac.

Partly on the strength of that I got an shared iphone contract with someone. However, I hate using omnifocus on the iphone its fiddly and rsi inducing...and I don't own a mac to do the main work on there. The iphone is good for occasional email and internet on the move but I don't like using it much.

Also stuff doesn't integrate that well...omnifocus can't do alarms for tasks when I need them or integrate with the calendar etc.

I'm quite attracted to the hipster pda idea where you use index cards etc to make a paper based organiser. I like the idea of capturing ideas on paper with mind maps etc. However I find it hard to see how I won't be endlessly rewriting lists...no way of rearranging projects and subtasks. Also for phone book, diary etc you can't really beat a pda.

I know it's a bit vague, but I'm basically saying 'help' I've been looking on the net for ages and just can't visualise something that would work for me...so has anyone got any ideas that might work out better. I could use my iphone or could look at trading in for something else..really need to get organised!

Palm has been taken over by cancer causing smartphones

jb — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:52:44 -0800

The Palm Z22 is the most perfect pda ever made - but the world being what it is (aka stupid), they have discontinued it. Now my husband's has died, and we have no idea what to replace it with. He definitely does not want a smartphone - he has a mobile phone that he likes, and doesn't want to pay an extra $100-200 for a bunch of chunky hardware he has no use for.

He wants a simple, robust PDA that runs PalmOS (preferrably a version since 2006), and will ring for alarms. He doesn't need/want expansion slots and hates proprietary cables. He doesn't need much memory (32MB was plenty). He doesn't need any sound other than simple alarms - he has an iPod. In other words, the Palm Z22 was basically perfect.

Is there anything like the Z22 still on the market?

[the Z22 is so awesome that someone is on Amazon asking for $500 for one - it originally retailed for $100-150. You would think that Palm wouldn't be so stupid as to spit at the whole low end market - after all, they could charge $200 and still undercut most of the current sellers.]

Should I bother getting a smartphone for law school?

ishotjr — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:41:32 -0800

How beneficial would getting a PDA/smartphone be to a first-year law student? I'm starting law school in the fall. Right now, I have a basic cell phone that I just use for phone calls and text messages, no data plan, nor does it have the features for one. My contract is up for renewal (with T-Mobile, and I prefer to stay with them). I'm considering getting a smartphone of some sort so I can utilize the organizer features, as well as email and internet access on-the-go. I've been looking at Blackberry models mostly (not looking for suggestions of specific phones just yet, just wondering whether I should consider this type).
From what I hear from current law students, you do a lot of email contact with classmates, and those you work with, especially in 2L and 3L. I'm terrible at keeping a paper organizer, as well, and feel that the ability to keep my tasks right on my phone would be useful for me. Also, I'm pretty good at getting lost while driving and being able to look up directions whenever I need to would be handy.
However, being a student with limited finances, I know that I won't just have extra money to throw around on needless expenses. Would the benefits of having a PDA/smartphone in law school be worthwhile? Also, for those who are currently, or have recently been in law school, are these types of phones very common among students, or do most people not bother?

Recommend a cell phone I can use to read plain text documents?

cdc — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:05:09 -0800

Can anyone recommend a not too expensive cell phone I can use to also read Gutenberg texts? My Palm Z22 PDA and my cell phone seem to be expiring simultaneously. I use the PDA mainly to read books in plain text from Gutenberg and similar sources and it's been great for carrying around a small library of books to read in odd moments. Instead of buying 2 new gadgets, does anyone have experience with one which isn't terribly expensive and can perform both functions? I don't need a camera or other bells and whistles.

Thanks!

Mobile software for the mobile traveller?

zaebiz — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:30:18 -0800

What applications/software for your mobile device did you find useful/essential for travelling? I will be travelling initially around Europe and then who knows.... I have an iMate JasJam phone running Windows Mobile 6 but would acquire another device if this will be more suitable for running useful applications.

What's a good PDA in 2009?

unsliced — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:57:47 -0800

I'm on the lookout for suggestions for PDAs or similar devices for my father. His short-term memory is going. While it used to be pin-sharp, it's becoming a real problem, to mitigate it he's been using a PDA - he's always carried one and was a real fan of the Palm series. Now it needs replacing ... His Tungsten (Vx, I think) is finally giving up the ghost. My sister and I are clubbing together to replace it for his upcoming birthday, cost isn't really an issue, but we are keen to deliver the right gift.

It seems to me that the PDA is not as common as it used to be. The market place is crawling with smartphones and netbooks, but the old fashioned PDA or organiser has gone the way of the Dodo. Most netbooks are just too big and (relatively) slow - this needs to be pocket-sized and instantly on (like a PDA) and he's got a phone and doesn't need or want the regular expense of a smartphone and data plan.

He's technologically fairly able: he's happy to tinker and play, it would be useful to have some that synchronises with his desktop machine. He also has WiFi in the house, so that would be good functionality to have, too.

I'm thinking that, mainly because of the App Store, the iPod Touch is the way to go. There are so many different apps that if you don't like one, you can just move on. But are we missing out on other options?

In particular we think he'd like a proper keyboard, which the Touch doesn't have. Although are they are decent keyboard like accessories?

This is not directly a question about his symptoms, how to cure them and identifying underlying causation, it's more about finding alternative recommendations!

silly, clueless girl in need of help parsing male behavior

faeuboulanger — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:06:32 -0800

Public physical contact: what does it mean? (silly overanalyzing girl filter) The guy I'm dating always seems to want to have a hand on me in some way: on my back when we're walking, around my shoulders, holding my arm or hand, or on my knee if we're sitting, etc. I don't mind it at all (he never takes it to gross, excessive PDA-land), but I've never had a boyfriend be so overtly physically affectionate in public or seem to want constant contact. Does anyone have any thoughts regarding what this indicates? Is it possessive, sexual, or just affectionate? Some combination? None of the above? I realize it's silly to think about this and I'm in no way complaining, but I am curious.

Why won't my Palm Z22 connect to a computer anymore?

Waldo Jeffers — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:51:10 -0800

My Palm Z22 no longer syncs to my computer. This problem just appeared outta nowhere. I tried different cords, reinstalling the desktop, hard reset, and switching computers. No luck. Any ideas?

Verizon PDA/Cell with no dataplan?

retro88 — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:05:21 -0800

Are there any good GTD and/or organizational solutions using a Verizon phone and not subscribe to a data plan? What phone can i get that has calendar/ todo lists syncing capbablites that doesn't require a data plan? Is it too much to ask for a PDA/Cellphone with wifi, that does not need an email/internet package?

I am not a cell phone power user, and actually my wife and I can get by with a minimal amount of minutes on a share plan. I also subscribe (sorta) to the GTD philosophy and have been thinking for sometime to incorporate a PDA into my organization system (calendar, todo lists etc.)

As i am coming due for a phone upgrade, i unfortunately found out that verizon requires a data plan (extra ~$30/mo) to use most all of their pda/smartphones/blackberrys according to verizon and these two links. Mandatory Data Plan and no data plan. The Palm Centro seems like the best candidate, but i played with the phone at the store, and wasn't sold on it, and/or its syncing capabilities. An added bonus would be wifi capabilities. But of upmost importance, is some syncing capabilities, preferably with outlook.

What are some good pda's for medicine and programs for them

phllip.phillip — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 21:20:56 -0800

My sister is completing a course to become a paramedic and i really wanted to get her something special. She is asking for an EMS pocket field book. But I want to give her something more rigorous. I would like to get her an electronic one, like doctors use I would wholly appreciate suggestions as to which palm pilot or pocket pc or... and software I should buy.

Is WAP dead?

MaxVonCretin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:22:51 -0800

Is WAP dead? I have a limited budget to create wireless offerings for several websites which currently have none. Is it even worth investing the time and money into WAP versions in late 2008, or should I just focus on http web templates that are optimized for iphone/smartphone screens?

Mobile sites?

jca — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:13:07 -0800

Can anyone recommend good mobile web sites? Looking for suggestions for good mobile, pda, and wap formatted links and websites. I am especially looking for mobile device start pages and portals that you can edit/customize/etc.

My new cellphone has a basic web browser (although it certainly is no iPhone or BlackBerry), and since I'm not using a cellphone provider's portal/site on the phone, it is up to me to set-up a home page for the cellphone and add links to other pages I want to use.

How can I move my calendar from Palm Desktop over to Google Calendar, and then sync there instead?

Stewriffic — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:55:03 -0800

What I want to happen: Make the existing calendar entries that I have on Palm Desktop move over to Google Calendar and then be able to sync Google Calendar with a used (empty?) Palm Z22 I have. Hold my hand, please? I encourage you to assume only basic computer knowledge. Here are the specs:
1) Palm Desktop v. 4.1.4
2) Windows XP Professional 2002 version
3) Used Palm Z22 that someone gave me. It's replacing a Zire 21 I had that broke. I have not yet tried to link it up to my Palm Desktop, because I had a bad experience where I did that and it deleted my entire calendar. I think that was because the blank PDA overwrote the content I had on the desktop software. Why it would do that, I have no idea. I just don't want it to happen again.
4) Extra super bonus--I have a macbook at home. If you can get the PDA to sync there, in addition to at work, that would rock.

This is confusing the crapola out of me. I'm not even sure where to start, and I made very little progress searching both the Palm Desktop and the Google Calendar Support pages. This previous AskMe didn't help. Googling palm desktop google calendar resulted in my thinking I might need some kind of 3rd party software to do this? This is about where I shut down from being overwhelmed with lack of understanding.

What I've done so far:
Exported my Palm calendar to my desktop. It's a .dba file. When I tried to import it into google calendar it doesn't work. The error message is Sorry, Calendar is temporarily unavailable. Please try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists, visit the Help Center. I assume that is because of this google calendar instruction: Choose the file that contains your events. Google Calendar can import event information in iCal or CSV (MS Outlook) format.I'm thinking this first step of moving my current calendar to the google one might be an inherent issue.

What I want in the long run is the ability to use my PDA to input and retrieve entries onto a calendar I can access via the internet, without having to manually enter the existing information. Can you help me? Is my goal achievable as proposed? If not, can you suggest another way for me to do what I want to do?

Turn my Q into a Curve

trbrts — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:53:49 -0800

I've got an aging Motorola Q on Verizon. Someone just gave me a Blackberry Curve that was on ATT. How can I use the Curve? I want to stay on Verizon. I thought I could just drop in the SIM from my Q. But, I don't see a SIM card behind the battery. The Curve has one though. What's the best way to get this curve working on Verizon's network? Thanks for your help.

Will an Axim X5 play nice with Outlook 2007?

TheManChild2000 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:29:37 -0800

I've got a first-gen Dell Axim X5 PDA. I use Outlook 2000 with it. Will I hose this all up if I upgrade to Outlook 2007?

iPod Touch as a PDA

deliquescent — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:34:20 -0800

Can I save files (specifically pdfs) on an ipod touch? I'm thinking about buying an ipod touch to use as a PDA - I love the display and it has all the medical programs that I want - but I want to be able to save files to it in order to access them later: papers, my own notes, and so on. Is there a way to do this without jailbreaking, or without just emailing everything to myself?

Bonus points: Does it have a good pdf reader?

MHTML blues

sonicbloom — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:04:38 -0800

I have a huge collection of MHT files and would like to view them on my Windows Mobile or Palm device. I save web pages like a madman. I have about 2000 wikipedia pages, and about 1500 other pages. I use the most recent version of Opera (windows) and use it to save as MHT (single file). It is much more convenient than saving as HTML + folders and images.

However, I'd like to read them on more than my laptop. I have a Windows Mobile 6 smartphone and a Palm T3 PDA. I am an avid Isilo/IsiloX user, but it seems they will never support conversion from MHT.

I have tried a MHT --> HTML conversion program, but it was slow, buggy, and would crash a lot. Definitely not good for the volume I have. A good conversion program would let me convert the resulting files to IsiloX's .pdb file format, which is readable on both devices. That would make me happy.

I have tried browsers on the Windows Mobile device. Neither pocket IE, Opera mini, or Netfront 3.5 will properly open and render a MHT file. I had seen different posters on message boards claiming that netfront 3.5 would open MHT, i tried and got "unable to open page".

My only success with MHT on the PPC device is by using a freeware app called Qusnetsoft MHT Viewer, which will open the MHT file in temp memory, then open it with the default browser. This works pretty good, but the conversion process takes a while, and the rendering is about 85% true. I'd really like something that did this natively and quicker.

Does anybody have a solution for me?

Can I use an iphone as an ipod touch?

bigcheesegump — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:14:44 -0800

Can I use an iphone as an ipod touch? I am looking into getting an ipod touch as a PDA-type device that can handle my contacts, email, and also serve as a web browser. However, I really dislike the fact that the ipod touch doesn't have external speakers. It is the ONE thing that is missing for me. I know the 3g iphone has an external speaker as well as a camera. Is it possible to use a non-activated iphone as an ipod touch? My google-fu has resulted in outdated forum discussions. I am aware that initially, the ipod touch did not have many of the apps that the iphone has, but thanks to a software patch, this issue was resolved.
My understanding of the new iphone is that all the hoopla it received was due to the increased network speed through the EDGE network. Does the new iphone have any better wifi connectivity or any benefits that would affect me? Any tips or alternatives would be appreciated!

In summary:

WANTS:
wi-fi
e-mail
calendar
address book
music/picture/video player
external speaker

NICE TO HAVE:
camera

DON'T WANT:
cell phone plan

Interesting GPS applications?

vizsla — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:16:37 -0800

What are useful/fun/collaborative things that can be done with a PDA, computer and a small GPS device these days?

Help with IPAQ

CollectiveMind — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:25:01 -0800

I have an HP iPAQ 2750. Around the same time it was manufactured, lots of aftermarket hardware and software came out with promises to enhance the device. One of those applications was a GPRS/GSM plug in modem (via the CF Card slot) and software from a company called Enfora. The modem was bundled with software from a company called BVRP. There was other software without a modem which also installed phone tools on the PDA from another company called WebToGo. HP sells the modem from Enfora which it claims is compatible with the iPAQ. But after many tries to install it, it seems ActiveSync 4.0 (which is what the iPAQ came with) was preventing it. I upgraded to ActiveSync 4.5 but still no luck with the Enfora/BVRP software.

I assumed the modem to be generic enough to work with any phone tools software, so I found different phone tools from WebToGo. Their phone tools did load onto the iPAQ. But after lots of calls to TMobile and more onliine chats with HP, I can't get the modem to see the TMobile network - this even after getting TMobile's cell to network number (*99#) and its modem string and web address.

I also thought there might be some issues with Windows Mobile 2003. I tried to upgrade to Windows Mobile 5, but the connection kept dropping. After going through that a few times, I decided the upgrade was more trouble than it's worth. Besides, all of the hardware and software says they work with Pocket PC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003 anyway and the latter is what the iPAQ came with. So I decided that probably wasn't the problem.

I know I could just buy a smartphone, but I really like the iPAQ. But I don't want to keep carrying an iPAQ and a cell phone around - cluttered. If there are hackers who can break open an iPhone, it seems there should be somebody who can make this work? It seems like I'm almost there. Does anybody have any advice?

Phone+music stereo headset?

jckll — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:43:13 -0800

I’ve just started using my first PDA/Smartphone (Blackberry 8820) and I need some recommendations for a headset. I know there are tons of questions already—and even more online resources—for finding the best Bluetooth earpiece, but I’m not looking specifically for your standard Bluetooth. I want an iPhone-style headphone plus microphone combination. I’ve looked around a lot, and there are a bunch of stereo headphones, but scant information on them. There are of course the wired stereo phones—exactly like the iPhone headset. There are models that look exactly like the iPhone headset, with standard, earbud, wired earpieces, but they are connected to a Bluetooth dongle that hangs from your ears or clips to your belt. (1,2,3) Then there are your standard Bluetooth earpieces with a connectible earpiece for your other ear. Finally, there are over-the-ear headphones, which I don’t want.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a particular style of stereo headsets with mics? Am I better off just getting a pair of wired headphones with a microphone attached? Are the Bluetooth models any good? (Bonus points for a model recommended—or advised against—by personal experience, and double bonus points if I can connect my SHURE e3c bud headphones instead of relying on crappy Plantronics acoustics!)