Shopping

[whotheheckami]

I’m writing (but not posting) this on a laptop whilst sitting on a plane flying to Milan. Lugging the damn thing around has made me realize that I probably need something smaller and lighter to take on business trips. I guess I need a PDA, but I don’t know a damn thing about them and so would love some help in understanding what features I should be looking for.

I MUST be able to do the following:
Take notes in a meeting
– how quick is graffiti when you get used to it?
– are the plug in keyboards much cop?
Keep Track of expenses
Transfer files to and from my PC and to and from clients PCs
Run an agenda
Run and address book

I would LIKE to be able to:
- Read e-books
- Access the internet (e-mail & LJ) using a mobile (non-WAP)
- listen to music
- play simple games

I don’t think I need to
- take photos
- make a cup of tea

Can you help me by suggesting what features I may have missed and by recommending specific PDAs and why?

PS I’m also thinking about buying a Camcorder with which Ivan can graduate from the webcam on Lego Studios and continue with his ambition to become the next Spielberg or Lucas. Can anyone offer any help here? Analogue or Digital?

Comments

[kissycat1000.livejournal.com]

Once you get used to grafitti it's excellent, really quick. However, it's never as fast as shorthand, or even fast scribbling on paper for the reason that you have a very small area in which to write each character and you have to make sure the 'pen' is in full contact with the surface for the whole character, and you have to make sure you lift it away fully in between characters.

There is one way that a palm is very fast.. it has a little keyboard that appears on screen. You jab the letter you want to type with the 'pen', which is actually a lot faster than trying to type on a plugin keyboard (because they are very small and fiddly). I'm not saying this is even as fast as true shorthand, but it's the fastest way to get text onto the palm that I know of.

[talodi.livejournal.com]

can't you get those cool fold away keyboards that you just plug in? Sure I've seen Phil at work with one - quite compact too

Re:

[kissycat1000.livejournal.com]

Yup, but as I said, far too fiddly to use, they're terribly small and no good for fast typing with mansized fingers..

You do HAVE mansized fingers, don't you Mel..? ;)

[blackfyr.livejournal.com]

I have "mansized fingers" and have no problem with the folding keyboard on my Visor. And it keeps up just fine with my typing. I haven't seen anyone with 100+ wpm typing speed using them, but then, I haven't seen anyone with 100+ wpm typing speed recently anyway.

[kissycat1000.livejournal.com]

Cool.. if they come in 'proper size' keyboards, that's gotta be worth a try. Could you maybe borrow one from someone before you buy?

Re:

[whotheheckami.livejournal.com]

Short and stubby...like then rest of me! ;@)

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

I think that you can do all of that on a palm. The only one I'm not sure about is sending files to/from other people's pcs, but I would think that you can.

Graffiti is fairly speedy; I can't use it for dictation speed (back to a pc for that!), but it's okay to make notes.
The fold-out keyboards are about the same size as the one on my laptop, which is about as big as a laptop keyboard gets. The only problem tamaranth has ever mentioned is that you have to use them on a flat surface.

You can have a play with mine when I see you, if you want.

Re:

[whotheheckami.livejournal.com]

I'd love to play with yours!!!

Re:

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

*g*

Your mileage may vary

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

I think everyone's experience with a PDA is slightly different, so you have to establish what works for you. I found graffiti very quick to pick up, though on some characters it can be annoyingly fussy (after the third time of having an "e" read as an "s", I start to lose patience). I tend to use it for short notes - if I'm writing anything longer, I'll tend to go for the touchpad keyboard, partly for the reason given above, partly because I can never remember how to do punctuation beyond the basics, or accented letters, and partly because it's easier to use if I'm on a moving train. Both take about the same amount of time - neither is as quick for me as a real keyboard (and I'm a hunt-and-peck typist). I've never used a fold-out kb on my visor, but as flickgc notes, tamaranth swears by hers.

Re: Your mileage may vary

[slinkymalinky.livejournal.com]

palm pets are great fun
xxxx

[(Anonymous)]

Words of wisdom once imparted on me about mobile phones but could equally be applied to other gadgets....

People have a mobile phone because they think it makes them look important, Really important people have someone to answer the phone for them.

Get yourself a secretary!

Re:

[whotheheckami.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, my secretary is fully employed by people who pay better for her services than me ;@)