Recommend a PDA 1

[gw73]

I've never owned a PDA and I need to buy one for a final project in my CIS class. I've built a database in Access and I would like to load the forms in the PDA so the user can go out in the field and load information bring it back and download it into the desktop. I'm open to any ideas and any recommendations on what to buy and what software I would need to do this,

Thanks
GW73

 

[Jesuspower]

definitly get a Pocket PC(providing money is no option.) -God Bless

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

I just bought a Handspring Neo for $200 dollars. So for I love it! Mike Wills
AS400 Programmer

 

[gw73]

Thanks for taking time to answer. Money is an object, but I think I'll go with a pocket PC because of the Access connection. Does anyone have any thoughts on the Jornada 547 or 548?
GW73

 

[gcastillo]

548 rules.... except in the sun.
IPaq 3630 has a better display. But you need to pay for the extras

 

[Jesuspower]

Get an Ipaq 3765. It allows you to upgrade the OS & it's around $400. If you can find it, you can also get a 3135. It's black & white and should be under $250. It also comes with an expansion sleeve.

Also, if you are able to wait a few months, the new intel processor is coming out & it should bring the price of the strong arms down. the new processor also wast less battery and is extreamly fast. -God Bless

 

[Birbone]

From an end-users view point, I just purchased the Kyocera Smartphone QCP 6035 through Verizon for $99 after an in-store rebate ($250) was applied. It is also offered through Comp USA for $79 with a Sprint account.

Anyway, before you buy look at how often you will be using you PDA after this project. I love mine because it marries my phone, pager, and PDA into one reasonably sized package.

Hope this helps. -Bobby
bwgunn@icqmail.com

 

[howmac]

I just got involved. I was a Franklin Freak for about 15 years and carried the book. A friend gave me a Palm III and I sync'd Franklin Software and can't be any happier. No book and the Palm II does the job perfectly. If you are after a daytimer type of operation then I recommend grey scale and keep it simple.

 

[Karl Blessing]

I have recently got a Compaq iPaq 3835 , despite that Compaq/HP had just released the new iPaq 3900 series ( new iPaq line that has a 400Mhtz Intel processor instead of the popular 206Mhtz StrongArm Processor). I really love the iPaq it came with a free 64Meg SD card. Prior to the iPaq I have used a handera 330 for the longest time( one of the fastest PalmOS PDAs prior to the Sony 66Mhtz ones ). With the PocketPc I can do a heck of alot more than just standard organization. If you deal with alot of microsoft oriented software, especially office ( you can get quickoffice for PalmOS however it does cost you money and isnt perfect but nice ), PocketPC would be the way to go.

Jornada wont be in production much longer, as the 560 is the last of the series, since HP/Compaq is continuing development using the iPaq line. the 3800 series is very nice and has a screen nearly identical to that of the 568, however if you get the 3835 , which is on sale with a 50$ maile in rebate, you also get a very nice screen cover and the expansion capabilities are far better than that of the Jornada.

Being a heavy gadget type person I Could strongly recomend the PocketPC platform , you can get some for about 300$ if pricing is a problem, but they dont have as nice the screen as the 568 or the iPaq 3800 series, or expandibility. It all really depends on what you will need. A good PocketPC can run you about 500 and above. If you goto CompUSA they have a deal where you can buy an iPaq 3835 and get a free 64Meg Secure Digital card, then you can submit a mail-in rebate for 50$ ( though when I submited online said my rebate ammount was 100$ )

If microsoft software was not an issue for you, I'd look into the Sharp Zaurus which is powered by Linux and uses the Qtopia desktop enviroment. Also Zaurus/Qtopia devices also have a fully working PalmOS emulator that can be downloaded provided you have a ROM image from an existing PalmOS device, such as myself I could get the rom off my Handera. Also the iPaq is capable of being replaced with linux if you are upto the extra work. Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}

 

[BChumie]

You might also want to look into the Toshiba Pocket PC (e310). It is $400, but it comes with less ram than the others 32 MB (instead of 64). But most places have deals where you can get a SD card for almost nothing to add more memory. Also the e310 is very thin, so It isn't a burden to carry around. I currently own an e740 which has 64 megs and bluetooth built in!!! It is great except it is like the compaqs in that it is thicker than the e310. As far as Xscale goes my current PDA has it but you really don't see a difference yet, not until MS releases an update for their Pocket Pc software.

-Brad

 

[Jesuspower]

pocketpc also has a plamos emulator. -God Bless

 

[Karl Blessing]

yes but the latest PalmOS emulator for PocketPC can only use PalmOS version 2.0 roms ( currently 3.5 upto 5 in production ), and the latest working PalmOS emulator for the later OS versions is not fully working in an alpha state, and production on that is on hold due to legal issues with the emulator. Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}

 

[Jesuspower]

Opps. -God Bless

 

[joerocket]

Is cost an issue? Do you really need color? I'm partial to Handspring's Visors. I have had a Visor Solo and now a Visor Edge.

I do not have the need to do desktop computing on a handheld, but am sure that some folks do. I use my personal unit for Organization applications almost exclusively (ok, a few fun apps too).

At work I recently purchased three Visors for data recording with handheld measuring tools, for which the Springboard expansion slot is superior to the Palm the slots. I am also using the Visors for recording Inspection logs with Pendragon Forms which uses MS Access but can work with any other ODBC source (I use Visual FoxPro).

 

[JustKIDn]

I don't know what you need to do in Access. But there are DB's for the PalmOS that can import and export using .CSV, there may be others that use other formats.

One comes to mind that is Open Source. It's called DB (or Pilot-DB), You can find it on SourceForge. It's already a powerful Database!

Did I mention it's FREE?

tgus

____________________________
Families can be together forever...

 

[Jesuspower]

The Pocket PC lets you use access.

 

[JustKIDn]

That's true jp1, but it's still not a Palm!
tgus

____________________________
Families can be together forever...

 

[jfhewitt]

Question ???? How large an SD will the Toshiba e310 handle? Will it take 128 M? Does any good PDA use Smart Media cards? If not, does anyone know why not? If the Toshiba could use the same cards as my Olympus camera, what a killer!

 

[Karl Blessing]

Read the post you put in the Windows based PDA forum, as I responded about SD there. On note about SmartMedia, if you get a Compaq iPaq, then purchase a PCMCIA expansion sleeve (or obtain a PDA that takes PC Cards type II ). You can purchase a SmartMedia PCMCIA adapter for around 40$ USD. They're more expesive that CompactFlash PCMCIA adapters ( 12$ ), mainly because like SD cards they have to support the flash module, since SD and SM cards do not have a controller chip built in, which CF cards do. Karl Blessing aka kb244{fastHACK}