To PDA or not to PDA

[NightShade01]

I've often wondered outside of the business world how many people use PDA's or I-paq's. They are really quite useful if you are in the business world and for many other job related tasks too. I got one for free through work and used it for college. At first it was really quite good and useful for keeping track of notes and homework projects and things like that but as i progressed more and more into the semester i found myself using it less and less. Alot of reveiw magizines that i read said some people use them non stop in college. I was just curios how many people out there use them and what they use them for? I tend to use my laptop for everything now-a-days (notes homeworks studying) anyone else rely more on technology these days or is every still doing pen and notebook type deals?

[doctorgonzo]

I don't use a PDA, but I support a lot of people who do. To me, it is a good idea if you are apart from your computer for a long time, such as when travelling. You can sync your calendar for the day in the morning, for example, and then the rest of the day you can use your PDA to help you figure out what meeting to attend next. The flip side to that is when people completely depend on their PDAs for this purpose, and are completely lost without them.

I may like computers, but I am not a gadget person. Too many things to keep track of, pay for, and possibly become too dependent on. I don't even have a cell phone.

[Panama Red]

I've used a Palm PDA for business for about 5 years and would be lost without it. Not only has it become a necessity for my daily job it also provides a data base to keep separate records for my computer repair/hobby business as well as our Christmas card list, and family birthday and anniversary reminders. With computer back up it's nearly fail safe.

My 21 yr old daughter is a college student and decided she wanted a Palm for her use the past Christmas. Got her a portable keyboard to go with her Tungsten E and she is very happy with it. It came with MS Word and Excel and she finds it much easier to tote the Palm to class and work that lugging her laptop with her.

[mbossman2]

i have tried using a PDA, but really just found it to be an overpriced electronic calendar and phone book and/or a highly portable to do list keeper. data entry and application use is extraordinarily difficult due to the character input mechanisms are difficult to learn and use.

Where I do see them useful is if you have a specific application written with the above limitations in mind. I have seen examples where a PDA acts as an electronic check list or where the data points are limited to a few that are contained in a pull down menu or radio button selection.

[Litespeed]

I used one for work quite a bit for work while traveling. Then I got a thin HP Laptop. With all the hotspots at airports and at different places we have meetings I found myself phasing out my PDA. Its size was the only attractive thing for me. My PDA could do just about the same thing as the laptop, but I found the power and the versatility of the laptop more usefull. I think for the person on the go that does not have to manipulate large amounts of data or use larger programs the PDA is wonderful. I just need to find a use for mine again.

[Mac Medic]

I would be useless without mine, my short term memory is terrible. I'm now on my 6th ipaq (only lost 1 of the old ones though).