OT - do you own a palm pilot or something similar

[T. Lynn]

For Christmas, I'm thinking about treating myself to a Palm Pilot or something equivelant.

I have so many dates to keep track of between DD school activities, girl scouts, Mary Kay and soon to be added, Real Estate that my head is spinning. I would love to keep everything in Outlook and then transfer it to a palm to keep on hand.

It would also be nice to keep my contacts with me while traveling. I'm out on deliveries sometimes and forget to take phone numbers with me.

If you own one, how do you like it? Do you use it more or less than what you thought? I just don't want it to be a hype for me now and end up in a drawer later.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I travel ALOT on business. I started with a Palm Pilot then went through 2 different HP Ipaqs and now have a Palm Treo 650.

The Palm Treo is by FAR my favorite. I can use it as a PDA, phone, camera, video camera, and more. I can check email, surf the web, chat on IM and even watch tv (with software upgrades). It is smaller than my Ipaq so much easier to just slip in my pocket. Accessories are easy to find and software is plentiful and very user friendly.

I have mine thru Verizon and my boss has his with Sprint.

I got mine for $299 with a $100 rebate with a year of service with Verizon. The rep at the store threw in a free car charger too. The Palm stores in the airports have a good selection of cases (got a great one in Atlanta) and other accessories.

Oh and I can even use my phone as a modem with my laptop.

Check out the Treo!!!

 

[T. Lynn]

I have Nextel so I don't think that would work for me. I've still been checking the Palm store for their other handhelds though.

 

[Paull117]

I have a Palm and a Pocket PC. If it where up to me I would just get the Pocket PC it is compatible with my office products. Stay away from Palm OS keep with the windows mobile (Pocket PC) OS. Some of the new Palm Handhelds do have Pocket PC running on them. I think from everything I read that Palm is leaving the OS market they are still going to make handhelds just not the operating system. I hope this helps.

Paul

 

[T. Lynn]

Is there a website for the Pocket PC? I'd like to compare some models and read reviews on them. I honestly have no idea what to look for. I just know that I want something compatible with Outlook 2003.

 

[BCV2003]

I have a Palm and will say that I use it more frequently than I ever thought that I would. I can synch it both at home and at work so I am always up date. I would be lost without it!

Good luck with your decision.

 

[tmt martins]

I have the I870 and a Blackberry (works) through Nextel.

They both have calenders on them I have some Java Apps for my I870 that puts Checkbook registers ,Notes and some other things,It also does e-mail and text.
Yes the BB is easier to get around but for personel use my cell is my lifeline and I go nowhere without it.

 

[rach2674]

I have mine thru Verizon and my boss has his with Sprint.

I got mine for $299 with a $100 rebate with a year of service with Verizon. The rep at the store threw in a free car charger too. The Palm stores in the airports have a good selection of cases (got a great one in Atlanta) and other accessories.

Oh and I can even use my phone as a modem with my laptop.

Check out the Treo!!!

How much is your monthly service? And do you have to pay seperate for the email service? I'm still considering getting one too, but mainly for a play toy...I know, what a dork!

I really wish one would work with Quickbooks, but as far as I've seen none do right now. I use that for our business and need it at times when I'm out of the house.

Rachel

 

[T. Lynn]

I'm checking out the ones from Dell. Here's the link:

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/pda?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

Is there anything specific I should look for? Is speed a big factor or something to hurt the wallet?

 

[kfeuer]

I have a Sony Clie that's strictly for personal use. My dad got it for me a few years ago the day after Thanksgiving...after rebate I think it was about $45, which was a great deal considering it's got a color screen. I don't know if they've come down in price in the last few years, but I know the retail on mine was over a $100 when I got it.

Anyway, I absolutely LOVE it! It's so handy having my complete schedule, addresses and phone numbers up to date at all times. I don't do anything fancy with it, it just keeps me organized. I would hate to be without it at this point.

 

[swillis]

I have a Blackberry 8700 (cingular) I could not imagine life without it.

It has email, and this is full email, not text messages. I can view attachments, download files etc. It also does text messaging, it's a cell phone, has a web browser, where I can download files search the web, etc, it has a calandar, and all the other bells and whistles that a cell ohone or PDA has.

I love it!

 

[weazel28]

I have a Cingular 8125 Combo cell phone and PDA. Runs Windows mobile 5.0. I have had a PDA in some form since the Apple Newton, and this Cingular device is my second favorite ever. 1st being the Newton, but don't get me started down that path.

 

[ntink]

I actually had a palm pilot and wound up hardly using it. I find that between Yahoo Calendar and having all of my phone numbers programmed into my cell phone, I'm all set.

 

[barblue]

I'm checking out the ones from Dell. Here's the link:

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/pda?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

Is there anything specific I should look for? Is speed a big factor or something to hurt the wallet?

I can't comment on speed, but I've got the Dell Axim and LOVE it. I'm ridiculously bad at remembering all my appointments so I use the calendar all the time to make sure I'm headed where I need to be going. Plus, the one I have came with wifi - so I can check e-mail and surf the net for free any place that has a public wifi signal. I even loaded music onto it so I don't have to carry my ipod around all the time. All in all, it was a great purchase for me and I'd highly recommend the Dells.

If you're a bit patient, fatwallet, slickdeals, and other forums post when there are good deals to be had on the Axims. I got mine for much less than the Dell retail price.

 

[T. Lynn]

I can't comment on speed, but I've got the Dell Axim and LOVE it. I'm ridiculously bad at remembering all my appointments so I use the calendar all the time to make sure I'm headed where I need to be going. Plus, the one I have came with wifi - so I can check e-mail and surf the net for free any place that has a public wifi signal. I even loaded music onto it so I don't have to carry my ipod around all the time. All in all, it was a great purchase for me and I'd highly recommend the Dells.

If you're a bit patient, fatwallet, slickdeals, and other forums post when there are good deals to be had on the Axims. I got mine for much less than the Dell retail price.

Barblue-

Is it easy to put contacts or appointments into thru the handheld first?

Do you use the stylus to write the letters & numbers?

 

[Chickysmom]

Barblue-

Is it easy to put contacts or appointments into thru the handheld first?

Do you use the stylus to write the letters & numbers?

We have had both a Palm and Visors. Hubby uses his at work but I found it more bothersome to add things to that I finally just put the phone numbers in my cell phone and carry around a checkbook size calendar withme now. It seemed easier to look up what I was doing or to add things to my appointments this way. Although...if I could ge the hubby to get me a Blackberry, I might put some more effort into learning!

 

[jeancbpugh]

I was a huge fan of Palm Pilots for a couple of years.

Then my eye doctor asked me to stop using it for a few months, because I had a sudden deterioratin of vision with no explanation. So I gave my Palm up and found having a printout of my Outlook calendar and addresses was sufficient. And I loved having lighter pockets (both literally and $). Had my eyes rechecked after four months and they were back to my normal excellent vision.

Can't say absolutely that the Palm was the problem, but it looks suspicious to me. (sorry about the pun)

I had downloaded books to the Palm, so perhaps I spent more time reading the screen than others would.

I am in the market for a cell phone that syncs with Outlook's address book though. It's annoying to have to update a phone number in two places.

 

[Cindy B]

My DH had to have a color Palm when they first came out a few years ago. He found, like the other poster, he was fine with contacts on a PC and a calendar at work.

He sold the Palm on Ebay for more than he paid for it.

 

[dkostel]

I have a Dell Axim V50 and I wouldn't recommend it. Although the one I have now works, it is the 4th one (yes fourth). The problems that sent the first 3 back weren't the same problems either. And, you won't hear many good things about Dell's customer service.
It is a good PDA if you get one that works, but good luck with that!

 

[bellarella]

The Palm Treo 700w, which Verizion now carries, but I'm sure will get to the other cell companies by Christmas may be just what you are looking for. It uses outlook, you can look at word documents, etc. It is a phone and a "palm" all in one. This means if you get an email while you are on the road, you will get "pinged" and be able to read it before you get home. You can synch it to your computer so that your calendar and address book will stay the same.

The reviews of the 700w aren't generallly as good as the ones for the 650 (which uses Palm's prorpietary software), but for someone who is new to the handheld world and is using Windows already, I think the 700w is the better choice. People who are used to Palm OS and go to the Windows based system have a learning curve, but for someone who is new, either system will have a learning curve and the Windows mobile OS will be more familiar and integrate better with the windows software on your computer.