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I Need Your Advice: PDA Recommendations
By JLP | September 11, 2007
I have wanted a PDA for quite a while now. I haven’t purchased one yet because they are expensive and I don’t really know what I want. I have had my eye on the HP iPAQs but they seem pretty expensive. I also don’t know if I should get a PDA combined with a phone. In some ways it would be nice to have it all in one. On the other hand, I don’t really want to pay for unneeded services (my wireless phone service is with AT&T). If I bought the HP iPAQ without the phone service, I could still surf the internet at home.
I have also considered Blackberry but I don’t know anything about them.
My main desire is to have a PDA that will work with Outlook and Excel. For that, do I have to have a PDA with Windows?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Topics: Miscellaneous | 26 Comments »
September 11th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
I’ve had an Ipaq before, it was a nice device. I bought it used on ebay. However, It was hard to get myself trained to carrying another device everywhere I go, so I ended up not using it as much as I’d like and it just sat. I ended up selling it and I got a PDA phone, a blackberry pearl. This is a much better option in my opinion. It’s all in one, no worries about charging multiple devices, having all this bulk everywhere and so forth. I bought a 2gb memory card for it and its storing music, videos, email, games etc. Its like a PDA, phone and Ipod all in one. It’s also much cheaper this way, the phone was about $50 with a 2yr contract with t-mobile. PDAs are nice, but I think they will go extinct pretty soon. It makes much more sense to just have a PDA phone. Good luck.
September 11th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Friends like the Blackberry Curve, but because it is one of the newest models, it will be expensive even with a 2-year contract ($199.99).
September 11th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
It’s fitting that I’m composing this on my Palm Treo 700P. I’m a huge fan of it as it has a great screen, fast download, and it’s good with Office applications. Some say it better than Microsoft’s own Pocket office versions.
I like Sprint because you the fast network at a reasonable rate. If you go the PDA route look into Dell Axim’s. They’ve been discontinued, but still supported. Bargains are available on Craigslist.
September 11th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Yes I have to agree with Money Socket’s comment. I use to have a Dell Axim and a phone now I use T-Mobile MDA which works as my phone and PDA, ATT also has a smiler phone “AT&T 8525″. If you are buying a Windows mobile phone make sure you buy a phone that has Windows Mobile 6.
September 11th, 2007 at 2:51 pm
I have AT&T service and have the Cingular 8125 PocketPC. It’s a phone, camera and PDA all rolled into one, so I like it in that I don’t have but one device to carry around. I even use it as my only alarm clock. I travel often and really like the “visiting” feature that changes all the appointments to the local time.
It often just slows down to a crawl. I find myself rebooting it about every other day. I’m not running any non standard applications either.
It will synch with Outlook when connected via USB as well as Bluetooth (never tried Bluetooth).
It will not pull down mail except through the PC.
I will never get another device with onscreen buttons. They’re very difficult to dial without the stylus or some other pointing device. Forget about using one hand to dial.
The fold out keyboard backlight goes off too soon (perhaps there’s a setting but I can’t find it), so working in low light conditions is a pain.
One day it stopped using wifi again. One of these days I will call customer service again when I have some time to sit on the phone.
I use it with my NUVI 660 when on the road. In order to use the hands free / voice dial, I have to activate it through the phone rather than NUVI. Sometimes it hangs when I push disconnect. It disconnects from the NUVI pretty often, causing a round of “discover Bluetooth devices.”
I will look into the Blackberry for my next feature rich device…
September 11th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
After experiencing a Palm Treo, I would stay away from the combo. Unless you need to have email/net access on the PDA, it isn’t worth it. I MUCH prefer having a separate PDA and phone…if for no other reason that I don’t like holding a brick to my ear just to make a phone call!
The Palm OS has so much aftermarket software, much of it free, that I am inclined to go with them. Not sure what software is available on the WinOS. Check out tucows.com to see what kind of software each offers. A PDA is a PDA…the software is what makes it kick, so research that before beginning your search for a PDA model.
September 11th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
I have a Palm Treo 680, which I love. It combined my phone, checkbook, calendar, notebook, and flashdrive into one simple thing I can carry in my pocket. I have AT&T and find that this phone has the best reception of any I’ve had with them (I also have both a wired and Bluetooth wireless headsets for it which I can use at home or when driving, respectively. I don’t usually carry them with me). I can also use it as a modem for my laptop with no hassle, and it’s fast enough that I’d consider dropping home internet altogether in favor of it (but I’m not the only one who gets a vote in that).
The Treo 680 uses a Palm OS, but Excel and Word present no problems. I do have one password-protected spreadsheet I’ve had problems opening, but I think that’s across the board and there are ways to protect the documents through Palm so I could turn the password protection off. The synching software has given me a way to manage my contacts on my home computer, where I didn’t have anything before. And the games I’ve found (Monopoly! Sudoku!) help while away time in line at the post office or bank. I also use the HandyShopper freeware to keep track of shopping or to do lists.
My boyfriend is the techy, and he recommended this phone to me…but now he’s desperate for the Blackberry Pearl. It’s very pretty, to be sure, but mine is way too new to consider upgrading just yet. I wouldn’t bother with a pda without a phone–it’s not that much more to incorporate a data plan (especially if you can curb your voice usage by sending a text or email to make up the difference in cost). I had a Dell Pocket PC for a while, and I don’t even know where it is. It was the phone feature that made all the difference for me.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
I don’t bother with the PDA/Phone combo. I have an older ipaq and it has been going strong for about 4 years now. While I can’t use it as a phone or connect to the internet via cell phone service, it is almost always connected to me PC at home or laptop at work, so it is always connected to outlook and downloading emails as they come in so I have them when I’m on the run.
Plus, it has built in wi-fi, so with the availability of wireless hotspots now you can still find internet access quite accessible.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
I have an ancient Palm PDA which has served me well, but it has no internet or wi-fi access. Basically just an electronic organizer. My wife has an HP Ipaq PDA with wi-fi that has given her nothing but problems. She has pretty much abandoned using it. (Both were provided by our employers.)
I agree with others that a PDA/phone combination would probably be more useful. If I were to replace my Palm it would probably be with a Treo.
But on a more fundamental level, do you really want to get another tech gadget that soaks up your money, time, and attention? As an electrical engineer, I should be up on all the latest and greatest gadgets, but these things leave me cold. All I see are a bunch of dorky-looking men and women playing with these things in the airports while wearing those geeky cordless headsets; talking to themselves while pacing the floor, trying to look like a captain of industry to impress their fellow travelers.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Thanks everyone for your responses.
I think I’m going to go the separate PDA route.
Sam – the reason I want one is that I need to get my butt organized and a paper planner just doesn’t cut it for me. Most of the time it sits on my desk, useless. It’s too big to carry around with me so I don’t use it.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
I don’t have any personal experience with PDA’s, but Consumer Reports rates the Palm TIX ($275) pretty high for a full featured PDA and for a basic organizer the Palm Tungsten E2 ($200)looks like a solid choice.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I have the Mio P550, which is a Windows-based PDA with an integral GPS receiver. It’s great!! I sync with Outlook, plus I have a PDA version of Wikipedia on a Secure Digital card, in case I ever have to look up some trivial information. I use it to keep lists (ListPro) and a photo gallery. Before this unit I had an IPaq, which I also liked but it was getting outdated. The Mio has WiFi and Bluetooth built in; the Ipaq didn’t.
In the end, it really doesn’t matter what you get, because it’ll be obsolete by the time you get it home.
Oh, and I don’t have an “all in one” device because I figure that if it breaks, I’ve lost ALL my functionality. I have a plain old cell phone and a simple MP3 player.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
I love my Treo 650 Palm OS-based smartphone, but I do agree with Chris above that it is somewhat bricklike compared to the sleek pure cell phones available now. I bought mine used and unlocked from a co-worker over a year ago for $225.
However, the combined phone and mini-computer features that I get in a device like the Treo makes it worthwhile because I WOULD end up carrying two separate devices around with me anyway. (I did this for a while with a small Motorola cell phone and a Palm Tungsten T3 PDA–a very good standalone PDA with a high res, extra wide expandable screen that you might find used for a good price on eBay, by the way–and really prefer the all-in-one option.)
Palm OS does have an Outlook conduit as well as several different software options that allow you to view and edit Excel, Word, and PowerPoint documents on your PDA/phone. I use one called Documents to Go that came free with my Treo software bundle. Other indispensable Palm programs I use on my Treo are:
- Ultrasoft Money (Palm version of Microsoft Money that syncs with the MS Money desktop program seamlessly)
- HanDbase (Extremely customizable database program for Palm and Pocket PC and Windows Smartphone Ed. with a desktop module that allows you to effectively create your own programs for your handheld–mileage tracker, client list, shopping and packing checklists, inventories, photo journals, etc. The developer has a huge library of Handbase modules already made by other users and offered for free at http://www.ddhsoftware.com/gallery.html)
- ShadowPlan (A feature-rich outliner/project manager that links to your Palm Task list and also has a desktop module for easier data entry)
- Diet and Exercise Assistant (A food and exercise log)
I also have various programs to play Audible audiobooks, read ebooks and PDFs, web browser, and lots of games on the SD expansion card.
If you go with a Treo, I’d get one with wifi. The Treo 650, while equipped with Bluetooth, does not have wifi connectivity. I can still connect to email and browse the web via my T-mobile Tmobileweb/T-zones service ($5.99/month) as long as I have signal, but that is a lot slower.
Like Scarfish, I use this thing for so many tasks that I cannot imagine doing without it: calendar, finance manager, mp3 player, e-book reader, shopping/packing list, exercise tracker, diet planner, phone, address book, camera, email, web browser, mobile blogging, Word, Excel, to do list, games…. I go on vacations without packing my laptop now because I can get by with just my Treo.
That said, if you are willing to switch to T-mobile, you might want to look at the T-Mo Dash ($149.99 after rebate if you sign on for 2 years) which runs the Windows Mobile Smartphone edition if you want a Windows Mobile based smartphone that is thinner and lighter than a Treo. My husband and sister both have the Dash and are very happy with its features though it lacks the touchscreen of the traditional PDA and is more limited in the software it can run compared to a Pocket PC. To its credit, the thing is nearly indestructible, about 2/5 the thickness of my Treo, and half the weight.
September 11th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
My wife and I both have HP Travel Companion rx9515. We love them because it is a full pocketPC with the added benefit of a GPS. I use mine all the time, as does my wife. It makes it nice to be able to take notes, put in appointments, etc. and have it sync with Outlook when I get home.
We looked at the PPCs through our cell phone company, but I hated the small screens and having to pay for the service.
September 11th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
I have the HTC TYTN and love it. PDA and phone in one. It’s a quadband device with 3g capabilities. I just upgraded it to Windows Mobile 6 too and everything is working great.
September 11th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
I deal with several models of smart phones and PDAs for work (and my self) I personally have a Motorola Q, I like it. It syncs with out look, and can view MS Office files but cannot edit them.
I also have a Palm TX PDA. Probably the best palm device there is currently. Its great, also syncs with outlook, can edit office files etc.
I manage a few Tero 650s and 700ps (palm based) they are clunky and slow for the most part. iPaqs are nice devices but you will pay a premium for them.
A Blackberry is nice, its stable, easy to use and very reliable (great battery life too). Ive toyed with the curve, which I didn’t like. I now have a 8803 from Verizon I am playing with and it seems very good. Blackberry’s are heavily geared towards corporate users (the back end server settings are why they are outstanding, the user side is slightly above average and thats what you are looking for)
A stand alone PDA has the benefit of being cheaper typically, and also, if it breaks and you need it repaired you don’t lose your phone too. A smart phone allows you to carry a single device and sync your email no matter where you are, but you pay for that convenience. PDAs typically have a much longer battery life, but neither really out performs the others, and PDAs typically have larger screens, so if you want to be able to edit documents on the go, a PDA will probably be better for you (especially with an add on blue tooth keyboard)
September 11th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Yes those older Palms (formerly Handspring) are great. I have one from 2000 that still works and looks brand new, but I got an OBDII kit for it so it just stays in the garage.
I prefer simple and robust to fancy and fragile.
September 11th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
JLP: I am seriously considering a Treo 755p. I use Sprint, and can get a SERO plan with 500 minutes and unlimited data on their high speed EV-DO network for $30/month (Google it – it’s an employee referral offer that pretty much anyone can get in on).
Maggie: As far as I know, none of the Treos do wifi.
September 11th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
Forgot to mention… Blackberry requires an additional BB data plan for $40/month on top of your voice plan. They can’t make use of the regular Sprint network for data. It’s hard to justify that sort of cost if your workplace isn’t paying for it.
September 12th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I used to use the IPAQ which did everything I wanted. I also used it primarily to sync with outlook and ms word/excel files. I was hesitant to use a phone/pda combo until I got my MDA from Tmobile. It has many advantages over the IPAQ including: A slide-out keyboard, being able to look up outlook contacts and call them directly. But the greatest was the price. With a 2 yr tmobible contract, I got my MDA for only $49.00. Try getting an IPAQ at that price. There are no disadvantages that I’ve found.
September 12th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
I just moved up to a Palm TX, yes you can surf the net though your home wireless connection, I you are like me cheap and do not want to pay very high data connect charges. I got a blue tooth dongle so that I can keep my note book and PDA in sync, yes you can use the supplied cable, but I am a toy junkie. And the dongle is easier to carry that the numerous cords, that we all have.
September 12th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
fivecentnickel – Whoops, you are right. I looked into the other Treo models after my comment had posted, and sure enough, PalmOne has not equipped any of them with wifi yet.
JLP, if you are leaning toward the standalone PDA and don’t want to spend an outrageous amount, I’d like to recommend the slightly older but still fantastic Palm Tungsten T3. You can find very gently used ones on eBay these days for under $100 including shipping, which leaves you some spare change to buy the wireless card accessory (slides into the full size SD card slot) that will give give it full wifi web browsing capabilities. The T3 has a beautiful high resolution screen that actually expands when you pull the top and bottom of the case apart, making it much easier to work with spreadsheets. It comes bundled with Docs to Go so you can edit and create Word and Excel files, and it also functions as a voice recorder, MP3 player, and all of those other things I mentioned above in my Treo 650 plug minus the phone feature. There are also optional IR and Bluetooth keyboards you can buy for the T3 that make it a viable laptop replacement when traveling.
I’ve had one for three years (my sister had it for several months before that–bought it from Palmone.com as an open box, blemished product) and it still runs like a champ.
The only inconvenience lies in having to swap out any SD memory card you might have in the single SD slot for the WiFi card when you want to get on the web.
September 13th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Have you considered the mini Bubble Planner (www.bubbleplanner.com)? It’s a paper organizer that fits into your pocket. It is put together with cards and disc binders so you can add, move, and remove pages as often as you like.
September 14th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
My vote is for the Treo line of products. I have the Treo 650p and my girlfriend has the new 755p. Both very solid phones and PDAs. In my opinion it just does not make sense to carry two devices with the level the Treos are at now. Maybe it made sense 3-4 years ago. Anyhow, i use Sprint for service and Treo for hardware and have been very pleased.
September 16th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
WIN CE devices are crippled by virtue of the fact that they run the unstable, bloated joke of an OS made by microsoft. Until this year, the only usable PDA was made by Palm. I’ve used them for 8 years and they sync with Macs and Windows. Lots of 3rd party shareware and software. Does it work with Outlook? Who cares? Outlook sux.
However the best PDA is now made by Apple. Either the iPhone or iPod touch. Don’t like Macs? Then I pity you.
September 19th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Man, I miss my Blackberry.
I had one about 4 years ago through work and it was wonderful. I could send email, make phone calls with text (freaky auto voice that would read your text message), surf the net. Had my work email forwarded to it so I was still in touch even when I was traveling, which was quite often.
It is amazing how quickly you can adapt to the typing style (mine was one of the first that was a little larger than an old pager.)
Wonderful device.
I also have a PDA for personal use, Tungsten E2. Be very careful with any PDA to make sure you don’t get one that is a bad design. I originally chose the E2 because we have a Palm IIIe that still works after about 12 years. The E2 is nice but I have had trouble with the battery. Also, you can’t put much on it without expansion memory cards. But all in all, pretty dependable and useful when everything is considered.