Don't want to use your Pocket PC?

[Gremmie]

Ever not used your Pocket PC because you don't feel like fielding the questions that follow? Even though PDA's are typical these days, a color PDA tends to draw eyes, and I've found myself not using it in the public in order to avoid questions or to avoid looking rash (Haven't you seen thsoe people use cell phones without making an attempt to excuse themselves or talk louder than nessecary?)

[dean_shan]

I will use it in public but it depends where I am. If I am around younger children I try not to use it because they think that it is a GameBoy and want to touch it. (Grubby fingers are not allowed to come in contact with my baby :wink:)

[gareth]

There are times when it just doesn't seem appropriate to use it (apart from at weddings and funerals, obviously!)

But then, what kind of a choice do I have?

My XDA rings loud enough to make octogenarians turn round and stare, and then I can either stand in the street with something the size of a house in my hand :wink: or plug in the hands free and look like I should be locked up for talking to myself!

[Vincent M Ferrari]

I've noticed that a lot of people are using PDA's for entertainment purposes. On the NYC subway in the last two weeks quite a few people have either been:

A- Playing MP3's on some sort of PDA (Sony or otherwise), or
B- Watching digitized video on a PPC...

Generally, when I pull out my maestro to skip a song or lower the volume, I peek around to see if anyone is watching. When people see my headphones are plugged into a PDA, the general reaction looks something like, "I didn't know a Palm Pilot could do that..."

Kinda funny. I don't "hide" per se, but I am careful about where I take it out. There are a lot of loonies in the subway (me being one of them) and I can't afford to lose my baby :-)

[Rirath]

Certainly don't hide it, don't try to be showy with it either of course. Kinda hard not to stand out a bit though in almost any crowd. I can just imagine the looks the tablet pc users get. If the opportunity presents itself though I'm all for showing a group how the PPC can solve the problem / be applied.

What I hate though is when someone randomly walks up to ask about my "palm pilot" (Dell Axim) and by pure reaction I shut off whatever it is I was doing. I've got to stop doing that. :wink:

[gareth]

What I hate though is when someone randomly walks up to ask about my "palm pilot" (Dell Axim) and by pure reaction I shut off whatever it is I was doing. I've got to stop doing that. :wink:

I have the same paranoia - normally when I'm playing Solitaire at my desk...

[Bloop]

Personally I don’t like to take my PPC out in class, unless I really have to. The main reason why is because the first question everyone has is “wow, do you have any games on that” or “can I play a game”, also if I am playing some type of game a big circle forms then the teacher comes wondering what’s going on, and then takes my PDA away from me. (one time my teacher took it away, and when I got it back the stylus would keep popping out and the battery was drained completely) Also I went to a rich school that had a reputation of kids being snobbish and given everything on silver platter and I didn’t want it to make it look like I was, because I am not.

[seanturner]

When I first read this, I thought you meant if people used their ppc to try and look busy and avoid having to talk to people. lol, dang questions phrased in the negative...

[Janak Parekh]

In the old days, I used to shield it, because color PDAs were rare. Now, everyone is using them - even in the subway... so I don't mind pulling it out anymore. My friend even pulls out a Phone Edition device and no one comments, although I think I see people glancing his direction. ;)

But now, if my little cousins are around, that's an entirely different problem.

--janak

[sub_tex]

In the old days, I used to shield it, because color PDAs were rare. Now, everyone is using them - even in the subway... so I don't mind pulling it out anymore.

Well, that really depends on what subway your on. :lol:

I may be content using mine while traveling from Union Square to Times Square, but when i visit friends in the Bronx or an hour away in brooklyn? The PDA stays safely tucked away, and the $5 paperback book comes out instead. :D

[Janak Parekh]

Well, that really depends on what subway your on. :lol:
True.

I may be content using mine while traveling from Union Square to Times Square, but when i visit friends in the Bronx or an hour away in brooklyn? The PDA stays safely tucked away, and the $5 paperback book comes out instead. :D
Well, you actually should be more precise than that. If you're taking the IRT into Brooklyn to, say, Borough Hall, no problem. If you're taking the D into the Bronx, it's another matter entirely.

On the other hand, I see a broader array of people using handhelds. It's no longer for the well-dressed business types. I see kids and adults of all shapes, sizes and colors using Palm, Sony, and even iPaqs - and even on a Brooklyn-bound D train :D

--janak

[vincentsiaw]

hmm, to me the most anoying time is when i type email using stowaway keyboard at macdonalds, people look at me like i'm a lost dork typing into a pda at macdonalds :oops:

[Vincent M Ferrari]

In defense of the Bronx, that's where I start and end my journey everyday... It isn't all a war-zone :D

Anyway, since I recently made the conversion, having my PPC has been wonderful. I play MP3's loaded up onto my 128 mb SD card, and today I even watched an episode of South Park (with the guy next to me looking over my shoulder).

I don't know how I managed to stay a Palm user for that long with all this neat stuff waving under my nose...

Here's another place that pisses people off: Come out of a client, sit in the parking lot (in a primo space, preferrably) and check your calendar, make a couple of phone calls, and check your e-mail. You'll never get a dirtier look in your life!

[ipaq38vette]

[quote]Also I went to a rich school that had a reputation of kids being snobbish and given everything on silver platter and I didn’t want it to make it look like I was, because I am not.[quote] Same here . I hate when people stare.

[Gremmie]

Personally I don’t like to take my PPC out in class, unless I really have to. The main reason why is because the first question everyone has is “wow, do you have any games on that” or “can I play a game”, also if I am playing some type of game a big circle forms then the teacher comes wondering what’s going on, and then takes my PDA away from me. (one time my teacher took it away, and when I got it back the stylus would keep popping out and the battery was drained completely) Also I went to a rich school that had a reputation of kids being snobbish and given everything on silver platter and I didn’t want it to make it look like I was, because I am not.
Amen.

[Weyoun6]

I have to hide it often. I have virtually stopped using my keyboard since everyone is looking, asking, etc. It is very annoying. And whenever I am around young kids, If I bring it out, everyone asks to use it. I will be glad when pda's become as common as cellphones & gameboys.

Personally I don’t like to take my PPC out in class, unless I really have to. The main reason why is because the first question everyone has is “wow, do you have any games on that” or “can I play a game”, also if I am playing some type of game a big circle forms then the teacher comes wondering what’s going on, and then takes my PDA away from me. (one time my teacher took it away, and when I got it back the stylus would keep popping out and the battery was drained completely) Also I went to a rich school that had a reputation of kids being snobbish and given everything on silver platter and I didn’t want it to make it look like I was, because I am not.

Ditto. Since I have a ppc, therefore I must be rich.
Actually I just dont spend my monies on other things, such as cars, cd's, etc.

[Buddha]

I hide it sometimes, like others have said: it depends on what kind of environment your in. I will take it out in public places like a cafe, train, bus. But I might decide to leave my PPC where it is if for example I'm waiting to catch a train @night or stuf like that.

I don't mind giving a little 'demo' or answer some questions to people that show interest, although I have to agree that the attention can sometimes be disturbing if you are really busy (like writing a paper or something) on it. Children touching my PPC are a no-go. :twisted:

[dMores]

the first couple of weeks after i got my loox, i didn't feel comfortable using it in front of people. i guess i realized that not everyone is staring at me like i was staring at them back when i didn't have a ppc.

so now that i have gotten a lot more acquainted with my baby, i can jot things down pretty quick, and i use it anywhere. well, maybe not while walking down the street with rain pouring :)

[proutpa]

Don't be afraid to use your ppc's in public and don't worry about what people are thinking about you.

Believe it or not people couldn't care less.

I have used all my pocket pc's everywhere even places some people would feel uncomforatable and have done so without giving it a second thought.

Examples:
Cars, planes, pool halls, bars, restaurants, banks, waiting in lines, stores, bathrooms, etc..., etc....

Bottom line is if your not a dork and your are a confident person like me people won't even care.

But if your a dork, you will be a dork no matter what even walking down the street, pocket pc's have nothing to do with it.

I hope this helps :)

[wizardmaster2k]

well, i go to high school, and there are a lot of people that would most likely try to steal the dang thing when im not looking. when im with friends, at lunch, or in a classroom doing nothing, i dont mind. but when there are a lot of "hoodlum" lookin folk, i tend to be pretty hidden with it. when someone does see it, i usually say it is a calculator.

[paris]

Well i try not to but i hide it a lot, i remember back home when i took out my pocket PC to give someone a friends email andress or phone number or to reply to an sms my friends thought i was trying to show off.

A week ago i was at the University to get hold of my new time table, i had my pocket PC in my pocket but i did not take it out to note down the timetable i used a pen and paper instead, the place was full of students and i dint want to atract attention, if pulled it out everyone was going to stare at me and i hate that.

[Reinaldo]

Personally I don’t like to take my PPC out in class, unless I really have to. The main reason why is because the first question everyone has is “wow, do you have any games on that” or “can I play a game”, also if I am playing some type of game a big circle forms then the teacher comes wondering what’s going on, and then takes my PDA away from me. (one time my teacher took it away, and when I got it back the stylus would keep popping out and the battery was drained completely) Also I went to a rich school that had a reputation of kids being snobbish and given everything on silver platter and I didn’t want it to make it look like I was, because I am not.

Ditto. I am a freshman in High School and I had to move from my old middle school, where PDAs were as common as papers, to a less fortunate yet gifted with more programs high school. Reaction 1: Wow, you must be rich to have one. Reaction 2: Can I use it. Response 1: No. Reaction 3: Please. (So On) It is dangerous to have a PDA out in school, specially since there are those out there uncivilized enough to try to steal it. Thankfully, I never let go of my iPAQ. 'Till Pocket PCs are as common as PCs I guess.

[Jody Low]

In my experience, PocketPCs are not exactly chick magnets. By my estimation, a person's "got game" factor drops to negative digits while using a PDA. It is sad but true...of course this has never stopped me from using mine extensively in public. However, if better scenery abounds, the Pocket PC stays in my pocket.

[proutpa]

In my experience, PocketPCs are not exactly chick magnets. By my estimation, a person's "got game" factor drops to negative digits while using a PDA.

Boy are you wrong.

[Paul P]

Well, that really depends on what subway your on. :lol:

I may be content using mine while traveling from Union Square to Times Square, but when i visit friends in the Bronx or an hour away in brooklyn? The PDA stays safely tucked away, and the $5 paperback book comes out instead. :D

I second that, hehe, especially when traveling late in the evening. I was playing Snails once and attracted some 'negative' attention. Someone asked me how much I paid for it. Not wanting to attract even more negative attention, I did what any rational person would do - I lied and said it was a gift. At that point, I realized that I am not big enough to be seen with an expensive toy like that. :)

The window of opportunity to play closes after Atlantic. :D

[dhettel]

Hmm.... I must be the guy you all are hiding your PDA from. That's one problem I've never had to worry about. :twisted: O well.

David

[Rirath]

Believe it or not people couldn't care less.

I have used all my pocket pc's everywhere even places some people would feel uncomforatable and have done so without giving it a second thought.

Agreed, completely. I think the main problem is the way most folks use their PPC. They hunch over it like it's some kind of gold bar they're hiding from the world. What's worse is it seems half the people in this thread have some kinda paranoia that everyone is looking at them. People may glance, but chances are they are just looking around. They're not waiting to ask you for an autograph. The only thing I agree with is packing it away in unsafe areas. Just common sense.

Around here you don't see people walking with PPCs, so the ocassional question isn't uncommon. Just answer politely and go about your business, that's all they really want. No need to bust into the specs or to slam them for calling it a palm / ipaq.

Finally, to all the folks who think using a PPC at school makes them look "rich"... you're way off base here. Look, it's a simple well known fact using ANYTHING in school will make someone else jealous. If you can't take that then leave it in your backpack or whatever you do with it. But if you can deal with it, use it. I can't imagine the situation in which a "gaming circle" would form. How on earth are you going to carry a laptop to college if you're this freaked about a PPC now?

[proutpa]

Rirath, you hit the nail on the head.

[bbarker]

I will use it in public but it depends where I am. If I am around younger children I try not to use it because they think that it is a GameBoy and want to touch it. (Grubby fingers are not allowed to come in contact with my baby :wink:)
Of course, if you're using an iPaq (not a 1910) it looks like a GameBoy or a Star Trek prop.

Seriously, I don't care what people think when I use my Pocket PC in public. Sometimes I get asked about it, especially by people who know me. But that's always pleasant. Kids ask about games, but I don't do games. I'd love to remove Solitaire. (I do have Scrabble, but I haven't played it since just after I bought it 6 weeks ago.)

[pdantic]

I never hide my Pocket PC in public. I use a Pocket PC Phone Edition (as I'm sure YOU do!) and enjoy flaunting it on public. Guess I'm an exhibitionist! :lol:

It really doesn't seem to get as much attention as my Tablet PC does!

Steve

[Vincent M Ferrari]

You know Steve... I hate you :lol:

How is the Tablet PC? I desperately need a new laptop, but I'm thinking about the TPC instead... Which one did you get and what do you think of it?

[Macguy59]

Nah. I hardly ever get anyone asking me about it anymore. Now my iBook, is a different matter. When I whip that little beauty out people come a runnin :D I bet a tablet PC would attract it's fair share of groupies to.

[felixdd]

In University, there's a handful of people that have PPC -- including me. I'm also probably the only guy there with and regularly uses a HPC Pro to type notes. Occasionally -- I had two out at the same time, but I didn't really notice any extra attention.

But there was this one incident in my chem lecture...and since I'm lazy I'll just paste here what I sent to my friend over ICQ (who also attends the same lecture) describing the incident:

was in chem with bob today...and in a row lower than ours there was some guy fooling around with a Toshiba laptops (fairly large ones).
And there were 2 smartasses behind me that before the lecture started were commenting that using a laptop for chem is completely useless -- too slow, clunkly, big, unpractical for diagrams...etc...right when I was unpacking my "laptop" (NOTE: NEC MobilePro 770 -- much smaller than the Toshiba).
They also said that it would be more useful if a person had a palm.

So as I pulled out my PPC (note: Jornada 568) and I tilted my body to reach my coat pocket and it gave them a clear view of *my* laptop and one guy says to another person, "yo...look" and the other says, "nevermind I think I'll shut up now"

And then I finally pull out my PPC and start looking at the slides in acrobat...AND during the lecture I used pocket paint to draw diagrams on the NEC -- didn't touch my clipboard at ALL (I wrote sth down, but erased it cuz it wasn't needed)

they didn't say anything computer related for the remainder of the lecture.

[Noel]

SRO... LOTS of people with PDAs - With my iPAQ shining brightly, I prefer to stand/sit next to someone with a Palm.

:twisted:

Noel

[sgyee]

I'll get asked about my "PalmPilot" quite often when I use it. I end up demonstrating mostly the multimedia capabilities of my PDA.

It especially helps when one has "The Matrix" encoded to a PocketPC sized .MPG format !

[Rirath]

In my experience, PocketPCs are not exactly chick magnets. By my estimation, a person's "got game" factor drops to negative digits while using a PDA. It is sad but true...of course this has never stopped me from using mine extensively in public. However, if better scenery abounds, the Pocket PC stays in my pocket.

Perhaps we just like a different type of chick, but I've never had a problem with the PPC. In fact, it seems a great way to get a conversation going. Here's one that's came up a few times:

(sitting reading an Ebook outside class, waiting for it to start)
(girl) "Hey. So, what're ya doing?"
"Just finishing up this book while I wait. Ever read it?"
(yes/no) "Is that the entire book?"
"Yeah, actually I carry a small library in this. What type of books do you like?"

etc etc.

[adamz]

In my experience, PocketPCs are not exactly chick magnets. By my estimation, a person's "got game" factor drops to negative digits while using a PDA.

Boy are you wrong.

No kidding!! Maybe his isn't big enough. The ladies love it when I whip it out... at a restaurant for example, and then purchase movie tickets right there. I'm referring to my iPAQ 3970 with GSM pack, of course. The Meg Ryan orgasm ring tone comes in quite handy to interupt the conversation of my female companions thus returning their attention to me. And when I'm talking to a girl at a party and the music is too loud to hear a word, I'll say, "Some one should turn down the music so we can hear eachother! Here, I'll do it." as I pull out my iPAQ and switch the volume down with the Nevo Universal remote. Then maybe I'll drive her home while the iPAQ sits on the dashboard plugged into the car stereo and displaying music videos off of my 256MB SD card in the reflection of the windshield. That's also good for playing some music in the Hotel room. That little iPAQ speaker is quite powerful. Be sure you've got the right playlist loaded. Oh and then there's a couple eBooks of poetry, the mobile Kama Sutra... and of course having maps in Pocket Streets to show you where the nearby restaurants are, is always useful... not to mention the no-need-to-ask-directions I-never-get-lost factor.
Since I've been keeping my schedule in the PDA, I havn't once scheduled two dates at the same time! :)
Then again.. it's even more impressive if you memorize the movie times and restaurant locations without having to reference the Pocket PC in front of your date.

[Rirath]

:lol: Adamz, you're either completely out of your skull or insanely smooth. :twisted: Either way, creative stuff.
Hmm.. I've gotta try that windshield reflection thing once. Of course if it really worked I'd probably go for the geek factor and use it to display some kinda pseudo-HUD. :D

[GadgetDave]

The best time to take the PPC out is when I'm around people using Palm Pilots - they all end up jealous at some point. 8)

Seriously, I don't find many situations where I'm not willing to use it in public. What good would it be then?

[felixdd]

Adamz -- I hope when a girl asks you out you don't tap in your Ipaq and say, "I can't -- I got a date with [insert another girl's name]" ;)

But hey -- u da man 8)

[Job]

Generally avoid using it during class, mostly due to the unwanted attention it draws. It often depends on which class also. Never was a problem before with my sony, much less conspicuous, and the dull, grayscale screen never attracted any attention :wink: . Besides, I always feel a little subconscious recording my assignments on it. Oh, ya, and there is a small fear of confiscation, technically gaming devices and audio players are illegal in school.

[Saaby]

When my Axim comes (Ordered only a few weeks ago and mine wasn't the only one ordered at the time so it may be forever before I see it :( ) I wont' be afraid to use it at school--in fact I plan on purchasing a keyboard for the sole purpose of taking notes in one of my AP classes (Teacher likes to put typed notes on overhead and then make us copy them all)

Of course I'm spoiled in that
A) As part of a program last year (Different school) about 150 Kids (Not me) carried iPaqs around for half the year and
B) Now, as part of a different program (New school, same students) about 60 of us are getting Axims.


Kids are used to PDAs--teachers are used to PDAs...I'm on easy street :D

[Barbay1]

I love gadgets, and I don't mind if other people who like gadgets come up to me and ask me about PDAs. I think it's a blast to whip it out while waiting in line. Sometimes I go through a little repertoire on purpose -- books, videos, games, etc. if other people are looking over my shoulder.
That's how I sometimes find out about other cool gadgets myself.

I used to let other people play with it awhile, but after one case when someone started poking around and won't give it back, I felt a little violated, so I don't do that nearly as much anymore. I can't help wanting to share the fun, though.

[MoelBrain]

I'm a freshman in high school, and I don't have a problem taking out my PPC to take notes or write down assignments in class, but I don't play games in class. I also learn to be more carefull about who I lend it to, because I let some guys in my class borrow it to watch South Park during a theology movie and they got caught and it almost got taken away :shocked!:

[cyj]

It's true, at least in my case, that I was reticent about using the PPC in certain situations. But I finally told myself that I got it to utilize the time when I'm out and about, whether on the job, at a restaurant, whatever. And I've pretty much learned to ignore the stares, etc.

But I did have some experiences in two third-world countries. When I first pulled out the iPaq while travelling on a bus, I was amazed at the attraction it drew from people nearby. And the fact that they angled to get a look at it drew attention from other people many seats away from me that realized something really different was going on and they began to ask other people what it was that I had.

They were genuinely interested in what it was, asked all sorts of questions and were not at all shy about asking the price - which was more money than some of them earn in six months. My guides especially enjoyed the language translation software.

Still, when I travel like that again, I think I might like to invest in some cheap PDA with a monochrome screen as a companion...Maybe a cheap Palm...or do they make a monochrome Pocket PC?

[ppcsurfr]

Safety first!

I'm not pulling out my PDA in an area where I stand a chance of losing my baby.

I guess awareness about your surroundings helps in this aspect. Pulling out a PDA for a purposeful task doesn't attract as much attention as deliberately pulling it out just to show it off! Well, isn't that obvious...

In the airport for example... I really don't pull it out when I'm in an area open to the public... I'd rather wait until I get into the more secure area where only passengers are allowed and that's when I pull it out for some ebook reading, games or WMAs. I'd use it in a cab but not when riding the MRT (ralway).

ppcsurfr

[ctmagnus]

I plan on purchasing a keyboard for the sole purpose of taking notes in one of my AP classes

Ah, AP... The classes where a grade of 4 is an ace. :)

[joparp]

I use my iPAQ whenever I feel like I wanna use it...in the train, in the cab, and most of the times, in Starbucks.

And yes, safety is also my concern before I pull it out for use.

[JvanEkris]

i second PPCSurfer's opinion. No chance in hell i am going to take out my PDA if there is a chance of losing it. On the other hand, i use it for navigating in cities when i walk around.

I recon it is the same as six years ago with laptops and cellphones. The first time i used my laptop in the train six years ago, i was one of the first and had the felling everybody was looking. Not much fun. After a couple of days i figured it was their problem, not mine. The same with cellphones. Everybody looks at you like: "hey rich kid, where you get that from". Again, i figured it was teir problem, not mine.

When i walk into a train now, you see laptops and cellphones everywhere. At work my PDA is accepted, although they are teasing me with it. But i took revenge at my boss by finding the way to our office back when he was lost (:)), so somebody is slowly feeling the added value. In trains, thanks to the XDA, it has become more accepted as well. I think in a couple of years it is as common grounds, and nobody notices any more.

Jaap

[dMores]

actually, i get more looks when i'm walking around with my bluetooth headset on. i guess they either think "what's that weird blue insect on his ear?" or "somebody please lock this guy up in a mental institution, he's talking to himself".

hehe :)

a little story from my high-school days:
my dad once bought me a hewlett packard calculator, i'm sure y'all know the HP-48.
Well, the first time i laid it on my desk to do some calculations for math, my friends were all over it, even the teacher had to interrupt his "speech" because nobody was paying attention. guys were saying "whoa, cool. can you play games on that?" and the girls were going "oh my, what a waste of money. my $5.99 calculator can do pretty much the same".
but soon after they had all touched it once or twice, they got used to it. and i wasn't the show-off anymore, but just the kid with the huge calculator.
nobody was able to use it. i liked to play the game "i bet you can't add 1 and 1 with MY calculator", and they couldn't due to HP's RPN. (means you press "1" "enter" "1" "+")

just be confident about your gadget.

[taxus]

It's worse when you know the crowd.

I work in a big organization; I'm a tech support guy for 300+ people. When I go e-reading during launch hours, this is how it usually goes:

Are you playing games?

Of COURSE not. I'm reading.

On that?

Yes.

What is it? It's not a GameBoy?

No. It's a pocket computer. (Nobody knows "PDA")

And you're reading on that?

Yes.

Books?

Of course, books.

How do you put them in there? Where do you get them?

With my home computer, see the sync port there, and I buy them on the Internet.

But it's too small for reading!

Of COURSE not.

Are you sure? I could never read on such a small thing. How can you?

Of course, the whole point of going off to read was to relax, and I end up being pestered by technomorons. Eventually, I hope, everyone I know at work will learn that I don't play games on my PDA, that I'm reading ebooks, and that lo and behold! We're in the 21st century, that the planet is a sphere, that men actually walked on the moon, that dinosaurs went extinct because they couldn't adapt to change, and so will they. :D

[PapaSmurfDan]

Maybe I come from a different school of thought, on the whole matter, but I have no issue of using my PPC wherever I need to, including class, clubs, or hockey games. For all of you students worried about using it in class, I don't know how well lit your classes are, but turn your backlight off. In many cases, especially if you are jotting down notes, it will work fine. I have never had any weird looks, just the usual, 'wow! How did you get your Palm to do that' type stuff or the 'Wow, thats a really good color screen on your Palm there', *sigh*.

The big deal with highschools in the US are, most don't want to embrace technology. When I had a Newton mp100 why back when (If you have the balls to call the Axim a brick, you have never used a Newton), I allmost got it taken away becuase no one knew what it really was and the teacher couldn't figure out what I was doing with it. The fact that he couldn't comprehend handwritting recognition confused him. I guess my handwriting disappearing and turning into text was black magic in 1995. However, becuase the Palm/PPC's are too small to really be an effective freehand note device (at least without that electronic clipboard device that someone sells), I can't really see it helpful for high school kids (unless you are lucky and have notes/assignments online). Also the bulitin note app of the PPC is missing a key feature for pen based input, toggable shape recognition. This feature alone made the Newton VERY useful in note taking, draw down a chart, and it automaticly made your lines stright (when it thought they were lines) and left the curved stuff the way it was.

College is a different matter, and in reality, many people have palms/ppcs and use them for note taking. Professors have been used to students using laptops for the past 6 years, so there is no real issue to begin with.

The only two times I get strange looks are, when I am at a coffee shop and break out my Pocketop keyboard and start hammering a paper or e-mails away, or I am at the gym on the threadmill or eliptical watching a TV show or movie. It is not so bad if you go to a geeky college, but even then I still get questions (more so about the keyboard). However I am a bit careful what I watch in the gym, I offended some lady next to me becuase I was watching with headphones an episode of the Family Guy and she was watching over my shoulder.

But Palms and PPC's are common now. Anyone who has walked into a consumer electronics store has seen them and played with them. Safety (for yourself and device) and courtesy should be the two reasons why you don't pull out your handheld.

My 2 cents.
-Dan

[Raynne]

I use mine all the time on campus when I am killing time waiting for a class to start. I know, I know, I should be doing my work, but oh well. I have never had anyone ask me a question about it at all. Maybe I am too scary for them to approach. LOL

[yunez]

However I am a bit careful what I watch in the gym, I offended some lady next to me becuase I was watching with headphones an episode of the Family Guy and she was watching over my shoulder.
How did that offend her?

[adamz]

:lol: Adamz, you're either completely out of your skull or insanely smooth. :twisted: Either way, creative stuff.


A little from column A, a little from column B! :)


Hmm.. I've gotta try that windshield reflection thing once. Of course if it really worked I'd probably go for the geek factor and use it to display some kinda pseudo-HUD. :D

Yeah, I've got one of those no-slipping things that you put on the dashboard. In order to get the HUD to work, you might have to put a riser under the PDA to get it to sit at the right angle depending on the angle of your windshield. If I had a GPS, the HUD technique would be very cool! But obviously it would only work well at night.

Regarding the people who're posting what they get asked when seen in public with a PDA. I often, at some point, get asked "How much does it cost?"
"$750 for this piece, $400 for this piece, $150 for this piece."
And then I'll throw in... "But there's other models that are only $300"

[bbell98]

But now, if my little cousins are around, that's an entirely different problem.


Ditto Janak... I made the mistake of letting my 4, 6, and 9 year old cousins play w/ the PocketNES nintendo emulator.. Now whenever I see them they ask "did you bring your little computer?" It's especially cute when the 4 year old asks. :)

I don't like the finger smudges or the spit dropplets (formed from them making sound effects) .. but I think it's neat to let such a young crowd use any technology.

-Bob

[PapaSmurfDan]

However I am a bit careful what I watch in the gym, I offended some lady next to me becuase I was watching with headphones an episode of the Family Guy and she was watching over my shoulder.
How did that offend her?

Have you ever watched Family Guy? I think they had a goal to offend every person in the world. I was watching the episode where Peter is sent to a women's camp to bond with his feminine side. There is enough in there, without any audio, to offend a bunch of people I know. Its one of the reasons why I loved that show (and have every episode converted to a PPC sized divx).

-Dan

[bbell98]

For me, it varies depending on the place..

I use my Jornada at the coffee shop all the time. It does draw some attention w/ the Stowaway and earbuds; but, I like talking to strangers and if they are real interested, I give a brief demo/explanation. I should also note that at the coffee shop I've made friends with and helped a Palm convert through his conversion.. :) This might not have happened if I kept my PPC hidden!

Now at the YMCA I was using my PPC to track my workout.. I did feel a bit shy about it but I'm a data guy who loves numbers, so what can I say? I eventualy opted to buy a workout key (provided by the YMCA) that you actually plug into the machines, etc.. so I no longer use my PPC while working out.

In Sunday school I still use my analog Bible.. err, my paper version. ;) Maybe it's because I don't have NIV on the PPC, but I think it's more that I don't want to distract anyone.

In the 4-5 months that I've had a PPC, I've become more and more comfortable using it in public..

-Bob

[HOLLYWOOD_]

ADAMZ --

Up your game a bit more. Make sure to have trailers for all the movies currently playing at the cinema loaded onto your PPC. Then, when you and your date are deciding which movie to go to, and you tell her you want to see "The Recruit", and she asks "What's that one about", you can play the Trailer for her !!!!! 8)

[Traveller]

I've been using PDAs of all sorts for business and I find them a good icebreaker when meeting new clients/business associates. Instead of talking about the weather or how's your flight etc. I can answer questions regarding my PDA (which is now an iPaq 3950). And if the client also has a PDA, you've got yourself an immediate friend.

I have not found them common in business as one would expect. Many still rely on their paper agendas and the ones out there are Palm Pilot type units which are used more as contact and date organizers. Rarely do I see people use them to take notes like I do. Of the PDAs I've used, I get questons only when I use my Newton MP2100 or iPaq. In the beginning, I would get questions on my Palm Vx but those questions tapered off as Palms became more popular.

All I know now is that if I don't want a lot of attention with my iPaq, don't play any movie trailers and keep the sound off.

It should be interesting to see the response now when I pull out my new hp Compaq Tablet PC.

[whitey]

I got myself a nice leather case for my ipaq so now when i take it out, flip it open and use the stylo on it it looks like im writing in somekind of agenda. If someone notices it then sometimes i'll answer their questions. A friend of mine with his PPC Phone ed. gets sometimes comments like: Wow, thats a big cell phone!!! :?

[dean_shan]

SRO... LOTS of people with PDAs - With my iPAQ shining brightly, I prefer to stand/sit next to someone with a Palm.

:twisted:

Noel

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that enjoys doing that as well. :twisted:

[Saaby]

actually, i get more looks when i'm walking around with my bluetooth headset on. i guess they either think "what's that weird blue insect on his ear?" or "somebody please lock this guy up in a mental institution, he's talking to himself".

hehe :)

a little story from my high-school days:
my dad once bought me a hewlett packard calculator, i'm sure y'all know the HP-48.
Well, the first time i laid it on my desk to do some calculations for math, my friends were all over it, even the teacher had to interrupt his "speech" because nobody was paying attention. guys were saying "whoa, cool. can you play games on that?" and the girls were going "oh my, what a waste of money. my $5.99 calculator can do pretty much the same".
but soon after they had all touched it once or twice, they got used to it. and i wasn't the show-off anymore, but just the kid with the huge calculator.
nobody was able to use it. i liked to play the game "i bet you can't add 1 and 1 with MY calculator", and they couldn't due to HP's RPN. (means you press "1" "enter" "1" "+")

just be confident about your gadget.

He he--I'm the only kid with an HP (HP-49G but I want a 48 to go with it) calc in my school. Thanks to RPN nobody ever asks to borrow it...more than once.

[nosmohtac]

I have to agree mostly with all of Rirath's posts in this thread.
I work for the railroad, and our rulebook has gone from a little book the size of a checkbook to nearly briefcase sized. We are required to have it with us on the train at all times to reference rules and safety guidelines.
My company started making the rulebooks available in palm format on their website and many employees started buying palm pilots. I went shopping a few years ago and was very impressed with pocket pc and went that route. I love fielding questions from coworkers and strangers when I whip out my pocket pc. I politely correct them when they call it a cool palm pilot, and show and tell them them the differences between pocket pc and palm. I get some grief from some when I tell them I paid $500 plus for my ipaq 3970, but I have had several coworkers switch to pocket pc after many demos and discussions. In the last 2 months four of my coworkers have bought Dell axims and one is looking for a 3970.
I explain that a palm pilot is a very useful organizer but, once a person decides they want or need color, why go for the limited palm platform (m130-w/small screen and $239 price before rebate) when you can get a beautiful pocketpc with transflective screen and far more RAM and expandability with either the Dell, 1910, or viewsonic.
I love doing different things in public with it to bring attention to it and have people ask me how do you do that. I was recently having a burger at my neighborhood McDonalds. They have two TV's for their patrons, but they are usually set to the weather channel. I love sparking a conversation by asking people if they are watching that channel or if they mind if I change it. I then take out my iPAQ and change the channel to a news channel and everyone looks and asks "How did you do that with your palm pilot?". Bang...the door flies open for me to show what you can do with a pocket pc.
The only thing left for me to do now is, start a pocket pc users group in my area. I recently got a voyagercf presentation card, and if my boss will let me borrow the projector, I'm set.

[hegedusa]

I have no qualms about using my pda in public at all. On my train journey to and from work, you look unusual if you haven't got a laptop out (most people play freecell on their laptops), or you're texting friends on your phone, setting ringtones on your phone (most annoying) or just playing whatever is the latest downloadable game for your phone.

It doesn't even faze people when the train is delayed and I check the train company's web site on my PDA to find out what the delay is, and tell everyone else in the carriage, then we find out that we know more than the driver!

So yes, I would never feel awkward doing so, especially as I've just got one of those new Palm Tungstens, which look a lot more impressive than other larger PDAs (well, for the moment).

Anthony

[rzanology]

Well,...i tend to be a bit of a palm killer. I love pulling out my 3970 when I see people with those lil itsy bitsy palms. Other than that...I usually sit on the 2 train in NY watching music videos or parts of movies I've converted the night before. I don't really try to attract attention, but there's always someone looking at my screen (which by the way...as we all know is pretty damn bright). I love playing tomb raider as well...that tends to turn heads.

[WillyG]

Avoid using it public? Heh, nope dont think so. Im a damn proud PPC user ;)
I use my Pocket PC both as a tool, and for fun. If someone asks me what it is, i happily explain to them. If a Palm user walks up and are curious thats an extra bonus :lol: If he/she's and Palmentousiast and want an argument, ill give him/her just that, he/shes doomed, i cant loose :lol:

oh, that reminds me: *makes note* *write bill to Microsofts marketing department*

[hegedusa]

I've got a palm tungsten AND an Ipaq 3870. I use the latter for navigation using the TOMTOM navigator (excellent product). I use the Palm as an organiser. Having both a palm and a pocket pc, I can understand all the arguments for/against each. But to be honest, the tungsten's just a little bit more usable for me, and it's smaller. That's just a tiny little bit more usable, not a lot.

What irritates me about the pocket pc is that it's Windows-y. It hangs, crashes and doesn't seem as quick to get to what I want. But then, if I started to use it again, I'd probably change my mind.

Basically, the tungsten LOOKS nicer. To me.

Anyway, I'd use either in a crowded train. Sometimes just to see how many bluetooth phones I can connect to.

[dotcomguy]

My spring classes started today and I had my first opportunity to really use my new PPC. I found it handy to have it out on the desk during class though I don't take notes on it. I used it quite a bit all day and didn't really get asked about it much. I think I will use this much more than I did my old Palm. :)