Pocket PC; Toy or Tool?

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=1989' target='_blank'>http://www.ppcw.net/?itemid=1989</a><br /><br /></div><i>"With more and more colleagues and friends using PDAs these days, it's interesting to observe the different "PDA habits". Besides the observation that Pocket PCs are becoming the clear winner with beginners, more interesting is the question how long does it take that somebody becomes used to switching from analogue to digital in information management, or in simple words: how long does it take to become familiar with these little devices? When is the time that the initial "toy" becomes a useful tool?"</i><br /><br />Dr. Wolfgang Irber has posted a very thoughtful article over at PPCW.Net. In it he examines how a PDA can move from a useful gadget, to a time consuming annoyance and finally an indispensable tool. He makes a very good point that it takes time to changing you way of operating from analogue to digital. I.e. he's not talking about getting to know the PDA and OS in question, but the whole notion of how you think, as well how you organise, sort and retrieve the long term and day-to-day data you need. If your habits still follow the old patterns learned over years, then your expensive PDA will remain a little used toy.<br /><br />It's interesting that after Dr. Wolfgang's 'honeymoon period with his Pocket PC, he hit problems that often consumed more time to fix then the time he saved with the new technology. He also found that the most useful way of solving the problems was to search for information on the Internet. Well, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/index.php?sid=ec68f01b8c643bdbb1491c70dc3f16e0">who would have thought that</a>? :wink: He says that the more you can do with a PDA, the more you use it, the more you understand it and the more you benefit from it. To sum up, here's a particular thoughtful quote from the article: <i>"Recently I was asked by a colleague who was sitting next to me in a meeting while I was writing notes using the PDA: "Hey man, do you actually use it for everything?" I thought about it for a moment and replied: "Yes, almost." </i> So, could you answer the same and what are your thoughts on the subject of toy vs. tool?

[bridgecrosser]

I was a long-time Daytimer/Franklin Covey paper planner user and could not imagine swithing to digital organising. But the first time I saw the little Palm V (1999) and thought about how cool it would be to have one, I switched. But not without hardship and hassle! Even after moving to a Jornada 548, and loving the device, I became frustrated with learning to think digitally and not on paper. I wrestled with the big picture view of my schedule, and even went back to using paper once. But I was only using a paper planner for two weeks and realised that I was much more efficient using my iPAQ that using a paper planner. I migrated back and will not switch again.

If you're new to PDA organising, you must give yourself time to work through the paradigm shift required for using the device. You must use it as your sole capture device and not try to use your paper planner and your PDA. If you truly make the break from paper and work through the mental shift required, you'll thank yourself many times over.

[jonathanchoo]

I agree...but the frustrating part can come again and again and again. Just two days ago my iPAQ and ActiveSync decided to stop co-operating (for no apparent reason) and after hours of uninstalling and reinstalling, back-up and restoring etc etc, I decided to hard reset my iPAQ and then spent another few hours rebuilding it today.

I won't go back to paper - but I atleast do have the option to switch to other platforms (PalmOS, SymbianOS, Linux etc).

[Tierran]

This guy definately knows what he's talking about. I had a Daytimer for five years before I saw someone's Palm back in 2000. I decided I had to have one and when I bought my IIIxe one weekend I sat down and entered all of my contacts into the computer. The only thing that kept me from throwng away the planner was I didn't know if I could make teh change to digital but I decided to do it, I'd go cold turkey. I never touched my paper planner again and after a few months I could answer like Dr. Wolfgang when asked if I did everything with my PDA.

[Dennis]

Strange enough, I've never been able to use a paper planner or a Rollodex. :oops:
The first time I bought a PDA (I can't remember which it was, but it's a long time ago - I'm an early adopter!), I had no problem shifting to it 100%!

Today, I work as much as possible paperless.

My colleagues are the only reason why I still use paper documents and note-pads:
They don't understand - and judge negatively - how I can go to a meeting hands in pocket and take out my PDA for note taking and reference searching!
So, too make them happy I carry around an (empty) briefcase and keep working only with my Pocket PC PDA!! :?
It's about time mentalities change...

[ctmagnus]

The only thing holding me back from going 100% purely digital (I still reach for a piece of paper and a non-stylus writing instrument for a quick scribble from time to time) is HWR. I've never been a SIP-keyboard speed freak (ROM-based, Fitaly or otherwise) and Calligrapher is vastly improved over transcriber but there's still the occassional time when I enter a word with Calligrapher and get Fr^={P%x. I plan to purchase PhatPad in the very near future, though, and live the digital lifestyle to the fullest!

[ricksfiona]

So, too make them happy I carry around an (empty) briefcase and keep working only with my Pocket PC PDA!! :?
It's about time mentalities change...

You must be working with an older crowd? I know what you mean.

I'm the young guy (I'm 37, so you know who I'm talking about) who goes from meeting to meeting, taking notes with my PDA/keyboard. I always get weird looks. Especially from the older crowd.

When I went from my Palm IIIxe to my iPAQ 3870, I put the Palm device in the parts bin. I then gave it to a friend who wanted to get a PDA, but couldn't afford one. She only used paper until that time. It only took a few weeks for her to consider her PDA and indespensible tool. Now she wants a color one!

I've used my laptop once in the last two years. No platform is perfect and PPC can use some work, but it's pretty good :D

[Glisson]

I work mainly digitally. Desktop to laptop and Pocket PC. I work construction as an Electrician and quite often a piece of cardboard and a sharpie for a quick note or list is the tool of choice. Often because I have to hand that info off to another person or because it's simply faster and more convienient for quick short term notes like a measurement that won't matter in 5 minutes. I made a tool pouch that houses my Dell Axim X5 in an Otter box and has places for a few tools as well so it's always on me. I still track time, material, manpower, and job notes on my Ax but haven't been able to go quite 100% digital although everyone I works with thinks that I do. I bought my first PDA ( Casio BE-300 ) for helping me remember dates, and numbers. It never ceaces to amaze me how many ways you can find to integrate a PDA into you work/leisure life. I'd be lost without mine now.

Glisson

[Take1]

For me it's a lifestyle accessory. I do use it for PIM, but probably 15% of the time (tells me when to do what or reminds me of this or that) and e-mail a reference/note for workl., etc.. The rest of the time it's used for leisure activities: reading eBooks (haven't read a paper book for quite a while now.... some 3.5 years), news (AvantGo and Handstory keep the world at my fingertips) while on the go, and WFi + PIEPlus while at home . Video and Audio aren't used much (the occasional Enterprise episode fore lunchtime viewing.

Tried gaming on the PPC but really can't get into it = Bejeweled is nice, once in a while.

[JimPAQ]

Funny I never really thought about the transition that I went through to get from paper to digital. After reading this article I kind of stared at the ceiling for a while and thought about it and I realized that it did take years really. In fact, I would say it's kind of an ongoing process. There are still some things that I don’t do on my PDA like making coffee and vacuuming the house. :wink:

--Jim

[Vidge]

Before my first PDA (the original Pilot 5000 in 1996), the only thing I kept was a calendar & an addressbook. Actually, I used to keep 4 calendars: the "bible" which was the first place an appointment was entered, one on the computer, one in my purse, and one on the wall. I used to panic that one or the other calendar had not been updated. Then I saw an ad in an Egghead catalog for a new device that would allow me to sync to the desktop calendar. I got on the waiting list right away and received mine in May 1996.

There was no transition for me, just more than a few "a ha" moments. Over the years, my PDAs have gotten more and more sophisticated and I am doing more things with them. However, I have had to spend way too much time tweaking them to do what I need for them to do. Just today, I was commenting to someone about going back to the basics of why I got a PDA in the first place: to act as my second brain. I don't need to listen to MP3s or read books or play games. I need to retrieve data. My hp4155 is fairly pristine in that regard. I haven't loaded much on it in the month I've owned it. My T3, OTOH, is full. I intend to remove a bunch of stuff and start over.

My PDA for years has been a laptop replacement. Today I bought a new laptop because, while it's been cool to surf the web on my hp4155 & T3, the laptop is easier. I guess I'm a slow learner. I'm trying to learn to use the tools for the jobs that they were intended and to not try to get everything out of a single piece of equipment. We'll see if I am successful.

[bridgecrosser]

However, I have had to spend way too much time tweaking them to do what I need for them to do. Just today, I was commenting to someone about going back to the basics of why I got a PDA in the first place: to act as my second brain. I don't need to listen to MP3s or read books or play games. I need to retrieve data.

I Know what you mean. I, too, am making sure that I keep "the main thing the main thing" when it comes to my 4150 iPAQ. I have taken a lot of my programs off and have kept only Pocket Informant (a must have), Textmaker, Battery Pack One, and a few others I can't recall just now. I find I spend much less time "playing" when I use it for its intended purpose as a PIM and not a glorified laptop, MP3 Player, etc., good as it is at some of those things.

[Brad Adrian]

I know that if it weren't for my Pocket PC(s), I'd be forced to carry a notepad around with me wherever I go. When I was younger, I thought I was just "forgetful" or "absentminded." As an adult, though, I found out that I have a pretty drastic form of Attention Deficit Disorder. So, my Pocket PCs are more than just toys (even though they are fun); if it weren't for my Pocket PCs, I'd be an even bigger mess than I am.

So, my transition from toy to tool pretty closely follows my going from undiagnosed ADD sufferer to an adult who is coping well.

[bjornkeizers]

Personally, I've never enjoyed working with pens and paper or those bulky planners. When I got my first organiser (one of those Sharps) I stopped using a paper planner overnight. This was back in.. 1995 or so, when 10kb was all I'd need. Up to that point, i'd always been fascinated by computers, and I jumped at the chance to put one in my pocket and ditch the phonebook of a planner.

Over time, I upgraded: from my organiser to a Psion Siena. Then on to my first Palm; a Palm Pilot Professional shortly after its introduction in 1997. I was a pioneer. Most people didn't know how to use a PC mouse, so they were shocked and amazed at what I could do with it. It had my contacts, my appointments, my homework, I even read books on it. I still remember the first book I read on it: War of the Worlds. I read it *entirely* on my Palm. It was around 300 kb, and I had to uninstall some stuff for it to fit :D Seems silly now, doesn't it?

It pretty much snowballed out of control from there. Right now I'm at that stage that I can do literally everything with my PDA. In fact, I'm far more productive with my TH55 then I am with my laptop. WiFi, BT, always on internet, streaming radio... Office in the palm of your hand... I grew up with the technology, but for the average user, it's totally overwhelming. I would hate to switch from paper to digital nowadays.

[IpaqMan2]

Like others....
I had been a Franklin Day planner user for almost 10 years. Everything in my life was in my Planner. I couldn't live with out it.

A few years ago I moved to a PDA... It was hard, but right away I liked being able to carry so much in such a small device...and I was sold.

It was hard... took a few years of growing pains and finding the right software that would mimick my Franklin Day Planner use on a PDA, but now it as much of a tool in my life as education, a job, it's income and everything else. In my life, everything is now digital. My PDA has replaced paper and when I am not near my PDA, I'll hop on my computer and take notes, print them out, or send it to my PDA. Even reading books don't feel the same anymore if it's not on my PDA or some digital form...