New device, What software should I install???

[thepro8]

I'm getting a Samsung I730 tomorow and I'm starting to put a list together of the software I need to install. I have a list below, but let me know if there is anything else I should put on the device. I'm going to be always connected to the internet with evdo, I'm going to use it in my car a lot and for business a lot since I'm in sales. I'll have a 1 gig sD gcard to fill up.

Apps I'm currently planning on installing
-A bunch of games including gameboy advanced emulator
-MS Money
-norton Antivirus
-Omega One battery pack
-AIM
-Pocket Streets
-Wisebar
-Pocket Music

[njl2016]

I'd stay away from the antivirus software. It really isn't necessary.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

i wrote this out for another forum about a different question, but it may be of help:

'I've had limited experience with Palm, what I have had has unfortunately largely been negative. So instead of focusing on the differences between Palm and PPC, let me outline what I use my PDA for, and see if you can take any pointers from that experience.

The main functions are of course the things that allow me to do my job better i.e. the PIM functions. For this I have Pocket Breeze, Contact Breeze, Pocket Informant and WebIS Mail. PI allows me to organise my appointments, meetings, presentations, tasks and so on far better with Outlook than the built in apps allow. I work as an economist at a major fund manager, and tracking and monitoring news and economic data releases is an important part of my work. With PI and Pocket Breeze together, with three quick taps I can find out which data is being released on any given day, or week or month, or even a selected period I define. WebIS Mail of course allows me to sync e-mail beyond the accounts tied into Outlook. For this I also have installed Laplink PDA sync, because my company uses Lotus Notes at the office.

For out of office work, I have Textmaker, Planmaker, Pocket Slides and Pocket Plan. TM and PM replace Pocket Word and Pocket Excel respectively, with far more features and functions. They are also fully compatible with their desktop equivalents. Pocket Slides allows the editing and use of Powerpoint presentations, while Pocket Plan is the PDA equivalent of MS Project, a project management tool. For help in my MSc course, I use SpaceTime, a graphical calculator that can manage regression analysis and matrices. The latest version also includes algebraic calculation and Version 2 due out later this year adds physics functions. NoteM, a very good freeware mp3 audio recorder, I've used for recording both lectures and meetings.

For data and text input, I use the USB Host function available with my PDA to attach a USB keyboard and mouse (see my article here for more information on this: http://www.mypdacafe.com/articles.php?id=219). It also helps when both my wife and I need to work in the evenings, so we don't need to fight over who gets to use the PC. For communication, I have of course a GPRS account (using my bluetooth phone) as well as a subscription to TMNet Hotspot (WiFi). To help manage my phone, I have Running Voice GSM which helps with handling SMS as well as simplifying the calling of contacts. I've heard that MS this week has released Business Contact Manager for PPC, which adds customer relationship management functions to the PDA and would be very useful for people involved in sales, although this goes beyond what I need. I also have Skype (VOIP softphone), but I have not begun using it as yet.

I am currently experimenting with RSS feeds from the major news sources (using pRSSreader and Newsbreak) to help monitor breaking news. I also have of course Avantgo for more detailed news, as well as Mobipocket Reader's eNews facility. For monitoring stock prices (or at least global indices), I have for the last six months been using Tiny Stocks Stock Manager, which uses publicly available stock information, and has charts, portfolio management and programmable alerts. At least one of the information providers licensed by the Bursa Malaysia have PDA versions of their stock analysis and management programs - including real-time stock information and order taking.

For managing personal information, I have eWallet for secure information keeping, WebIS Money for financial management (bank accounts, credit cards as well as investments), and Listpro to manage shopping, bill paying and checklists.

For multimedia I have Betaplayer for movies, WMP for mp3s, Audibleplayer for audiobooks, and SPB Imageer for pictures. Movies look very good on my PDA, and I've found it useful for long trips keeping my wife and daughter occupied (would you believe Sesame Street? Good example today, my daughter wouldn't stop crying when we were at my in-laws place. Just plopped her down with the PDA running Sesame Street calmed her down). Again USB Host functionality has been invaluable, allowing me to switch movies around from an external hard drive. I have an account at Audible.com, which provides not only the latest best sellers on tape, but also periodicals like the Wall Street Journal that I can listen to on the way in to work. The latest books I've read/listened to was Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Effective People, and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Because both my digital camera and my PDA have a CF slot, I can copy photos immediately for viewing on my PDA, which I use as a small photo wallet. Pictures I want to archive go to my external hdd. Oddly enough, I barely if ever listen to mp3s at all, though I did convert my entire CD collection to mp3 last year.

Other stuff I use:

-Microsoft Reader and Mobipocket Reader for e-books (member at Fictionwise.com, I now have in access of 200 books on my PDA including stuff I scanned myself).
-Frequency Tuner for tuning my guitars (I had an interesting discussion once with someone about using this app to help in cutting golf club shaft sets to the correct frequency steps).
-Pocket Artist (the latest version is close to being a Photoshop equivalent)
-Pocket Quran (if you're interested, there are any number of bible readers as well, or you might want to check out the Analects of Confucius or the Tao-Te Ching, both of which are available at the Gutenburg Project)
-Vito Remote to use my PDA as a remote control
-Mapopolis and Pocket MV for GPS maps and routing (still testing this one)
-PocketDOS to indulge in my nostalgia for old dos games
-SPB Weather for weather information
-Currently looking at golf scoring apps to help manage my golf game and handicap

My typical workday would go something like this:

1. Sync my PDA to get the latest news, e-mails and info from the night before, including global market updates.
2. Check my tasks and appointments to see what needs to be done today.
3. Take down whatever groceries my wife wants me to get that day.
4. On the way to work, listen to the latest Wall Street Journal bulletin, or an audiobook I'm working through.
5. Sync my PDA at work to get the latest work e-mails.
6. Hold my morning briefing for my company's analysts and fund managers, including informing them on upcoming data releases that may affect the market.
7. At my desk, with my PDA in its cradle periodically monitoring news and stock movements. I also run Dockware which acts as a slideshow/screensaver with pictures of my family.
8. At lunch read a book, view a movie, go on the internet, grocery shopping from my shopping list, or playing games, all on my PDA.
9. Review the current days data releases and do a short write-up for the next morning's briefing.
10. Continue my audiobook on the way home.
11. Usually finish my day continuing reading a book or news on my PDA, before getting to bed (in between checking in at MyPDACafe of course!)'


I might add the following list:

1. Betaplayer (for some reason I left that out)
2. A decent file explorer, like Resco, or Total Commander and GSFinder+ (freeware alternatives)
3. A decent browser, like PIEPlus, Multi-IE, Net Front or SPB Pocket Plus (has PIE improvements)
4. While I like Battery Pack, I find that it slows things down some. If you're looking to just monitor battery life, then I would recommend AE Uptime:

http://ae.inc.ru/uptime_t.html

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

I might add the following list:

1. Betaplayer (for some reason I left that out)
2. A decent file explorer, like Resco, or Total Commander and GSFinder+ (freeware alternatives)
3. A decent browser, like PIEPlus, Multi-IE, Net Front or SPB Pocket Plus (has PIE improvements)
4. While I like Battery Pack, I find that it slows things down some. If you're looking to just monitor battery life, then I would recommend AE Uptime:

http://ae.inc.ru/uptime_t.html
I can absolutely vouche for every point here. For me, BetaPlayer / Resco File Explorer (or TotalCommander) / MultiIE (or PocketPlus) / Uptime would probably common recommendations I would make to any PDA owner.

Great dump of information BTW. Thanks for sharing! :D

[GSmith]

If you want to keep up to date, informed, and entertained with news, blogs, and podcasts: FeederReader will let you download any RSS feeds, listen to podcats, and watch videocasts. I highly recommend it! ;-)

Greg Smith
Author, FeederReader - Pocket PC *direct* RSS text, audio, video, podcasts
www.FeederReader.com - Download on the Road

[victore]

Greg, good plug for your software. I'll have to check it out.

[SteveHoward999]

These are the main things I cannot do without, in no particular order:-

- Celeris Virtual Pool is a fantastic Pool sim for a little relaxation ...
- Skype for messaging and VoIP (voice over IP - internet telephony) - but the current version crashes my Toshiba E830 when running in true VGA mode
- Calligrapher for improved handwriting recognition, plus cool macros.
- Wisebar Advance
- Birdsoft UltiPlanner - although I think there are probably better, more popular 'Outlook' enhancers.
- Microsoft Reader
- Pocket Streets
- Beta Player
- Real Player (I use it only for internet radio)
- ReenSoft PIEPlus for enhanced web browsing
- TaubAPI Advanced Explorer to boost the crappy File Explorer and foir registry browsing/editing
- PHM Registry Editor
- TillanSoft PocketTweak - several simple tweaks like menu animation, clear type, clear history ....