PDA Advice

[pizzazz]

Okay, so I know I haven't posted on here in like 5 years, so I'm sorry for the leave.

But I need yer help. I've decided to enter the digital age. I'm going to upgrade from my paper and leather planner to a fancy PDA. I'm wondering if any of you journalist types have any advice for me in terms of the best PDAs you've found to be very useful for reporters. Is there anything in particular that I should look for or anything in particular you didn't think you'd want but then changed your mind once you started using it? I really don't know much about em yet, so if you can help an "old fart" out, I would appreciate it.

[CorkySherwood]

Originally posted by pizzazz:
Okay, so I know I haven't posted on here in like 5 years, so I'm sorry for the leave.

But I need yer help. I've decided to enter the digital age. I'm going to upgrade from my paper and leather planner to a fancy PDA. I'm wondering if any of you journalist types have any advice for me in terms of the best PDAs you've found to be very useful for reporters. Is there anything in particular that I should look for or anything in particular you didn't think you'd want but then changed your mind once you started using it? I really don't know much about em yet, so if you can help an "old fart" out, I would appreciate it.I thought you were going to ask about Public Displays of Affection, and I'm really against those.

And I use a paper organizer, I like crossing things off when I'm done with them, it's a great sense of accomplishment!

[omb]

You can cross them off in a PDA or you can erase them...whatever you like. Comparing PDA's to dayplanners is like comparing computer word processing to a manual typewriter.

As far as buying one, it depends on what you want and how much you want to spend. Do you plan to check e-mail on it? Do you want phone service on it? Do you just want a stand-alone device?

I started with one of the basics five or six years ago and spent about $200. That same amount now will get you something much nicer. But for much less, you can get something simple and try it out.

Palm is the lead brand in terms of devices and the operating system, but there are dozens out there. Some use Palm os, some use Windows.

There are websites that showcase thousands of software titles ranging from expensive to freeware. A former co-worker actually wrote some journalism-centered software.

With a PDA, you can do everything from....
keep hundreds of contact numbers with you.

stay current on appointments with alarm reminders.

download and read web content.

take story notes in meetings where you can't carry a laptop but can download them quickly back in the newsroom.

keep yourself occupied with games when you have nothing else to do.

[Cumulo-nimbus]

I bought a fancy PDA about a year ago. It's now collecting dust on my computer desk.

It seemed like a great idea at the time, and was a fun toy to play with for a while, but kind of lost its luster for me.

I just keep up with my appointments on the computer at work now. I found that the PDA was getting to be a pain to lug around all the time.

[pizzazz]

I think I will still keep my planner for things like appointments. I like crossing things off too :)

Mainly I am looking for a better way to organize my contacts, and a way to transport that resource out into the field. So if there's a good PDA where I could store contacts and then be able to search the contacts by name or job title or whatever, then that is what I'm looking for.

[Red Storm]

get a cell phone/pda or you will be pissed you have to carry another thing in your pockets...I have a blackberry and like it a lot...if you are using it for business get a blackberry. If you want to "play" more, get a treo or something else that uses palm os.