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PDA Usage - An Analysis of PDA Habits and Styles
by Bob Schmerda
(NPUG #54)
02/17/2000
I brought in the new millennium in an interesting way, reviewing computing devices! What a way to end the century that included the information revolution. This article involves a true reflection of my personal computing usage since 1991. The weekend was quite a computing-adventure; I’d like to share it!
Note that WinCE is discussed here. There certainly are websites and developers that serve both platforms at the same time without being hypocritical. The needs can be specific to usage choices without starting a war. My hope in posting this article on NPUG is to provide a resource for NPUG members.
Perhaps you are wondering what the deal is with all the color multimedia handhelds from Casio/HP/Compaq? Or, maybe you’re wondering how the WinCE units might compare to the upcoming Palm IIIc? Or you might be thinking about supplementing your Palm with a keyboarded, wide-screen device? Whatever the case may be, my hope is that this article will be helpful and informative.
My method of review consists of description of units, statements of my usage habits in portable computing, and suggestions for reviewing your own portable computing needs.
Descriptions of Units
- The Palm Pilot 1000 is enhanced with Synapse pager card upgrade, including Palm III upgrade. Prices vary.
- The HP Jornada 680 is latest keyboard-based unit from HP. It is one pound, and has all basic applications for most personal computing users. $644 after rebate.
- The Casio E-105 is the latest stylus-based unit from Casio. It is “the full boat” with stereo sound, 65k color, 32MB, digital camera add-on. It has PIM applications and video/audio applications. $499.
- The Casio E-15 is the same design as above but monochrome, mono sound, 16MB. $188
- Resources/tools for the review in addition to the units:
- The Gadgeteer website’s discussion between E-105 users and Palm users
- Reviews and user statements of the HP 680
- Personal usage of Palm Pilot since August 1996
- Personal usage of four-pound monochrome notebook and seven pound color laptop since 1991
My Usage Habits
Stylus Based
I have stylus-based sessions that last for seconds of usage and are happening anywhere, thus the PalmPilot where I can use AppHack to launch 24 applications with a double-button push, for example launch my database application and load new form/record in three (3) seconds for entry of brief phrases/snippets of data. I need minimal interface for that, and don’t need color for this textual data measured in snippets that is recalled in user sessions that are seconds in duration. I also don’t need multimedia for such a session either (but other types of sessions might).
Keyboard Based
Moving on to the keyboard. Now, for keyboard-based sessions that last for anywhere from five minutes to hours, and occur anywhere I can briefly hold the unit in my palm, or for longer time sessions to set the 680 down on a flat surface, that’s where I can manage more interface and color is very nice. The keyboard facilitates the higher quantity of data, plus the keyboard-as-base facilitates longer data-recall sessions (reading discussion groups on the web). This is very useful, like the discussion groups I downloaded and read all weekend with the 680 placed around the house wherever I happened to be, it sits up on its own very well, while tilting the screen for readability at any angle of the wide screen.
I need the keyboard because entering anything more than a phrase is not something I want to do on handwriting recognition, even on Jot. I just think a thought and the words ‘appear’ on 680 through touch-typing, that’s worth finding a quick spot to set the unit down.
It’s really great to have instant and ultra-portable access to email, Word, Internet explorer, etc. I often just leave it open around the house in whatever room I happen to be in. When my two-year-old son grabs me for playtime, the Jornada times out and shuts itself off in 60 seconds, then I just can turn it on again and resume any of the open applications just as I left them, perfect.
Color Vs. Monochrome
There has been plenty of discussion amongst the Palm community on this topic and I agree that color-or-monochrome is tough question! After all didn’t we all ‘graduate’ from monochrome to color? For my usage of stylus-based computers that I use for ultra-quick entry and recall of ‘snippets’ of data, I prefer the monochrome myself because that’s all I need for the job (it also is 1/2 price of color and batteries last much longer).
Now if I were to enter and read longer amounts of data, and if I wanted to keep my photo collection on it, then I’d want color. About audio, the color units from Casio, HP, and Compaq have stereo sound, but my snippets of data aren’t in stereo :-).
Conclusions
What Made The Cut Ended up returning E-105 last night, thanked my friend for exam of his E-15, thus keeping HP 680 and keeping Pilot 1000 (well on steroids with Synapse pager card and Palm III upgrade, soon I’ll be sending info to my Palm wirelessly from any place I have internet access or email, just cut/paste and send, I’ll submit review later).Current Usage
I’m now running the keyboarded unit now in combination with Palm Pilot, which is still the best for instant access to database of personal records, task lists, appointments, pagercard, etc., basically any phrase of data that I need at all times on my beltcase. I now have my ideal combination: monochrome stylus-based unit for entering and recalling snippets of data from my beltcase, and color keyboard-based unit for entering and recalling longer stuff, like Word, email, internet, etc. This setup is a boost to my personal productivity and enjoyment, it defines for me ‘personal computing’.
I am not a convert to WinCE, I have simply found an alternative to my heavier portables. It does what they did, but with ultimate battery life, instant on, one pound. It’s also an answer to what I wanted more of in my ultra-portable computing experience.
Suggestions For Review Of Your Own Needs
I’m not going to suggest that everyone’s usage and needs are the same as mine. There are users who have many different computing needs and different electronic media needs.
We need to ask ourselves as ultra-portable users exactly how long our sessions are & where our sessions are & how much data is being entered & how do I want to review the data. What is the answer in my current scenario? What is the answer in my ideal scenario?
Bob Schmerda
C++ Programmer
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