posted
Karyn...I have seen palm pilots and have heard people talking about them...but I don't really know what their capabilities are.
I LOVE "toys", Shirley thinks I have too many of em..But I would love to hear a simple explanation of why a palm pilot is a "must have" for me.
Why are they good? What do you do with them? are they like a tiny laptop?
This is a serious reply, by the way.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
I'm not a big fan of palm pilots, but I am a huge fan of PocketPC devices. Use Microsoft Outlook, and your total integration is painless.
I'm sure there will be a barrage of misinformed posts following this about how Outlook is a virus magnet etc. When you run 96% of the world, you're a huge target... If you keep your AV stuff updated, you'll not have a problem.
I use my pocketPC as a data organizer (pricing, notes, work orders, supplies, etc) PIM(customers, suppliers, friends, etc all categorized), a pocket portfolio (full color!), doodle pad, calculator/converter, a few games, mp3's, movies and with AvantGo, I have several websites loaded for reading at redlights, waiting on people or taking a ... well anyway..
It beats the hell out of a laptop for quick access and portability. If you need the full boogie of a laptop, you can find a used Toshiba Libretto on ebay, or a Fujitsu Lifebook of similar size.
posted
I've used "MYOB" for about ten years, in three different businesses. its a bookkeeping/database program that tracks customers, receivables, vendors, invoicing, etc etc. You can set it to remind you to contact people and you can put in "memo" fields for each customer.
For instance, when i meet somebody, i put a few notes from our conversation. then if they call up to order something, i can look up the notes at the same time i'm pulling up the info for a price quote or invoice. it really makes customers feel you know them when you can say. "so, did your kids arm heal quickly after that baseball injury" or whatever it was.
I really like having all the info in one place, rather than one program for contact info, another program for invoices, and a third for inventory.
I'm sure Peachtree or other software can do the same thing, but MYOB does it beautifully.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
well i can only speak for myself...but i keep all my contacts/phone#s, it has a total daytimer...waay cool, i take measurements of trucks and signs on location(bye bye little post its), its a calculator, mine has all kinds of legal forms i can fill out then you can sync it to your computer and the info is in microsoft word, excel or a bunch of other available programs...i can download jpgs for a little portfolio slideshow, there's games and hundreds of other programs you can load and of course games...it's endless...just ask bob rochon...he'll tell ya!
-------------------- Karyn Bush Simply Not Ordinary, LLC Bartlett, NH 603-383-9955 www.snosigns.com info@snosigns.com Posts: 3516 | From: Bartlett, NH USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
I use Outlook just because it came with the Office package. I don't think there's a dime of difference between the major brands.
I used to carry a Palm Pilot and use their desktop software in the office, synchronizing going and coming. It was totally adequate. You could run the desktop software and just not use the Palm Pilot. Don't know if this is still the case, but you can go to the Palm site and download the software for free to see if you like it.
The reason for carrying a Palm Pilot is to have all the needed phone numbers and related data in a clean neat easy to use form. Paper planners are fine if you write real neat and put in the energy to keep it cleaned up. I never had good luck with paper organizers. Before computers I used to carry 3x5 cards wrapped with a rubber band. Crude, but it worked for me. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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I just got a Palm Pilot, was a little gun shy for I've tried everything just about to keep myself organized with no luck.
So I bought a fairly new, but used Palm off of E-bay and WOW what a life saver. You can organize your list of things to do soooo easy, set alarms to remind you, I used it to measure a sign the other day, just drew the shape scribbled the measurements and voila!! Phone numbers, contacts, you name it it can do it and I am still figuring it out.
Color is just an added bonus but not needed for it is all text, unles you want a slide show like Karyn Mentioned. Hell for that I have a laptop.
Oh one nice thing I love about the Palm Pilot. you just press a button and BAM its on, no boot up.
I am wondering if the Pocket Pc does the same?
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Karyn, Thanks for the insight on the Palm Pilot. I'm definitely gonna pick one up. The laptop is a bit too cumbersome these days and I prefer not to drag it around to jobs.
I'll proably save a lot of trees with all the notes around here!
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I don't use it personally but I did some research for a computer customer a while ago and after some deliberation they settled on ACT http://www.act.com/ It seems to be quite a good piece of software and I notice also that it's available for PDA's, which may be of interest to the Palm Pilot & PDA proponents above. HTH, David
-------------------- David Fisher D.A. & P.M. Fisher Services Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com Trying out a new tag: "Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth Peter Ustinov Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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