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Ancestry Daily News
6/19/2003 - Archive
RootsWorks: PDA 2003—Kitchen Sink
This is an article that describes things that you can do with a PDA that you
can't do with any other kind of computer. Most of these capabilities are due
to the unique portability of a computer the size of your wallet.
So far we've talked about PDAs with office software and genealogy software,
and we've talked about how they can store your family history, your important
documents, and so on. But those are just the basic things that you can do with
your PDA. Here are twelve other functions that you might want to consider.
Photo Album. Maybe you have had that experience where you want to
show someone a picture of your children? You take out your wallet, and the handoff
is muffed. Your pictures and credit cards fall on the ground. You can carry
a photo album in your PDA. If you have several pictures, people can scroll through
them. I use Fireviewer but some people prefer Albums To Go. I have different
categories—family, ancestors, and genealogy friends. Can I add that the screens
with the colors are very good at this?
Compass. You can attach a GPS receiver to your PDA and use it as a
compass. I use NavComp for this. It will tell you how far you've walked and
how fast, too. I also take it hiking, with the Big Clock program going too.
Travel Log. Using that same GPS, you can plot your walks through ancestral
homesites or gravesites on a map that you can create with software from Delorme
or Rand McNally.
Newspaper. I never know when my schedule will blow up, and I'll find
myself needing to cool my heels for thirty minutes or an hour while I wait for
a meeting. I used to carry a book or magazine to pass the time. Now I carry
my PDA. I subscribe to free content at AvantGo.com, and whenever I sync my PDA,
I get the current information from sources such as the New York Times, the Economist,
Variety, local movie times, and movie reviews. You can even sync to some webpages.
Book. AvantGo isn't the only source of content for the PDA. The variety
and availability of eBooks is growing, and many of them are free. Read it in
the bus station so you won't have to pay attention to the guy by the pinball
machine.
Alarm. Sometimes I feel cut off from my kids who are away at college.
So I program their class schedules into my calendar, and it beeps to tell me
when they change classes. I often use those beeps to get out of conversations
at the water cooler—"Oh, there goes the alarm—Got to fix that subroutine
at the nuclear power plant!" Most of the time I just look at it and feel
more connected. Some people need reminders to take medicine, do chores, and
the like. A PDA is, first and foremost, an organizer.
Games. I haven't covered games because I usually don't have time to
play them. There are PDA users to use theirs for nothing but playing Missile
Command. My focus is family history, and when I find a game that promotes that,
I'll write about it in glowing detail.
Shopping List. I use the Handy Shopper feature when I go to the grocery
store, in lieu of the old paper list. I've been to the same store enough that
I have the aisle numbers and items entered. I sort it by aisle number and go
up and down checking them off. A piece of paper would probably work just as
well, but if you're a real geek there is no choice in the matter.
Checklist. The To-Do list is terrific. If someone mentions a song,
movie, or book that they like, I can make a note to check it out later. I look
at it a few days later and am reminded.
Outline. I have found that the PDA is every bit as good as a sheet
of paper for remembering those points you want to bring up in a meeting. I often
put my outline on the PDA, and speak from the outline. Having prepared my outline
well in advance, I often think of other things to say just minutes before the
meeting. With the PDA, I can scratch a few notes at the appropriate place in
the outline, and people think I have a good memory or something. A megabyte
is a very big tablet.
MP3 Player. If you're downloading MP3 files of your favorite songs
to one of the newer PDAs (my old Vx won't do it), you can get an inexpensive
($15) gizmo that is shaped like a cassette tape, with a wire to plug into your
PDA's headphone jack. Pop the converter into your car's cassette player, and
you can play your favorite songs in the car without going to the expense of
buying a car CD player that reads MP3s, or taking the time to burn audio CDs
before you leave for work.
E-mail. I mentioned that I have a wireless modem. You have to buy
wireless service; it doesn't come with the PDA. I can send and receive e-mail
in many cities. I can also browse some webpages, even though it is slow.
If you have time, there is more information about each of these features at
www.rootsworks.com/pda2003
Accessories Not Included
For my old Palm Vx, I have a modem (yes, it plugs into the phone and dials),
a collapsible keyboard, a wireless modem, a GPS, and a hot sync cradle/charger.
If I change PDAs, I won't be able to use any of those items.
Don't panic. Many of the accessories that they make today are not built around
the PDA's form factor like mine are. My PDA is one of those that pre-dates the
use of standard expansion slots. The accessories that they make these days are
often connected through those standard expansion slots, and can be used with
a different brand and model of PC as long as it has the right slot. Before you
buy an accessory, think about your Accessory Migration Strategy.
Summary
A PDA has many potential uses. Each of them requires a certain commitment on
the part of the user to learn it, or to develop a personal discipline. I hope
that you try some of these features, that you like them, and that you write
to me about your experience.
The RootsWorks series of articles focuses on genealogical applications for
generic technologies. Beau would like to hear from you. Whether you have something
to add or something to ask, please point your browser to www.rootsworks.com/forums
and discuss this or any topic related to the use of technology in family history.
Tell us about your PDA experiences. Please note that he cannot assist you with
your individual computer problems. Visit the RootsWorks website (www.rootsworks.com/)
for links to previous articles and Beau's lecture schedule.
Copyright 2003, MyFamily.com.
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