What happened to all those PDA's? I still use my Palm OS pocket computer!
By Dr. Ann
@drannhh (15219)
United States
November 20, 2007 12:39pm CST
Looking back through some of the discussions started long before I'd ever heard of myLot, it seems that about a year ago several people tried to get some conversations going about Palm pocket computers, but it looks like that sort of fizzled.
Maybe this will fizzle, too, but I cannot believe I'm the only one out of over 100,000 myLot users who is nuts about Palm OS PDA's, so having read a bit too much Don Quixote in my youth, I'm going to try again!
Does anyone else have a Palm pocket computer? Do you still use it? If not what did you DO with it? I bought a Tungsten T5 when they first came out, and loved it, but it was and still is so pretty that I hated to take it out of the house. Well, of course that is the whole idea of a handheld, isn't it? So I bought a used Zire 72 on eBay, and thought here is one I can drop and toss around and even let other people handle, and would you believe the thing has been running reliably now for years and it is just so nifty that the fancier T5 lays in a drawer much neglected.
If anyone has a Zire or a Tungsten and still uses it, I'd love to know what kinds of things you use it for and if you still appreciate the Palm OS or what you now use instead. All Palm comments are welcome here, and if you use a different PDA I'd like to hear about that, too.
7 people like this
10 responses
@Guardian208 (1095)
• United States
10 Mar 08
Hi drannhh,
I guess old posts never die... lol.
I was using a Palm TX for a while and I loved it. I had a Palm IIIc before that and loved that too. It really changed my life as far as keeping me organized and having contact info always in my pocket or briefcase. It seems I never had my DayPlanner with me when I needed it most, so the pdas reallt helped.
I have since retired my Palm. I tried a smartphone from AT&T. Though I don't find it that much more useful, I do appreciate not having to have 2 gadgets with me; the Palm and the phone. Life just keeps getting easier and easier... lol
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
10 Mar 08
I never tried any of the older palms because my whole purpose was to get a PDA capable of running SmartList by DataViz, and when and if somebody comes out a phone like Trio but half as thick and with a good camera and a user-friendly fully functional relational database and a few other goodies, I'll probably have a change of heart. Until then, I'd have to lug around two devices anyway. Thanks for your input!
1 person likes this
@Guardian208 (1095)
• United States
10 Mar 08
Have you looked into the Blackjack? It is a very small device (for a smart phone). It runs Windows mobile so I believe that it has all the functionality of the bigger smartphones.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
10 Mar 08
A dear friend has Blackberry, and it is pretty, but as near as we can tell Palm the only OS that runs SmartList (or any comparable database--not sure if there IS anything that comes anywhere near SmartList anywhere)-- if you know of anything as powerful as SmartList that runs on Windows do let me know!
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
21 Nov 07
I always though that PDA only stands for Public Display of Affection... well PDA or Palm pockets are not an in thing in my country... and i have never seen anyone use it... well maybe those who live in the bigger cities do... but i would like to be able to try one... maybe someday when i get the money... i will buy one for myself...
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
26 Nov 07
Other than using it as a flashlight in hotel rooms? LOL. I use mine mostly for keeping track of our budget. I like to know right to the minute how much we have spent in each month and each year and therefore how much is left to spend! Of course, my PDA is programmed to take out some long term savings first and then some savings in case of emergencies, and then some to cover taxes and then some that goes in a special account just for travel. Then it automatically deducts all the automatic payments, like the electric bill and insurance and that sort of thing. Then it tells me how many days are left in the month and how much money we have left after each thing we buy, and on the average how much we have to spend (or save!) for each remaining day. I just think it is fun knowing all that and also not having to go through a pile of receipts to go back and find out when we bought something and where and how much it cost.
Of course, my PDA also has an alarm that goes off when it is a friend's birthday or if it is time to take clothes out of the dryer or whatever.
@Monkeyrose (2840)
• Canada
21 Nov 07
I have a blackberry pearl. I just got the data plan on it so I can access the internet. I havne't quite figured out how to use it yet. I use it as a cell phone, alarm clock, text messages. I also use the planner on it as well.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
21 Nov 07
Terrific! A friend who used to only be online when she was at work was issued on of those by her job and now we hear from here any time of the night or day, which is wonderful! I tried using different kinds of planner software on mine and ended up "specififying" out a set of database templates that work better for me than any of them. Now the technology has advanced enough that there are probably better planners available but I am set in my ways, and thinking my system is not broken so why fix it. But I admire you for using your planner.
1 person likes this
@Monkeyrose (2840)
• Canada
22 Nov 07
thanks! I would be lost without my planner! I always have so many things going on and I have a terrible memory. I also like the planner funtion on the blackberry because I can set an alarm reminder.
@vera5d (4005)
• United States
10 Mar 08
I never bought a palm or anything like it...my phone does some pretty interesting things, but I have to say I prefer my laptop...If I had a business need for one, I would consider it, but mostly I do everything from home these days & that's good enough for me!
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
10 Mar 08
If you don't have a specific need for the PDA it is just another piece of electronic junk that has to be maintained. Same thing with a fancy phone! No need to fix something that isn't broken, lol, but I use my souped-up PDA for a thousand things every day and would be completely lost without it.
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
20 Nov 07
Sorry Drannhh, I dumped my pda two years ago. Mine was an older model Kyocera smart phone. It offered all the bells & whistles of early wireless internet access, and handheld computing, including word processing, marketing tools, etc...
I hated it! I thought it would be cool to have all that, then realized that using the pda itself, was terribly annoying. I still have it in a box somewhere. Yet, was thrilled to convert my service to simple cellular coverage. I attend to my computer tasks on my pc. I even gave my laptop to our daughter.
Truth is, as much as I enjoy gadgetry, I don't like the feeling of being chained to technology. I like to use it on my own terms. Meaning I like to be able to walk away, when I'm so inclined.
So, I can't help you with your pda discussion. Oh wait, I just did, didn't I??? (chuckle, chuckle)
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
20 Nov 07
I am giggling about the image of walking away from technology with a PDA in my pocket. Geeze, I use mine for some pretty low-tech applications, too, such as a flashlight in hotel rooms! Yes, and no more wristwatch, no calculator, egads the stuff I used to have to carry around. Yes, it has mirror software, too, but I don't use that very much. The camera is low-res but comes in handier than a notepad lots of times and although I hardly ever use the voice recorder, it did help us convince one neighbor that her dog did bark quite loudly every time she left home. Cute dog, too, but used to bark herself silly. Lucky daughter, lol. I can lock my cell phone up in the trunk of the car for 3 weeks at a time and not even miss it, but the Palm databases are like the foot of a compass around which my life rotates. I'd give up myLot before I'd give up my Palm OS.
1 person likes this
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
25 Jan 08
I haven't seen Ispin and will check it out, but the program I most need on my Zire 72 (and on my Tungsten T5, too) only runs on Palm OS. If it had been available in any Windows environment, then I guess I would have bought a different brand PDA, but I need something with the functionality of SmartList--a fully functional resizeable on-the-fly changeable relational database. Do you know of anything like that that runs on Windows? Would that run on ISpin or is the software you can run on Ispin somewhat limited. Please tell me more about how you use your Zir with Ispin as I am really interested. Thank you, sirraps!
@moneyandgc (3428)
• United States
21 Nov 07
When my husband became a medical provider he insisted that he needed a Palm Pilot. He used it maybe three months and that is stretching it! Now it sits in his office in a desk drawer. I know he uploaded some medical guides and stuff to it. I think it was most used to play Bubble Popper though!
His office recently issued out another Palm Pilot and that one just sits on our counter here at the house.
The second one was free, but in my opinion the first one was a big waste of money. He doesn't use it. He saw that all his Dr. friends had one so he had it in his head that he needed one too.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 Dec 07
I read a post exactly like this somewhere else. I think I replied to it, too, lol. Unfortunately, the Pilot was not quite advanced enough to be a must-carry item. But those guys did pave the way for the future, and today's Palms are quite a bit more useful.
@cathy_mahoney (97)
• Canada
17 Dec 07
I still love my Tungsten E! I use it for games and for reading books, mostly. When we got our new home computer in July that ran Vista, I was devastated that it was incompatible with my Palm. Then in August, the port was ready, and I was able to get my palm back! I was soooooo happy!!!!!
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
17 Dec 07
Glad to hear that it works now. I have a little trouble getting the synch to work with all my add-ons but I can still use bluetooth for file transfer. It is so kewl not to have to "point" at an infrared, especially since my new desktop doesn't have one.
