PDAs

Originally posted at Secular Change Oct. 22, 2005

One of the most valuable tools to have in sales is a day planner. There are different kinds you can use from paper based planners to electronic PDAs. I personally use a PDA. I've used both Palm and Windows Mobile. By far, the simplest to use is a Palm, it's very stable, it's fast and basically, it's very simple to use.

If all you need is to keep track of your appointments, contacts and to-do list. Palm is the simplest way to go. They have several version from the simplest to the more complex with cellphone features.

Recently though, I have been using a Windows Mobile device, an HP iPAQ RX3115. I've been a Palm user for years but I recently switched to a Windows Mobile device because I needed more features. I compared both a Palm and an iPAQ at the time I was ready to replace my old one and I really wanted a PDA with both bluetooth and Wi-Fi features.

The only one I found where I both liked the way it runs and look was the iPAQ. I was reluctant to use a Windows device because I had a bad experience with an earlier version of Windows Mobile when it was called Windows CE, I think it was their version 2 back then. The new iPAQ I got has Windows Mobile 2003 second edition which was a major improvement over both the Palm and the older Windows Mobile versions.

I also wanted a voice recorder and ability to expand the memory with an SD memory card. I also wanted the ability to play MP3s so I can listen to music or the audiobooks I have. Both Palm and iPAQ offered those features, but in the end, the iPAQ won because I wanted Wi-Fi.

I have been using my iPAQ for over 6 months now and I am quite satisfied. There are a lot of softwares you can buy to expand the capabilities as well as games. I converted by audiobooks and transferred them to my iPAQ. With the supplied earphones, I listen to my audiobooks during my lunch.

Screen resolution is excellent and bright, it doesn't look yellow at lower backlight settings unlike the earlier generation iPAQs. Videos play well and sound is clear. The supplied Plantronics earphones are of good quality and bass from music is clean and clear.

My only complaint with the iPAQ is that it sometimes hangs, just like Windows (it is Windows!). I seems to slow down a bit (just like Windows) and battery life is not the best.

All in all, I would give the iPAQ RX3115 4 out of 5 stars.