PDA Column Archive

27 October 2004

First off, winter is fast approaching here in York, the United Kingdom. I’m using a PalmOS device during my drive to and from work to display and log OBD-II data. In the daylight, I’ve been using my m515 but now that the days are getting shorter, I’m using my m130 more and more. The reason for this is because the m130’s screen is much more suited to night time viewing. The m515 produces a lot of glare on the windscreen, but the m130 is almost glare free.

Unfortunately, the m130’s battery performance is significantly poorer than the m515. Making matters worse, my own individual m130 isn’t in perfect condition. At best I’m getting around half of the battery life that I should be. Essentially, when I’m using it for OBD-II duties I can reliably get up to three hours of use before it dies on me. Any more and I’m pushing my luck, really. With flowing traffic my total work commute is two hours, but it’s usually around two and a half hours, perhaps longer if I have a brief errand to run in York when I get back.

Then, Charlie’s iPAQ threw its toys out of its cot. She decided she needed a new personal digital assistant, so we decided to sell her H3970 and get something different.

After some deliberation, we ascertained what she needed from a device:

• Small size.

• Bright colourful screen.

• Compatible with Microsoft Word.

• Good battery longevity.

• Wireless connectivity.

On balance, and it breaks my heart, the best device is the PalmOne Tungsten T3. Why does this break my heart? Primarily because the T3 is the device I always promised myself when it was released, but after getting my hands on one and trying it, I decided that it wasn’t quite good enough. Now that I’ve spent some time (not much I have to confess) with Charlie’s new PDA, I’m starting to appreciate the more subtle refinements to PalmOS 5. I still don’t think that the core personal information database applications represent that much of an advance over “classic PalmOS” units, but the T3 is shiny and pretty.

Battery longevity remains an issue, but Charlie’s use is a bit different to mine and she’s not getting frustrated with it just yet.12 September 2004

In recent weeks, months perhaps, I’ve had very little thought about my use of my PDAs. This is because of a number of reasons, encompassing my everyday work (I would put “my nine to five” job, but it’s not quite a nine to five, heh), providing technical assistance for the launch of the new Ka fanzine, EnthusiastiKa, and flapping about over the country for some drag strip action in Kermit.

And all the while, my PDAs have been with me, in almost constant use.

Upon reflection, I have changed what devices I use and when I use them. The Palm m130 has been gathering dust for the most part. It’s battery isn’t quite perfect, so it tends to lose charge and over a full week, it goes from full to empty. Every few days, I give it half an hour or so on the charger, just to keep the battery level topped up.

The Palm m515 is seeing daily use, both as my everyday PDA at the office (for organising my day) and on the drive to and from work, since it’s been logging Kermit’s OBD-II data.

I’ve also pressed my Palm IIIxe into service. It’s main duty is for Blogging, using Jotter, but it also has secondary duties of being able to log OBD-II data (I’ve bought a null modem adapter) and personal information management, too. After a long period of not using the device much, it was initially quite strange to have it around my desk once more, and I’ve certainly been logging the house with the foldable keyboard.

So essentially, I’ve been doing nothing special with the devices other than using them on an everyday basis to do the everyday things with them. Generally speaking, the m515 is with me during the working day and the IIIxe once I get home, with a little bit of crossover (I’m typing this column into my IIIxe).

10 June 2004 – Rechargeable Or Replaceable?

I’ve continued to deliberate over what monochrome device to pick up to use as an OBD-II Scanner. I can see two choices - the Palm m125 and the m500. To all intents and purposes, the main differences between the two are the size of the screen, the battery type and the form factor. Otherwise, that I can tell they’re identical.

The m125’s usable screen measures 48 mm square, compared to 55 mm square for the m500. Although this doesn’t sound like much of a difference, in terms of screen real estate the m500 has approximately 21% extra space. With the same resolution for both devices - 160 by 160 pixels - this means that the m125 looks sharper and less pixelated than the m500. For most duties, the difference between the screen sizes isn’t significant for me, although the m125 is arguably harder to use. However, for OBD-II duties, the larger screen of the m500 does make things somewhat easier.

Where the m125 loses in the screen stakes, it makes up for it in the form factor when considering the intended duties. The Palm m500 is thin, small and light, which is especially advantageous for carrying it around with you in a shirt top pocket. Unfortunately, this is of little consequence for in-Ka uses, but the screen is rather more vulnerable with the m500’s design. The m125, however, essentially comes in it’s own built-in hard case design. Whilst I would never drop my PDA, the m125 should be much less vulnerable to failure following a drop.

The final difference between the two is that of batteries. Here is arguably the most significant difference, and the reason for the m125’s considerably thicker form factor. The m125 is powered by two AAA batteries whereas the m500 is equipped with the same Lithium Ion Polymer battery that the Palm m505 and m515 come with. I’m a fan of using replaceable alkaline batteries, especially with low power monochrome PalmOS devices (I typically use high power rechargeable NiMH batteries), however for OBD-II duties I’m not convinced that they are the best solution. AAA batteries work well enough, but the rechargeable batteries have one major disadvantage: they require fourteen hours on a charger to be ready the next day. This in turn requires some planning. If I’m able to see ten hours of ordinary (i.e. without the backlight) use from a pair of high powered rechargeable AAA batteries in the m125, hooked up to the OBD-II Scanner, I’ll get a weeks’ commuting use from the batteries. If I have to use the backlight (if the backlight works well enough), I’m going to see considerably less battery longevity from a charge.

However, I should be able to manage a slightly longer uptime from the m500 and it takes under an hour to recharge. This may be significant if I use the m500 when it’s dark, with the backlight in use, since a brief charging session should top up the battery enough to keep it in use. In the winter, it is entirely possible that my high powered NiMH AAA batteries will need charging every other day to keep the m125 in use, which brings into focus another potential problem - the m125 has a problem with the capacitor, which manifests itself by the device losing all data and applications when you replace the batteries. Against this, the Lithium Ion Polymer battery and charger circuit in the m500 will eventually fail, so the device will be unable to operate.

My ideal compromise between the two devices would probably be the m125’s form factor, but with the monochrome transflective screen and a Lithium Ion Polymer battery, offering good uptime and a toughed device.

Unfortunately, there is no such device and I’ve no plans of making one myself, so I need to decide if battery longevity is more important than a toughened form factor.

21 May 2004 – The m125

I think I’m looking for a new monochrome PalmOS 4·x device, and it’s a toss up between the Palm m125 and the m500. I’ve very recently used a colleague’s m125, but she’s not selling it, nor is she interested in swapping it for one of my existing PDAs.

The m125 was launched in September 2001, and was the model that sat between the low end monochrome Palm m105 and the mid-range colour Palm m130. It’s hardware specification, with the exception of the screen and power - is identical to that of the m130: a 33 MHz Dragonball VZ processor, 8 Mb of RAM, a single SD / MMC card slot and the Palm Universal Connector. The m125 uses replaceable AAA batteries rather than an internal rechargeable Lithium Ion polymer battery. Actually, the m125 is closer to the Palm m500 than the m130.

But it never sold well. This is probably because it occupied an unusual niche between the monochrome m105 and the colour m130. For the user wanting “just a basic PDA,” the tangible benefits of the m125 over the m105 are hard to see. Yes, it has a faster processor (this article discusses how relevant this is, and for almost all new users, it’s not relevant until they’re on their second PDA). It also has the SD expansion slot, but for many new users, this is academic if they’ve never had anything like this before. Then there’s the m130, which offers a lovely colour screen (indoors), costs just a little bit more, has that 33 MHz processor and expansion slot – most users will pay the extra for the m130.

Why do I want a m125? For OBD-II Scanner duties. I already use my m130 for this, but in bright light the screen becomes washed out and hard to read. Readers should note that the m515 can also perform in this role, and indeed under some circumstances it is better suited compared with the m130 (during bright summer days, the m515’s screen is less reflective and better suited). However, for the most part the m130 is only used in the car and even then, it’s hooked up to Kermit. Here, the m130’s battery performance is adequate for the job in hand, and at the time of writing it has only shut itself down once through low power but it’s been in service for some time.

This by itself is one of the main reasons why I am looking to pick up a m125: I’ve gotten used to my rechargeable PDAs, but at the back of my mind the Lithium Ion Polymer batteries, or their recharger circuits, will fail. When this happens, I’ll be left with an expensive repair or - more likely - an incentive to upgrade the device. Although the m125 is by no means bullet proof, if I’m using replaceable batteries, this is one less thing to go wrong with the device.

But what about the m500? It has the same wonderful form factor as the Palm m515, except it’s a millimetre thinner (like I’d notice). It has 8 Mb of memory, that 33 MHz processor, an internal rechargeable battery and the expansion slot. It’s also much easier to get a hold of on eBay (as I write this), and reading the battery life statistics, it should outperform the m125 when running on NiMH AAAs.

I’ll continue to ponder!

13 March 2004 – Putting The “Personal” into the PDA

Personal Digital Assistant. Even the name has “personal” in it. All PDAs are personalised to some degree - the very act of putting ones data into the device makes it personal - and most users change the look and feel of the device. For PocketPC users, this is usually by changing the Today theme, and for PalmOS users this is either by changing the applications showing on the categories or using a third party launcher.

One of the most interesting aspects of a modern PDA has to be the themes, or skins, that one can use on their device. All Microsoft PDA operating systems support themes, and whilst the default PalmOS launcher does not, there are a large number of third party launchers that do offer this support.

Some themes simply change the background image and colours in use on the device, whereas others go one stage further and change the screen layout, the icons, the sounds and error messages. They can completely change the character of the device.

Unfortunately, some themes or skins make it almost impossible to read the information. Some colour schemes are deliberately chosen to as to blend in with the image, thus making the home screen a picture gallery rather than a functional extension of the device. You end up having to access another part of the operating system in order to ascertain the information that the Home page was designed for.

Some of the more subtle ways to change the look and feel of a PalmOS device include the use of hacks. Even when I’m using the standard PalmOS launcher, I use various system hacks to improve how device functionality. AsciiPop and SnapCalc, as examples, are perhaps only used every other day but when I get my hands on a new device, it’s one of the first personal touches that I miss.

The final means of personalising a device is quite simply the applications that an individual installs on the unit. There are certain Freeware applications that I install onto any PalmOS device that I use, such as X-Master (which is needed to control the Hacks I use), AutoBase, and Space War. There are also a number of commercial and shareware applications that I install on my “primary” PalmOS device such as QuickOffice and Afterburner, and when reviewing a new PalmOS device, I remove them and reinstall on the review model. For PocketPC, Wisbar, the Freeware Start bar extension application, usually goes on, and for the SPV, well at the moment I’m largely restricting my personalisation to themes and colour schemes.

However, I do certainly understand the appeal of applying a different theme and of personalising a device. Given that a PDA is by its very nature a personal device, the desire to personalise the way the device looks and behaves is perfectly understandable and I would argue that it is good news that these units can be personalised to such a degree. This is one reason why the Microsoft PDA operating systems feel easier to set up (my belief is that this is a fallacy, but in terms of showroom appeal, being able to change the look and feel of a device is good news). Once a certain unit is personalised, the owner of the device is far more likely to want to use it. This is either because the device is now more useful to the individual, or because it’s prettier in use...

20 February, 2004 – The Smartphone Argument

I’ve very recently introduced an Orange SPV E200 to my PDA collection. I have been interested in a convergent device for some time, but more at a PDA with cell ‘phone abilities rather than a cell ‘phone with a PDA aspect. So does the Microsoft Smartphone concept translate into a useful device?

On the face of it, there’s no reason why it cannot. The SPV looks like a slightly bloated cell ‘phone and is not as elegant as some other offerings, but it’s not especially unattractive. For making and receiving calls, it looks and works in a broadly similar way to other portable telephones - you type in the number you want and press the green button to call, and the red button to end the call. There are one or two other little options showing on the screen, but essentially if you just want to make and receive calls this is how it works.

Of course, if you simply wanted to make and receive calls, you probably would not be buying the SPV. The device also offers some other more interesting features, such as the camera and photo-messaging, GPRS, Bluetooth, the diary, tasks, Internet Explorer and the Inbox.

You can store telephone numbers in the ‘phone, together with email addresses and website URLs. Select a website URL and the handset launches a browser and automatically connects to the Internet (via GPRS) to view the website. Click on an email address and the device checks to see what kind of message you want to send, then sets it up for you. Or you can launch the Inbox application, start a new message, then select the contact details from the Database.

The SPV also synchronises to other computers running Microsoft Outlook. This means that the handset contains your entire Contacts folder - you have your entire database to hand. You also synchronise your tasks and appointments. The handset warns you of appointments and tasks via any alarms you have set. Of course you can enter and edit data as you wish.

It is all very clever stuff. The handset is easy to use and with it being a Microsoft product, there’s almost always more than one way do to a certain task. Navigation is much improved over previous SPV offerings from Orange - it’s significantly more responsive to use and users can now access menus via pressing a number rather than scrolling down and clicking on it. The GPRS connection works well and it has proven to be reliable. Orange have pre-configured the SPV with a number of useful favourites and features, which goes some way into making up for the fact that they have software locked the device so you may only install certain approved applications. Windows Media 2003 has so far proven to be remarkably stable - perhaps the software lock is to prevent a “foreign” application from “upsetting the apple cart?”

I would also comment on the issue of how the SPV goes into standby during the day. Whereas a conventional PDA - such as my preferred PalmOS device, the Palm m515 – is switched “on” when the user needs to do something, and then switched “off” when he or she is finished, the SPV doesn’t work in this respect. Conventional PDAs are always switched on, but go into hibernation when the device appears to be powered off. The SPV does not have a similar hibernation state - it works in a similar way to that of a laptop. When you turn it on, Windows boots up and when you switch it off, Windows goes through a shut down procedure. When the device is powered down it cannot wake itself for an alarm, for example. Instead, the SPV dims the backlight and turns the screen off to save power.

The SPV does have some drawbacks, but some of these are by design rather than a flaw in the hardware. To be a little bit picky, it is difficult to enter a lot of data using the keypad, but one can buy a foldable keyboard to solve this problem. The screen is quite vulnerable to scratches, although one can buy a case or screen protector for this. No; the only significant flaw is the battery life, which is poor - almost certainly because of the need to keep the device running all of the time. Regular column readers will appreciate how important battery life is to me, and this device needs charging every day. Worse, it needs a couple of hours on the cradle every day. Of course, one could simply leave it on charge overnight, except I have traditionally used my mobile as an alarm clock so this option does not appeal to me.

This flaw put to one side, the SPV is a very practical product that works well. It won’t supersede my Palm m515, but then I did not envisage it doing so. However, what scares me is that with a just a few minor tweaks (perhaps a major tweak in the battery life department), the SPV would be perfect.

30 January, 2004 – “How Indispensable?”

It’s very easy for a PDA to become an indispensable item in ones personal inventory, but is this always a good thing? Does freeing ones mind from the clutter that we keep in our PDA provide us with more scope for creative thinking, or do we simply think of more clutter to be transferred into the PDA?

It’s something I’ve been accused of many times. Because I use my PDA to store almost everything, if I don’t have it on me (for whatever reason), my pool of knowledge is very much reduced. However, this isn’t necessarily true, since those telephone numbers I use day in, day out are merely stored in my PDA as a formality. I don’t need to access the Address application each and every time I speak to my usual contacts - well not unless I’m using the Bluetooth dial facility. If I’m away from my desk and somebody asks me about a meeting, I reach for my PDA, or if I’m at my desk I switch to Outlook. But I don’t need my PDA to know my wife’s birthday. However, if I’m asked for the redemption date of a certain convertible preference, I immediately reach for my PDA, tap the search button, and can report back in just a few seconds.

In a recent work performance evaluation, I argued that the reliance on my PDA was only one side of the story. Yes, it’s true, I do rely on it and there are occasions where I’m just a little bit slower than good old fashioned grey matter, but there are many more occasions where it’s either a great deal quicker or it simply contains information that is otherwise very difficult to track down. To this effect, the PDA is very beneficial to both my own and my colleagues’ productivity. Simply put, nobody else has a better method of producing the data in such a timely fashion. I only need to use the vanilla applications for this and given that I Hotsync with Microsoft Outlook, these notes are also accessible for my colleagues to access via their own networked computer.

The argument is ongoing, although I have made some changes to my working practice. Firstly, whilst I still rely on my PDA and Microsoft Outlook for the retrieval of information, I am using it in a subtly different way. Although I still use it to enter data, I now make sure that I brief myself well in advance of the event, rather than the lazy option of using it on the hoof. So now, I’m getting the best of both worlds. I’m having access to all of the salient information I require, but it’s not as obvious to my colleagues.

16 January, 2004 – “Rip Off Britain”

“Rip Off Britain” is a term that leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but it’s true: some goods and services do appear to be ludicrously overpriced in Britain compared to other markets - mainly North America.

I cease to be amazed at how gullible British companies think we British are. I have been shopping for some OBD-II software and hardware for my Palm m515, and I have discovered that most of this software is written in North America. Some companies have UK resellers, and all too often the UK website is simply a clone of the US site (no problems here) except for somebody has done a “find and replace,” substituting the “£” in place of the “$” symbol. With the exchange rate over 1·80 dollars to the pound, this makes the British sold software over 80% dearer than the American equivalent.

When I asked one reseller how these higher prices could be justified, the reason was because of “higher staff and overheads cost.” Mr. Tea met Mr. Monitor as I spat out the contents of my mouth in contempt.

Lets get one thing straight. This software is designed and developed in North America and it is the software that is the expensive aspect of the package. It is not even modified when it arrives in the United Kingdom. It still has North American units, it has North American spellings, in fact, I’m quite certain that one would not be able to tell the original source of the software. Except the British-sourced software is significantly more expensive.

I’ve nothing against using American software, but I do object to paying British prices for goods that are not British products.

So buy it overseas.

There are complications and additional expenses associated with buying goods overseas, although the Internet has certainly made the world a smaller and easier place to purchase goods. A telephone call is not especially expensive if needed, but it’s usually possible to do business via email and, in some cases, an instant messenger service. When the packages arrive, you have to pay the customs and excise duty, VAT and sometimes the extortionate Royal Mail handling charge if they decide to inspect the package. If you need technical support, it may involve making a telephone call at an awkward or unsocial hour, or perhaps a time delay with email replies, and if you have to return the package it can get quite expensive (and of course, you cannot reclaim the tax). However, even after paying the tax and postage, it’s often still cheaper to buy your goods direct from the North American company.

If enough people do this, UK prices should fall, so the hassle of going through the motions of importing items should be avoided.

2 January, 2004 - How Portable a PDA?

Modern PalmOS 5·x PDAs, for all of their technical ingenuity, are just a little bit too compromised for many mobile users. The battery performance is inadequate to travel far from a means of recharging the device.

When I go away for a few days I aim to travel light. I would dearly love to bring three or four PDAs together with their usual accessories (cradles, chargers, keyboards), but of course this defeats one of the key points of the PDA - portability!

So how portable are PDAs? In isolation, very. You can get everything you need in the one unit, and even the largest of handheld devices is smaller than a laptop, and of course, they fit into the palm of your hand.

Unfortunately for many people the temptation is to add a few accessories such as a keyboard. And of course if you’re going away for long enough, you’ll need a means of charging the device, which may require a cradle and a power supply unit, or a more compact lead. Suddenly you don’t get everything in the palm of your hand, you’ve other items that become essential too.

The current breed of PalmOS device have a lot of showroom appeal. They have significantly more features then the outgoing Palm 4·x devices, their screens have a much higher resolution and lots of colours, but their battery life is abysmal. If you do anything other than check a few telephone numbers and appointments, when you go away you will need to bring some form of recharging the device. This compromises the “travelling light” approach and before you know it, you are bringing along with you an arm full of PDA hardware. Go kamping, and you may not even have access to a power point. And of course, if you simply want to have your telephone numbers in your pocket everywhere that you go, then why have a powerful, colourful, all-singing and all-dancing PDA? Why not use that old Palm III you have tucked away in a drawer?

Of course, technology is constantly moving forward. It’s called “progress,” and I’d be the first to admit that Palm’s Tungsten models have beautiful screens and are especially feature rich.

Is there anybody else out there who feels the need for a PDA that can provide him or her with a full days work? No, the Tungsten T3 goes back to the store.