Getting a Grip on Your New Hand-Held
You just got a new personal digital assistant.
Now what?
Mastering a new device, upgrading from an older model or even crossing platforms (Pocket PC to Palm or vice versa) is challenging enough. But there are a few tips to keep in mind.
First, at least one synchronization and backup per day is the absolute minimum. If you really want to be secure, do them twice: once at work, once at home. Buy extra cradles or cables from your PDA’s manufacturer and the sync software can be used on both machines.
Second, keep an eye on your batteries. Lower-end hand-held devices from Palm and Handspring rely on AAA-sized batteries for power. Keep extras close by. More Palm-compatible models (and all Pocket PCs) use built-in batteries, usually lithium-ion, and these generally are charged via the docking cradle.
At least two firms--Belkin Components and Electric Fuel--offer interesting power options for PDAs. Electric Fuel’s $25 device combines an in-car charger, power cord and disposable battery. Belkin offers a $20 sync and charge cable that connects to a PC for the Palm m500 series of hand-helds.
Third, find a way to carry your device. There are a multitude of cases for various Palm models as well as for the Compaq iPAQ hand-held. I’m a fan of systems where the PDA becomes part of a larger folder, say for a paper organizer or note pad. Isn’t the hand-held supposed to replace such systems? Yes, they can, but we still live in a paper world and merging the two often can work wonders.
Franklin Covey sells specific Palm-and-paper binders for its series of day planners. DayRunner and DayTimer offer similar products in varying sizes.
Finally, get a screen protector. These are generally very thin sheets of plastic that use static to adhere to a PDA screen while allowing you to still write on the screen and execute commands. Pricing varies--usually $10 to $30 for a package.
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Mark A. Kellner is a freelance technology writer and hosts “Mark Kellner on Computers” at www .adrenalineradio.com from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays. He can be reached at mark@kellner2000.com.
