PDA's

[thebight]

I was looking at getting a PDA to help me with my business. Does anyone have any advice on which ones I should look at? I would like to stay under $300 but would still like to have the ability to read excel and other programs etc. that will help me with the day to day operations of running my business as well as my personal business.

Thanks

[mvd]

I used to have a basic Ipaq that I used for tracking sales/stock etc in Excel. It did the job pretty well.

If you just want basics, then most of the PDAs these days will handle it no problem.

[sk8erchick]

i love my palm zire 72. it was $250 from staples. takes video,pics, bluetooth,email. mp3,and you can buy lots of software too. palm makes a pretty good selection of computer software for your pda. excell comes with it. you can attachment a scanner for sales on the go.

[cs_obd]

Actually, been looking to get a PDA myself but holding off until next year. The Palm Treo is going through an upgrade and will be featuring none other than Microsoft Windows OS... lol who would of thought.

It will be a bit pricey to begin with, but to combine the power of communication and broadband, with PDA features, this may be worth waiting for.

[matt_w]

If you want to go low-tech or are on a budget, consider the hipster pda:

http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/03/...e-hipster-pda/

I use a modified version of this (made with business cards, a whole punch, and a key chain). It will never become obsolete, won't break if you drop it, and is highly flexible and adaptable.

Cheers,
Matt

[Toolman]

A PDA depends on how you use it. You need to make a commitment to learn it, and to integrate it into what you do. This can be a difficult commitment, because, in the beginning, it will seem awkward to do things with the PDA that you might be able to do more quickly in other ways. As you get going, it will be easier for you.

I use an IPAQ. I have had it for about four years, and probably should upgrade someday. The note function is great, plus you can dictate notes, and sync them with outlook. Any documents that you need portable (pricelists, etc.) can be done quite nicely with an Excel file, or with a word file. I have also used a database program for different functions. HandDbase is an excellent one... very easy to use, not very expensive, and it has many pre made applications online. You can customize your own without too many problems as well.

If you do anything with financing, the financial calculators available are worth carrying one around. You will never need your HP calculator again.

I find notetaking a great function, due to the fact that you do not have little scraps of paper around that you do not dare to throw away.

Many people prefer the handwriting recognition of the windows based machines, such as the Ipaq. However, the Palm based models have many followers as well. You should be able to find something in Palm easilly for under $300, with pocket windows only costing a bit more... perhaps.