PDA or Notepad?

[James Shaw]

I am kind of old fashioned when it comes to certain things. I like fountain pens to write with and jotter pads to write on. I have custom printed sheets done for my many hobbies (including CAP). I am curious about others and how they do this. I have bought clearance jotter pads at stores like Ross and TJ Maxx and had them printed as gifts for friends.

They have worked out  great because I can also put limited info on them and at 4X6 inches have alot of room to use. I use them for CAP when I am interviewing or need a quick memory.

[FW]

I have a computer, smart phone and PDA.  But when I need to remember something, I end up writing it down on a piece of scrap paper or a business card.  It's still easier than going through the electronic machinations.

[Tubacap]

I have most of my things in outlook, but I also keep a notepad in my back pocket all the time.  As soon as I'm near a computer, it gets put into the tasks bar of outlook.

[Al Sayre]

I have a computer, smart phone and PDA.  But when I need to remember something, I end up writing it down on a piece of scrap paper or a business card.  It's still easier than going through the electronic machinations.

Ditto.  Then I lose the scrap of paper or give away the business card...

[Eclipse]

Windows Mobile (T-Mobile MDA) user for about 2 years, various Palm PDA's and Treo's  before that going back to 1993, sync'ed to Outlook (and Palm Desktop before that).

I think that you either "get" the PIM paradigm or you don't.

A funny conversation with a friend of mine who is on the "don't" side.

Me: "You can't text-search a notepad..."

Him: "When you drop a notepad it doesn't break!"     

[JAFO78]

When it comes to writing things down to remember it old school.......notepad.

The batteries don't go dead..............

[NIN]

Writing always works.  Doesn't need batteries.

For CAP I carry a larger-sized Moleskine notebook and EVERYTHING goes in there.

I have a smaller pocket-sized one that fits supremely in my ACU leg pocket for ACA-style stuff.

[Walkman]

I tried using a Franklin planner for a while, never really got into it. When I got my first Palm Pilot, I went nuts. Now I have a Treo. Love it!

I think that you either "get" the PIM paradigm or you don't.

I agree. My wife won't use a PDA to save her life, I hate using a notebook.

One of the things I like so much about my Treo is the memos & notes. I take notes all the time (church, meetings, CAP, random lists to remember). I have them categorized so I can easily find what I want. They're all synced to my Mac, so I have them all the time.

However, as much as I like the Treo, I preferred the old Palm "writing" to the thumb keyboard. I was much faster with the stylus.

[mynetdude]

I tried using a Franklin planner for a while, never really got into it. When I got my first Palm Pilot, I went nuts. Now I have a Treo. Love it!

I think that you either "get" the PIM paradigm or you don't.

I agree. My wife won't use a PDA to save her life, I hate using a notebook.

One of the things I like so much about my Treo is the memos & notes. I take notes all the time (church, meetings, CAP, random lists to remember). I have them categorized so I can easily find what I want. They're all synced to my Mac, so I have them all the time.

However, as much as I like the Treo, I preferred the old Palm "writing" to the thumb keyboard. I was much faster with the stylus.

I found it hard to write/type on a PDA even if you could use the styli and the PDA script font you had to strictly follow for it to recognize your handwriting.  I too like the PDA idea, but I found it difficult because you had to go through the notions of getting it set to take your notes and whatever and then writing it, its not possible like a regular notepad even a small 4x6 notepad you can't freely write on a PDA like you would on a notepad.

I have been wanting to get a tabletPC for that reason, it is much bigger (and slower, or you can get a decently faster one for a ton more money!).  TPCs have a much larger screen, heavier but worthwhile IMHO.

I like the PDA because they are small and everything I want to know about something can be right there on the PDA synced to my PC and so forth.  I have eyesight that isn't getting any better, things are hard to see on it so if I want to read an excel spreadsheet... how do you expect me to see that?! Let alone I have a PDA (which I don't use anymore, need to sell it) I would surf the internet on it... very difficult to do again... size was a killer everything was 150% smaller than your typical PC monitor but I liked it because I could check my bank account while on the PDA and so forth.

I would so buy another PDA (the one I have isn't practical for my needs anymore) but I just worry that it will not be any better or possibly worse than what I already don't do/do with my PDA as it is.  I used my PDA as a TomTom driving directional map until I bought a different one because the new TomTom systems can read you street signs and the one on my PDA doesn't.

I have been looking at the Athena HTC 7500 which is a PDA, PC and GPS all in one!

OTOH I hardly write on notepads either during meetings ever actually, the second I look away from the speaker or look down at my notepad to jot something down my understanding of the meeting starts to be come disorienting to me (and no I can't use a recorder after I got busted for that ).

So I just listen and then anything that comes by email my way is if anything I remember, meeting minutes aren't published (it was my responsibility until I couldn't handle it for the above notepad reasons and until I could no longer record meetings) so nobody has taken the responsibility to do otherwise.

So I'm not sure what to say... I have been doing just fine without a PDA though, I can logon to my email from any PC via a web interface, put in my tasks/notes and then when I go home I use a syncing software that will sync all my tasks/notes/contacts down to Outlook (it will sync all my email/email folders too).  Plus I have a laptop, and I do it there too so I don't really need a PDA though they are handy when I need a phone number or data that I can't get to right away.

I haven't made my mind up.... much less need to sell what I have.

[gistek]

I tried to live without a PDA. It worked for about 2 weeks. My children call it, "Mom's brain"

My new PDA, a Palm T/X has three text entry options. There's the old two panel method, where you have to write upper case in the divider area and hope it interprets the location correctly and doesn't return a number or lowercase; a three panel method where you're guaranteed to get the case right; and a stylus touch keyboard. I usually switch between the three panel and keypad method.

I do find it more difficult to take notes on the PDA than in a notebook or pad of paper, but I like being able to search for things.

I also use it for keeping a summary of my medical history. Since I have several allergies, and three medical problems, there isn't room to cover my medical issues on the form 60. So my form 60 contains a very brief listing of my allergies and conditions and gives instruction to see the memo note under Medical >History. The PDA is always with me. During field activities, I keep it in nested waterproof bags, and it is always on my person.

[Eclipse]

My PDA has a slide-our Qwerty keyboard to make up for the issues with screen test input, likewise Treos.

The Palm TX is a nice unit, though a bit expensive considering its not a phone (is there a SKYPE client for it to use with the broadband?).

I just picked an HP  tablet PC which, which in pad mode, is pretty much the same as my MDA, just bigger.  I'm looking forward to paper-less notes in meetings, but there is a learning curve to get up to speed.

There are many free-form drawing and notes applications (for all platforms) which simply record keystrokes as drawn and are functionally the same as a handwritten note - you lose the text conversion, but the speed is higher.

[Trung Si Ma]

I carry a PDA for adding notes, appointments, task, etc.  It's a windows mobile device that includes a Tom-Tom and has both flight planning and logging software on it.  I sync it with my laptop every time I sit down to use the laptop.

If I'm taking notes at a meeting - and can't use my laptop - I use paper and pencil and then transfer it to the laptop.

[gistek]

The T/X has inboard IR, Bluetooth, and WiFi. I'm trying out a chat client and will probably purchase a license.

I don't use my cell phone enough to warrant getting a combination unit. I did briefly consider getting the unit with GPS, but already have a small Magellan hand-held, and a new Garmin auto-mounted unit, so it was a bit more than I needed.

I also considered the Tungsten E2, but really liked the T/X better integration with Outlook and the WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities.

[SSgt Rudin]

I have a crackblackberry anything and everything goes on it, when I get home it all gets synced into Outlook. I had a notepad when I was in the Navy and usually still forgot to do stuff, this way my phone as well as my desktop annoy me when I need to do something. Added bonus:Brick Breaker

[floridacyclist]

I use all 3. A pad of waterproof paper in my pocket, a Treo 650 (inherited from my wife when she got her 755), and my laptop, which also connects to the internet through my kids' LG Muziq phone.

Whatever is handiest at the time.

[davedove]

I mainly use a notepad, but I don't have any heartaches about either.

The only caveat is to be sure you don't place all of your reliance on an electronic system in the field.  What will you do if it fails?  And believe me, somewhere along the line, it WILL fail.  As long as you are prepared for the worst case scenario, you're good to go.

[LittleIronPilot]

I am a techno-geek, but for field work, in the sun, etc. nothing beats an old fashioned notepad.

I do have a Blackberry, Dell Axim, and a laptop dedicated to CAP usage...but I still prefer the free flowing nature of a notepad and the fact that it does not take batteries!

[smj58501]

3x5 cards held together with a large binder clip. Easy to hand off to others, easy to organize like cards together in a stack organized with a paper clip or staple. Easy to file once you are done with them.

MS Outlook with FranklinCovey PlanPlus add in for calendar and task management.

[mynetdude]

I find it hard to use the PDA for note taking... but it is GREAT for carrying notes though so I won't be note taking. Infact I dislike taking notes A) my hand cramps up a bit B) I have a hard time understanding the speaker/person talking if I am looking down taking notes (heck even my head up and the notepad up as well just the fact taking notes deteriorates understandability for me.

That being said, I found this for note taking which may be interesting:

http://tinyurl.com/2tlf5f  <--- this device lets you take handwritten/paper notes while digitally transmitting to a PC, how well this works is unknown but then again if you want to take notes at the squadron you had either A) take your laptop with you and have room to put it...  B) hook it up to the squadron PC/laptop and hope 5 others didn't bring theirs with them to hook up to the smae PC

[Eclipse]

My new toy:


HP TX1410

The best of both worlds...