Preserved Topic: PDA

I heard about PDA's using the internet. I guess their kind of 'browser' belong to the 0.99%, huh?
But what can they see? Is it true that they can nonly surf on XML programmed sites?
k10

That's not true. We use the Blackberry 957 units, and we can see web pages. You don't see images or anything - it all text based. Navigation is usually the downfall - it's hard to move around on the little content that's on the screen at a time.

We don't use it (web browsing on the Blackberry) much except to check news and weather.



[This message has been edited by Pugzly (edited 06-21-2001).]

Palm devices very often use AvantGo, which prefetches web sites for offline viewing. This page tells you all about how to taget your pages to AvantGo (spoiler: HTML 3.2with small images). It's worth doing if you have a PDA-enabled audience, mainly because it's not hard to prepare your content.

I would guess that AvantGo users outnumber Blackberry users 1000 to 1 or so, because the Blackberry's browser is an expensive add-on, and AvantGo is free, plus Palms probably outnumber Blackberries 1000 to one or more.

Avantgo is great. It's free and it loads up my Palm with lots of nifty articles each time I sync up. It couldn't be easier to use. I hadn't heard of Blackberry.

ok, I'll checked that site out. thatnks for the tips, guys,
k10


only change remains

The Blackberry is awesome. Among it's cool features are the fact that it's transparent with your email account, so you don't need a separate email account just for your PDA. If I send a message with my Blackberry, it comes from my main email account. It also synchs with all of my Outlook info, including my Inbox, Tasks, Contacts, etc.

They are very popular. In fact, Al Gore, during the election, found out he should revoke his original concession on his Blackberry.

I agree, Pugzly, they're really nice, but it's a lot like the Betamax versus VHS.

Blackberries are on the net all the time (as long as you're in a covered area). Palm/AvantGo uses a prefetch/offline browse model, with a forms manager to cache submitted forms until the next sync.

Blackberry's aren't on the network all the time any more than your pager or cell phone is when you're not on a call.

The problems with Palm and other similar devices is email sucks. You have to maintain a separate account for the Palm device, and the synching of your Outlook stuff is rudimentary at best. The Blackberry is real time for most Outlook functions. You can also do some attachment viewing (albeit primative) for files like Excel and Word. Add to that the seamless Outlook/Exchange integration, and the price, and you've got a winner. I won't go back to Palm devices for anything. I just put a stop to supporting them here, in favor of the Blackberry units. We can deploy a Blackberry for $400.00, instead of a laptop (which most of the users use for nothing but email anyways) for $4000.00. Security is tight (Triple DES), the access is fast, the screen is large and clear, and the unit recharges in the cradle. What more could you ask for?



[This message has been edited by Pugzly (edited 06-21-2001).]

this is all very interesting. But how is the coverage worldwide. in the seouth west of the usa their is none outside of a big city.
k10

So far, in all my travels, I haven't run into a problem with no coverage. There was a dead zone right around my office, but other parts of the building were ok. If you go out of a coverage area, the messages are queued, not lost.