Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Who is Buying PDA's?


Remember when this was the bomb in personal technology? They called it a Personal Digital Assistant. The PDA would keep your calendar, contacts and tasks all on one handy little device. It really was a bomb, it literally blew up the growth of companies like Franklin-Covey that were selling paper planning solutions. People began switching from paper to PDA's. I didn't think I could survive a day without my Classic size, Monticello style, Burgandy leather binder from FC - but I did and I'm glad I did.

My first PDA was not a Palm-Pilot like the one above... it was an HP unit called an "IPAQ." I don't know what that stood for but it was pretty cool. It ran Windows software and included versions of Outlook, Word, Excel and played MP3's. It was pretty handy and I never went back to a paper system. Eventually my laptop became my primary source of planning and rather than using a PDA, I switched to a smart phone which I have used for the last 3 years.

Technology being what it is today I have to ask... who is buying PDA's? It makes no sense to carry a PDA and carry a mobile phone. Two devices instead of one means:

  • Two devices to lose
  • Two seperate power cords (I don't like cords...)
  • Two seperate power cords to lose (I really don't like to lose things)
  • Two devices to carry around
  • Etc.

That's a long lists compared to just carrying one device around that serves as your phone, calendar, address book and tracks your tasks.

The new Treo 700w (top of the line device) at Verizon Wireless runs $399 with a two year contract. A new Palm "LifeDrive" runs $449... there are more economical choices from Palm all the way down to the Z22 for 99 bucks. (Now with the Treo 700w you have an agreement that you have to enter into, but you'll have that same obligation with the mobile phone you have to carry in addition to a simple PDA.)

Go with the smart phone...

Who is buying PDA's? There are people who have special software for PDA's such as realtors who use the Palm to access MLS information and other necessary tasks, but why not use the Treo 650 and have the phone feature integrated into the device that does so much?

It may also be that those people you still see carrying around a day planner are moving slowly into technology and trying a PDA. One feature that a PDA or a smart phone really won't give you - that little check mark when you accomplish a task. There is nothing like taking a real pen (not a stylus) to paper and making that small downward flick followed by a long upward stroke. It just feels like success...

TK

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