Palm Pilot''s etc.

[Meriel]

Thinking about picking up some kind of PDA for the upcoming season. Would like to track duty times and all of that good stuff. Anybody have any thoughts on what works best - Palm vs. the others, and where you would go to get the software?

 

[Meriel]

Yeah I''ve always just used a pen, but it''s funny nowdays when you show up at a job or whatever and the laptops and palm pilot''s start popping up all over the place. I''m starting to feel like a caveman, it''s bad enough that I look like one!

 

[CTD]

A Daytimer or other agenda, and a pen always worked for me. Plus, the notes are a great keepsake.

 

[407 Driver]

I have an older Palm V. It''s an interesting gadget, but I''ve never used it for much more than a triplog, a calculator, a phonebook, and to play games on during those boring waits that customers sometimes plan.

 

[Albert Ross]

I''ve tried them all - if you want to spend the bucks, get either an Ipaq, or an HP Jornada 76 series if you want a keyboard (you could get an HP Jornada 56x, but they''re not made any more). Alternatively, you could look out for an old psion 3a, which I still use, and you can get them for about 50 US on ebay (The 5mx is good, to, but way more expensive). The reasons for using the expensive beasts mentioned first are because they will play mp3s (useful on stayovers) and you can put pocketbooks in them.

I use the spreadsheets in them for CG and duty hours - if you want samples, just download them from my site at www.electrocution.com/aviation.htm

I certainly would not recommend a palm

Phil

 

[412driver]

i agree with CTD, the ol' daytimer and a pen. i like to read through some of my old ones (yes, kept them all) and reminisce.

had a gadget once that waited until i had it all loaded up then it crashed

if you're in one place all the time then a laptop with a program like FLIGHTDUTY XLS is just fine too.

 

[4961]

I have a Palm IIIC and love the thing. I do all my planning for training, exams and the lot for up to ten pilots. If I were to loose it, it's all backed up on my laptop. LOVE IT.
Has lots of cool aviation stuff to download off the internet too. It's all good.

 

[Bladestrike]

While the HP is one of the better PDA's out there (if not the best), using a Windows based operating system, the Palm system is much cheaper and can do practically everything the HP's can, only slower and less of it. You'll get more battery life out of the cheaper units as well.

Having used both, I prefer the Handspring (the original designers of the Palm Pilot broke off and formed another company) to the Palm Pilot. I find the screen easier to write on. You can get programs ("Documents To Go" the most popular, downloadable at www.cnet.com in the PDA section) that will allow you to run and modify Excel and Word programs with ease, as well as pda documents (though they eat up alot of memory).

I wouldn't go to far without my Palm Pilot flying EMS. You'll often find yourself away from base being rerouted, and you can flight plan, make all sorts of fuel/weight calculations, having all your waypoints and contact information, aircraft performance information, limitation notes, moon phases, tide schdules, sunrise/set, alarm clocks, pics of the wife and kids..... you are only limited by your imagination. If you get an internet capable unit, you can download all the weather you could ever want from navcanada, write emails or surf.

Once you start using one, it quickly becomes an invaluable aid.

 

[Bruised Armpit]

If anyone is willing to share...I would love some good Palm software!