What's best to buy?

[DavidND]

Hi peeps.

I'm an electrician and plumber who has to carry around a huge file with customer(s) details (including each job etc). I'm looking to lose some baggage and get smarter. What PDA should I buy and why? It obviously needs some software to allow me to get at my details!!

My budget is £250 max.

Thanx in advance

David

[djmangen]

Some good questions. First off, since I don't know just how large your customer files are, it is a bit difficult to respond intelligently. Another important consideration is where the files are currently stored.

With that as background, and recognizing that I'm in the US and guessing on exchange rates and prices in the UK, my guess is that a combination of:

1. A Palm M500, with SD card for additional memory.
2. HanDBase, to use as a database to port over the data that is (hopefully) in Access tables.

You can build tracking and invoicing applications inside of the HanDBase model, so you could quite possibly do an invoice, print it at the client site, and have your records for the tax man, etc., all on your Palm.

Many other PDAS would also constitute viable options. I personally am somewhat biased toward the Palm simply because they are more or less the industry standard. Many other people prefer the Sony models because they are high resolution. I think either approach would work for you.

If you have some additional funds, you might want to consider a keyboard or a small printer entering and then printing those invoices.

Good luck.

djm

[DavidND]

Thanx DJM.

The files are not currently large at all. Just details of teh individual and details of work undertaken such and outline of work, date carried out cost etc. I hadn't even thought about invoicing etc as I was going to do that from within say Access or Excel.

Existing files are paper and getting too large to carry around (without a trailer) hence the need to get smarter.

So, if I designed an databse on access, could i transfer it to a handheld such as a palm? If so how do I go about it?

Thanx for your help.

David

[action49]

I use ThinkDB with dbsynch to keep Access databases on my Palm - works really well. The forms arent as flashy as HanDBase but they are easy to use.

Angela

[schmuck]

Dude...

Have had the same issues with Patient Files at work ( I'm A Nurse)

Have found The Sony S series to be great for on-the-go storage with a 64MB memory stick..

The Sony's start as about $140.00 US. a Memory Stick will run you around $35.00 US

Also, The Sony's come Standard With Docs-To-Go Word & Excell

[djmangen]

Originally posted by DavidND

So, if I designed an databse on access, could i transfer it to a handheld such as a palm? If so how do I go about it?


Well, I would guess that you want to keep master copies of the form at your business office, so starting with Access makes sense if only because it is so widely available; however many of the software packages (including the normal HanDBase) have desktop applications that allow you to enter and edit data on the PC as well.

You'd then have your office copy that you could modify there, if you ever want or need to do so. With many of the database programs for the Palm -- HanDBase being the one that I'm most familiar with, you can either set up a direct conduit and syncronize the file or import a comma delimited file.

If you're going to want to regularly update the copy on both the office computer and the Palm, then the direct conduit route is the way to go. For HanDBase, this requires the professional version.

Another alternative, although much more expensive, is a program called Pendragon Forms. This program will create both the PC and the Palm database, and set up the conduit for you. Frankly, however, its price is so prohibitive (over $100 US) that unless you are going to be designing lots of differrent forms, it probably doesn't make sense for you.

Note, however, that all of the preceding assumes that you want to keep and edit a master copy on the PCIf, however, you're going to enter all of the information on the Palm and always update it there, then easy editing on the PC becomes less of a priority, and a direct conduit is less valuable.

I hope this was somewhat helpful to you. These products are a great way to get organized, but sometimes the front end work in getting everything set up can be a real pain.

DJM

[DavidND]

Well! Thats has me thinking about all manner of things and I'll have to give it some more thought. Having said that, from the info given here (especially you DJM) I feel able to get on with it now.

Many many thanx.

David :D