1 PC to syn 19 PDA's .... HELP!!

[BioComa]

Hi... i need some help. Hope you guys can help me soon :|
The company i work for as just bought 19 Compaq iPAQ H3850 PDA's .. first time we're using pdas. Is there a way, or is it possible to use, for example, Active Sync (or any other program) with more than one PDA connected to USB ports at any given time?
For example, having a USB HUB with 10 connections for example to synchronyze all of them at the same time? It's gonna be extremely time consuming if there isn't a way of doing it with more that one at each time :(
If someone already had the same doubt and asnwers were given to solve this issue can you guys gimme a link?
I really need some help on this...
Thanks in advance :)

[dwinget]

You could try Novell's ZenWorks for handhelds. More information can be found at http://www.novell.com/products/zenworks/handhelds/ . Good luck!

[stevemw]

There is no way to sync more than one iPAQ on a computer at the same time. Outlook uses the logged-on user's access to Outlook so to sync 19 different iPAQs you must log onto the PC with 19 usernames.

You are not referring to ghosting or cloning the iPAQs, are you?

[BioComa]

To stevemw:


I don't intend to use the iPAQs to use the outlook program. Heres what i intend to.
I work on a market research company, and our idea is to have a new approach on CAPI (computer aided personal interview)... Research companys tend to use laptops... but we decided on a new approach. We designed our own software to use on the PDA's to conduct those interviews. So, now you'll probably getting the idea of what i need. I need someway, with software, or hardware, to sync all those pdas on the same time, in order to update the software, to update interviews, and so on.....

www.lvc.com.pt

thanks in advance.

[jmkeuning]

I went to a market research interview a few months ago that used palm pilots...Fortunately, we started at our own time so we finished at our own time also so we handed the palms to the "operator-person" and she synced them real fast. It may be time consuming but if you're sitting there waiting for people to finish you'll have the time available right? You just sync them as they finish.

But, here's an idea. Since you are only transferring data you don't need a true "syncing" you just need to copy a file or some files. So get some expansion packs and some network cables and a hub. Plug the iPAQs into the hub and browse them from your desktop/laptop, grabbing the files you want from each; Should be real quick.

Mike

[Nitestrike]

Along the same lines as that of jmkeuning, if you have storage cards you could get a card reader for the PC. Just store the data you need on the storage cards and transfer the data via the reader on the PC.

[dwinget]

It sounds like you need a client server database which will allow the iPAQs to communicate via wireless connection. Does anybody know of any Pocket PC database programs with this capability?

[kpduty]

http://www.syware.com/newsrev/pr/vce_men.htm

[stevemw]

Probably the best and cheapest way to proceed is to copy the software to an SD card (get the smallest that will hold the program and support files as well as the response files and any other data collected). I don't know of any way to mass copy an SD, but if you use an SD reader that connects to the USB port of a desktop or laptop, you can copy to software to as many SD as needed. (The SD's can be considered reusable if your process so allows).