St. Matthew
United
Methodist
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Dedicated to helping you untangle the World Wide Web

Welcome to a new edition of "Your Web Connection". In fact, welcome to the first issue of the "real" millennium. With all that hype last year about the end of the millennium, it just proved that some folks just don't know how to count. From what I understand our present calendar came into existence around the 6th century and started with the year 1, there was no year 0. So the start of the year 2000 was really the start of the last year of the millennium, not the end of it like the hype told us. It's still amazing to me to see the date 2001 in print. I remember watching the movie of the same name many years ago never believing that I would actually ever see the year 2001! 

Terry and I are glad that we finally made it through the holiday season. Up to about a week before Christmas, we had a holiday commitment almost every day. This was especially true on the weekends. At least everything clamed down the week before Christmas, we were able to sit back and enjoy the Christmas season. We love the holidays, but it is nice now to get back to some sort of normalcy.

During the later part of December, we lost part of our Live Oak tree in the backyard due to ice. Unfortunately when the limb broke off, it crushed our metal storage shed. 2000 was not a good year for trees at our home. First we lost our beautiful Bradford Pear due to the tornado that came through Fort Worth the end of March. Then the loss of part of the Live Oak due to ice. We're sure that 2001 has to be much better.

We hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. Terry and I rang in the New Year's with a very busy New Year's eve. We started the evening by having an early dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. After coming home and getting dressed for the evening, we headed over to some dear friends to have a toast to celebrate the New Year. I must say that Terry and I really looked sharp, Terry in her new "Millennium Gown," and I in my tux.

One side note, after our cruise last year, we had our formal clothes but no where to wear them on a consistent schedule. I had ended up buying a tux since it was just as cheap as renting one for the week of the cruise. We decided to buy season tickets to the Fort Worth Symphony. So once a month, Terry and I have a formal evening out. It's our date for the month. Sometime we eat at home before the concert and other times we head to one of the nice upscale restaurants.

Back to New Year's Eve, we then headed to downtown Fort Worth to the Bass Performance Hall. There we attended a concert featuring an evening of Viennese music and waltzes. After the concert we rang in the New Year with some good friends out in Flower Mound. All in all, it was a wonderful way to welcome in the new millennium. New Year's day was spent relaxing watching, what else, football. Terry and I send our wishes to everyone for a prosperous and safe 2001.

One last note. Our column archive is back up and functional. Just click on the link to the left of the column, "Our Column Archive." I haven't had a chance to go through each and every column, but all of the major links are valid. Throughout this month, I'll be going through the archive to check for broken links and fix the ones that I can. I've also got the "Your Web Connection" part updated all the way through the end of the year 2000. Please let me know if you find any broken links and I'll take care of them. I'd appreciate the help since there were so many years of columns to cover.

Let's get on to this issue of "Your Web Connection" and explore the world of PDAs. I'm hooked and now a disciple of the Palm operating platform.

The World of Personal Digital Assistants

Since many of you out there may have gotten one of those nifty little Palm or Handspring units for Christmas, we're going to be taking a look at the world of PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) for the next two issues. In this issue I'll be telling you about the PDA that I use and what I use it for. In February, we'll be looking at those units that run operating systems other than the Palm, namely Windows CE. It'll be interesting to learn about the other units and platforms that are available. Also, due to the scope of the subject, there is no way I can cover everything about PDAs, so this issue and the next one will only be scratching the surface.

Today, in addition to my personal observations, I'll also be outlining some of the many models that are available and what you should consider before buying your first PDA. I'll direct you to some cool resources on the Net and we'll take a look at some neat software as well. One of the advantages of the Palm operating system is that there are thousands of applications available, many of them free or available at a very low cost.

Around October of last year, with an upcoming change in my career, I felt it was finally time to take the plunge into the world of Palm handhelds.  Starting out I had no idea what type of unit I needed or if I even really needed one. Was I buying it for another technological toy or was I buying to become a useful business tool? At the first, I even had my doubts. I have always been a firm believer in my leather bound paper organizer. I just love my Franklin Covey organizational system. I was reluctant to give up my security blanket. (One note: Even though I mainly rely on my Visor now, I am still maintaining my paper organizer. Maybe by next year, I will have been weaned complete away from it in lieu of it's electronic counterpart.)

DFW PUG

I found out about a local Palm user's group, DFW PUG (Dallas/Fort Worth Palm User's Group) and attended the first meeting. In fact they always have two meetings, the regular meeting and then the "meeting before the meeting" as it is fondly called. The "meeting before the meeting" is for all of the newbies that are thinking about or have just been introduced to the world of Palm computing. The newbie meeting is the place for you to ask all those questions that you're afraid to ask during the regular meeting. For the first time in many years of working with computers, I came away with my head swimming with all sort of new terms. I was a newbie and I didn't like the feeling of being unsure and not in control! If you are a new user of the Palm platform, I highly recommend that you attend some of the meetings. For the month of January, they will be having a meeting in Arlington, then one in the Dallas area. There are usually 30-40 individuals in attendance. You'll learn a lot. Go to the link I've provided above and join. It's free to join. 

Anyway, after attending a couple of meetings and actually holding the different units, I ended up choosing a Handspring Visor Deluxe model. Why did I choose that model? Several reasons, first, I liked the "springboard" expansion slot that the Handspring had incorporated into their design. The springboard expansion slot allow you to use your Visor for different applications, such as a cell phone or an MP3 player. It also allows you to add a backup module or memory expansion. Second, I'd read some very favorable reviews from the noted experts raving about the Handspring Visor Deluxe. It's the model that has 8 megs of memory.

Both Palm and Handspring have models that only have 2 megs of memory, but I was told to not even consider those models. I was told that if I were to buy one, later down the line, I'd probably have wished that I had gotten the upper end model, so don't make the mistake at the first. I have not been disappointed by my decision. One major drawback that I have since found out about is that the operating system can't be upgraded like some of the newer models of Palms and Handsprings. I also vacillated back and forth about buying a unit that was connected (Palm VII) versus a non-connected unit. I decided that I was connected enough at work and home and I really didn't need the additional connectivity.

Below are some of the many models available that run the Palm operating platform. Prices run all the way from $149.00 to $499.00. You will rarely find any discounted prices. Recently Palm dropped the price on their color IIIc unit. From what I understand, they may be coming out with a newer model to replace it.

Palm M100	Palm III	Palm V	Palm VII	Visor Prism

When I first got the unit I read my users manual from front to back. Not just the little one that comes with the unit, I'm talking about the big one that comes electronically on the setup CD. After learning how my Handspring worked, I started adding my important data and setting up the applications that I wanted. Most of the Palm platform units come standard with the following major application:

• Datebook
• Phonebook
• Memo pad
• To Do List
• Calculator
• Expense

You'll find out soon enough by seeing what other Palm users are doing that their applications may look a little different than what you're using. On the Handspring Visor there is already an upgraded Datebook application. The Memo pad and To Do List applications that come standard are all right, but if you want expanded capabilities, you'll need to upgrade to Memo and To Do List Plus applications. Both of the programs give you so many more capabilities that you'll find very useful. The upgrade cost is so reasonable the applications are worth the upgrade costs. Other than adding a few games my Handspring was finally ready to go into action.

So what do I use my Handspring for? Terry and I sometimes lead a very busy schedule in our personal lives and at work, so keeping our schedules coordinated is very important to us. So we keep our schedules coordinated on it as well as my busy work schedule. What is a definite plus is the ability to sync with your PC. For our email at work and at home, both of us use Outlook. It's wonderful to be able to sync the Handspring at home and at work to Outlook and immediately see schedules, appointments and to do items appear immediately on the screen. I keep my Visor with me all the time and rarely make an appointment without first checking it. It's also wonderful to write reminders to myself on things I need to do using either the Memo Pad or To Do List applications. I write the reminder and then set an alarm to remind me.

When I sync my Handspring to my desktop computer, I also have an application installed called Avantgo. After you download the Avantgo software and install it on your PDA, you'll be able to download and read content from the Web. I subscribe to several channels that are of interest to me consisting of a mix of hard news, trivia, unusual and useless facts, weather and other computer related news. The content is refreshed each time I sync. If I'm having to wait somewhere, I pull out my Handspring and read the latest news from the Wall Street Journal, USA Today or the New York Times. I also have a local weather channel configured so I can have the 5 day forecast right at my fingertips.

Another cool thing you can do with your handheld is read e-books (electronic books). There are literally thousands of titles available most of them free or for a very small fee. To read an e-book, you'll have to have an application to read the text. There are some free readers out there, such at the one I use, called C-Spot Run. There are also readers out there that have a small fee for downloading and have more features than the free units. Right now I'm reading "Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. I'm really enjoying re-reading on of the classics from my childhood.

Many of today's PDAs have an endless variety of add-ons for your handheld. I've already mentioned the cell phone and MP3. A little bit far-fetched, but how about a add-on that turns your Handspring into a remote control for your entertainment system. Both the Handspring and the Palms have camera add-ons for their respective units. Just think the untis can double as your digital camera. Pretty cool! 

The Major Players

Let's take a look at the two major players in the handheld arena, Palm and Handspring.

The most well known of the players is considered the "800 pound gorilla" in the handheld industry. They really dictate what going to happen in the industry. Their web site is chock-full of useful information, downloads, customer support and of course, the Palm Store where you can purchase everything you'll ever need for your Palm unit. Their download site has one of the most extensive collections in the industry. They also have a very good mailing list that you can subscribe to that will keep you up to date on the world of Palm computing. You can access the Palm site at:

http://www.palm.com/

 

Handspring grew from the founder and inventor of the original Palm unit. After he sold out to 3Com, he decide to redesign his original concept and improve upon it, hence, the birth of the Handspring Visor and Visor Deluxe. They have since come out with a couple of new models, the Visor Prism, their first color unit, and the Visor Platinum. The Platinum has an upgraded processor and is proclaimed to be the fastest handheld on the market. As I've previously mentioned, the Handspring's major advantage is what they call their "springboard" expansion slot. I only have one module, the backup unit. It's nice to be able to backup your important data any time you like without having to be hooked up to your desktop.

Both of the major players have thousands of software titles for downloading. At the Handspring site, here is a listing of some of the many categories that is available:

Authored by Chuck and Terry Mencke

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