Personal organiser

[wellinghall]

My Psion 5mx has broken (again), and while the helpful alitalf is fixing it, he has very reasonably pointed out that it's getting pretty obsolete by now. So ... what might I replace it with? Key criteria are probably:
- portability - if it doesn't fit in my briefcase, I'm not going to have it with me
- compatability with my Psion, at least so I can get data off the Psion and onto something new
- spreadsheet, database / contacts and diary functions
- compatability my my home and work PCs (both using Windows - XP and NT4 - one with Outlook and one with Mozilla).

Any suggestions would be gratefully received. (alitalf, I know you suggested something last time we spoke, but I can't for the life of me remember what - I'm blaming my cold for this.)

Of course, the most likely outcome is that I keep on using my Psion until next time it breaks, then make a similar post!

Comments

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Psion 5mx? Now that's a name I haven't heard in a very long time...

(Frankly, it's been a while since I saw NT4!)

I can't help much myself. When it comes to PDAs, I'm a bit of a luddite. I use an old fashioned Clare Associates paper diary myself. I've even steadfastly resisted all the demands to have a Blackberry. This is extremely difficult at my place, where they pretty much insist for managers and above.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Up till now, my Psion has proved good enough for me (you would probably say the same thing about your paper diary!) Changing would have been more bother than it was worth. But there is going to come a point when it spends more time on alitalf's workbench than it does in my briefcase, and I do need to recognise that at some point.

I think I could go back to paper - if I had all my existing data on paper. But as it's in electronic format, keeping it like that does seem the only way to go.

[asklepia.livejournal.com]

Well, I've been very happy with the various Palm Pilots I've had over the years, and I'm always willing to recommend them to other people. If you want a phone in your PDA then look at the Treo series, and if you don't want it to include a phone look at the Tx series. I won't recommend specific models as I'm not sure what's available in the UK.

Good luck!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the advice.

[alitalf.livejournal.com]

If you fancy one box with a phone in as well look at the mda and similar form-factor gadgets. Otherwise any modern pda that has the functions you want will be smaller and lighter than the Psion - though battery life will be less and you will use rechargeable batteries.

You can use an external keyboard to type long entries, but the stylus works well for me for names and appointments. No pda actually stores files in the same format as M$ word, excel and so on, and all have file converters that run on the pc so that it doesn't matter.

It is worth looking for one with bluetooth AND wifi, NOT with the battery permanently built in, but one that you can buy spare batteries for. Personally I prefer the larger screen type with 480 * 640 resolution, but even now the majority have 240* 320 which suits some people.

I shall be in the centre of Luton on Thursday BTW.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this. I might pick your brains further at some point, if that's okay.

Unfortunately, on Thursday I will be in the centre of Preston, meeting my dotted line boss and two people from KPMG. (In total, there are going to be five people at the meeting - two from Preston, two from London, and me from Luton. So of course we're holding the meeting in Preston).

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Who are you seeing from KPMG?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Two of the actuaries from London.

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

No pda actually stores files in the same format as M$ word, excel

My old Palm Tungstan E could handle Word and Excel OK.