pda in paris
 

by wifi at mcdo
PDA in Paris
Salut Robespierre. Merci beaucoup mon ami. Une verre de vin rouge a vous.
I leapt in and bought into the PDA thing whole hog before this trip. My kids laughed at me -'you will never use it; Dad and his toys'. Wrong kids.
This thing has been great. In 3 days so far:
- listened to my music (MP3 format) in the airport and on the plane
- played games (solitaire and Dell's Jawbreaker) in the airport and on the plane
- read from a downloaded book 'Madame Bovary' in French (fun but a little ambitious for my command of the language)
- consulted a downloaded French-English dictionary
- used, many times already, my free Metro program - this little baby is amazing - to tell me which Metro (or bus or RER) line to take, where to change trains. If you have taken the Paris Metro you know the value of this program
- consulted my downloaded Paris notes - most from you great people at this forum. Restaurant suggestions, sights to see, etc. etc etc
- checked my calendar and notes for my itinerary, and contacts list for addresses and phone numbers(I also have downloaded copies of my confirmations and car rental agreement)
- used my purchased iFodors Paris program. This one has been much better than I first thought. The map of Paris (zoomable) works well. We have also used the routing function - just type in your location and destination and a detailed (detailed to the number of feet for each part of the route) is given. The guide also gives you a brief synopsis of sights, restaurant, etc. (no Fodors aren't paying me for this testimonial)
- followed the Passages Walk that I copied
- consulted my Patricia Wells Menu Reader
- wrote my journal and trip reports in Word
As yet I have not found a WiFi sight to access the internet or used the GPS program
Unexpected use - when BA wanted a hotel address for our lost luggage, I pulled it up from my notes

Robjame; which one did you get? I'm thinking of buying one too. Sounds like a good purchase for a traveler!

<i>Le balon, s.v.p.</i> Glad you're enjoying it.

Did you know that if you are reading a foreign-language e-book in Microsoft Reader (and you have a dictionary of that language loaded), you can touch a word and its translation will pop up?

<i>Sant&eacute;!</i>

I have an IPAQ 3715, I love it. It does all the stuff robjame mentions - and email &amp; surf web from hotspots - plus, it takes pictures.

And here I thought this was going to be about public displays of affection and whether they were appropriate in Paris.

Are you kidding? The sight of <i>les amoureux</i> was <u>invented</u> in Paris ;)

I have a Dell Axim x50v and it is more than I need or can use. I accessed the WiFi at McDoo (free) with it to post the message above.

Where did you get the free Metro software? We'd love to have it for our trip later this month...

Robespierre is the guru
Try
http://www.freewareppc.com/travel/metro.shtml

The very latest version (and a free update notification service) is at <b>http://nanika.net/metro</b>

I made the leap 2 months ago and now use the Blackberry 7100. Broke out my laptop very rarely last trip to London and will carry only this device when go Spain, France, Germany in June/July

While guess this is not exactly a PDA, it has everything I can imagine needing and quick access to everything else I might not think of. WiFi is so iffy, as learned the hard way, so very liberating to not need any sort of connections. Also love can use the same phone in US and Europe. It took a little practice to master typing on such a teeny keyboard but now used to it. Don't know why I waited so long!

PS: Thanks, Robespierre, for one more great link for my file.

I know I am going to catch hell for this one but what is a PDA. Is it a Palm Pilot?

<b>P</b>ersonal <b>D</b>igital <b>A</b>ssistant.

They started out about 5 years ago being handheld electronic phone book/scheduler-calendar/note pads. But in the last few years, they've turned into full-featured palm-sized computers. In addition to the classic PDA functions, they are also cell phones and wireless internet terminals. There are two operating systems, Palm OS and Windows CE, and most applications can be had in both flavors.

Google <b>pda</b> for 138 million articles about them.

I have a Tapwave Zodiac and love it- the screen is huge- have the metro program loaded in, as well as Fodor's, also the Rough Guide interactive map of Paris- all my notes on WordSmith- tons of books from eReader, and In-Flight French on the MP3.
Not to mention address book, lots of family photos, my favorite music, my calendar, an alarm clock, my recipe file, audio books, Mah Jongg, Solitaire, pinball, bowling, mini golf and Scrabble. It's got BlueTooth, and soon will be WiFi capable when the card arrives from Amazon. I'm so in love with this thing- misplaced it under the seat of the car yesterday and almost had to go to what we call in the south the Nervous Hospital.
I'm trying to figure out how to program it to massage my feet.

RobesPierre - thanks. I will read up on it. It's something I would like and sounds like so much more than just a palm pilot.

Another use - used the tape recorder to catch a minute of the noon day music in sacre coeur

Do any of the following products have an edge over the others, or a drawback?
If I got one, I'd mostly use it for internet connection, email, trip documents, maps... not so much for music/video/photo and don't care about a built-in camera. As a new user, would the iPAQ1955 suffice, or would I really need to pay for the extra memory/speed..?
Anything remarkably different or better between IPAQ and AXIM?

&lt;&gt;installed rom / speed / OS /mfg price
HP IPAQ RX1955
- 64mb 300mhz W-Mobile 5 $299.99
HP IPAQ HX2495
- 128mb 520mhz W-Mobile 5 $399.99
DELL Axim X51v
- 128mb 520mhz W-Mobile 5 $339.99@ on sale (normally $399)

Thank for your experience / input..

Hi Travel,
Mine, that I reported about, is a Dell 50v - probably 1 generation before the one you have listed. I bought the best - most memory - that they were offering at the time. It did and continues to do all those things that I listed above and I am very happy with it. I added an additional battery, rhino (hard aluminum) case, GPS plugin. I would certainly recommend extra battery, hard case, an easy travelling battery charge system. Good luck.
Bob

The thing that I get the most utility out of is the memory expansion capability.

I use a Pharos GPS that plugs into the CompactFlash (CF) socket, and simultaneously I have auxiliary memory in the Secure Digital (SD) slot.

Each SD card I carry is for different purposes, <i>e.g.</i>, in-flight (music, books, games), navigating and sightseeing (M&eacute;tro, pdf maps, Rough Guides and Fodor's threads), navigating on the road (Michelin Maps and Route Planning, AutoRoute) or flying (PocketFMS, Pocket METAR), and so on.

I don't think CPU speed or even onboard memory is nearly as important as &quot;how many places you can plug things in.&quot;

Oh, yeah. Some of the iPAQ features are nice - like a USB stand that charges both batteries simultaneously. That way I can head out with a full charge and a spare. Some PPCs don't even provide for changing batteries without tools.

OK, here's a couple more 'pda for dummies' questions:
1. how do you download files from your desktop to the SD memory card?
2. when you plug the SD card into the pda, is it like a 'drive' on a pc? (ie. the pda memory is c:/, the SD card is d:/, or something like that)

thanks for your info!

Hello Robespierre - My question is this:

Do any of these &quot;gadgets&quot; LOOSE all the information if you do not keep the battery topped up or are they fool proof?

The PDA connects to the desktop through a cradle that plugs into a USB port.

Applications for PPCs are usually supplied with an installer program. Note: the default location for programs is Main Memory. I always opt for Memory Card instead, because filling up the computer memory affects performance negatively.

Data files are transferred by a program called ActiveSync running on both machines. Any <i>newer</i> files on either computer are copied to the other.

The entire PPC is like a demountable disk drive that is visible from File Explorer in the desktop computer as a &quot;drive&quot; called Mobile Device. One can copy files to and from it, delete, create directories etc.

There are two batteries in the PPC: the main swappable one and a built-in one whose only function is to preserve memory if the main one goes down. There is also non-volatile memory built into the PPC that can be used to back up calendar, appointments, contacts, etc.

I keep all my data on SD cards, which are flash memory (and therefore non-volatile).

Robespierre is certainly the guru on this subject. I would concur whole heartedly about using memory slots. The Axiom has an SD and a CF slot. I use the CF primarily for my attached GPS. I, too, use one SD for each purpose except music and books so I can read and listen to music at the same time. I buy 1GB cards.
I might add that I have found success in dumping most things (Word files, maps, but NOT music or programs) directly from my computer to a $10 SD card holder fit into my computer USB port. I have found this is much easier, faster and ensures that the item goes directly to the SD card rather than internal memory. Also my computer Word program allows me to &quot;save as&quot; a PocketWord file, which is what the PDA requires. I have always found it easier to do most work on my computer.
One word of caution: I have found that AOL mail works poorly on PDA (more the fool me for sticking with AOL).

Thank you once again Robespierre for explaining how things work. I am sure with a little practice I could manage a PDA on my next trip. I can see that it is definitely the way to go.

This is very helpful, and I believe I am following your explanations quite well.
It sounds like the typical pc applications I would use, ie. Word, Excel are required to be 'converted' to a pda-specific file/format type.
Is this software I would need to buy or is it included in more recent versions of MS Office? (I'm still using '98)

With the Microsoft (non Palm) type PDA's the software is part of the purchase package that converts the files as necessary when it synchronizes the similar programs of your computer. That means when you sync your PDA and computer, programs like your day planner, address books, music programs, word, excel, books that all use Microsoft programs convert in transfer. My point above was that sometimes it is more convenient to convert on computer but you are probably correct in assuming you might need a more up to date version of some of your Microsoft programs to do this.
BTW sync-ing is a two way process and changes on your PDA can up date your computer. This is all done automatically while your PDA sits in its &quot;cradle&quot; recharging the battery.
The learning curve is very steep when you first get the PDA (at least to me it was) but there are sites like Fodors devoted to support – see http://www.aximsite.com/

Fabulous - you have both been most helpful. Thank you so much.

Just to put it one more way, to avoid confusion:

One cannot simply copy certain kinds of file from desktop to PPC; in particular, Word, Excel, and Outlook files have different formats on the two platforms.

But ActiveSync knows the differences, so when you use File Explorer to copy data from one to the other (while connected via AS), the format conversion is transparent.

Alright, got that... now I'm looking at the variables in 'what's in the box'..

any particular benefits to cradle vs. cable? (USB)

The cradle attaches to the computer's USB port through a cable for syncing. The charger also connects to the cradle to charge both batteries simultaneously.

If you don't need to charge two batteries at once or sync, you can leave the cradle at home and plug the charger directly into the iPAQ.

Did you ever take any breaks from the PDA and other computers to look at the city around you?

<i>Moi?</i>

My iPAQ is in my pocket except when I'm navigating or reading a map or guidebook.

I can compute a M&eacute;tro route in ten seconds instead of staring at an RATP map.

I can find a Fodor's article or a restaurant reference instantly with a text search instead of shuffling through mounds of paper. This activity typically takes place while I am enroute to somewhere.

The GPS tracks my position continuously, so if I ever don't know where I am, I take it out and look at the icon at the center of the display.

My &quot;breaks from the PDA&quot; typically last two or three hours.

What a smarmy question.

Anthony - What a silly comment. Usually your opinions have some validity. The activities you read about in the posts above are time-saving just as using the telephone, computers, email, etc are faster than their alternatives.

ooooooohhhkay now, I guess I'll come in to ask maybe a stupid question.

I'm wondering how wonderful are the &quot;smart&quot; cell phones, the ones that combine pda &amp; cell? I'm wondering if it would be the worst of two worlds. . or the best? Any thoughts?

s

Sorry I can't help you. I did consider an alternative to that- an attachment that made a cell phone out of my PDA. Where I live cell phones are pretty cheap(often free with plans) and seems to change monthly. On the other hand, PDA's seem stable right now.

I haven't found a PDA/Phone that had all the features and versatility of the two separate units that I want.

But my cell can communicate with the iPAQ through a wireless Bluetooth connection, so I can use the PDA as a web terminal anywhere cellular web service exists. The phone stays in my pocket while I do email or find the nearest watering hole with http://mobile.fancyapint.com/.

Robespierre - it sounds like your IPAQ has separate slots for SD and CF... The specs list on HP for the IPAQ hx2495 says it has an &quot;Integrated SD and CF slot&quot;.
- Does that mean it accepts only one or the other at a time?
- If so, is that really a problem?(I don't think I'll be a 'power-user' anytime soon).

Are these Fodors maps and guides only in the PPC format or in Palm too?

The Palm TX seems like a good buy.

How about a lot of text entry? Doing that with pen or with a keyboard?

Only advantage of taking a PDA instead of a laptop on the trip is if you can find enough public hotspots. You can control whether the place you stay at has Internet access.

For the wifi PDA to do anything, you have to have hotspots (and not the paying kind either).

Some PDAs are getting into the low-end laptop range, in terms of price. While they may be good under certain conditions, if you can afford only one, a laptop will be of value after the trip, no?

Some people will always find excuses to play with computers, if they wish to play with them just for the sake of playing with them.

I can find a route on an RATP map in far less than ten seconds, and I don't need to unholster and start up a PDA to do it. There are maps in every station, after all (right where you are likely to need them).

GPS isn't always very reliable on narrow streets in between buildings, so I don't use it for in-city navigation, as a general rule. It's often easier to look at street signs.

Laptops and some PDAs are heavy, fragile, and go through batteries like a hot knife through butter.

Typing and writing on PDAs (and even some laptops) is an exercise in frustration for someone who is used to typing at lightspeed on a real, full-size keyboard.

I use computers for lots and lots of things, but one thing that decades of computer use has taught me is that they are a waste of time for certain simple tasks &hellip; unless, of course, one simply wants to goof around with them for their own sake.

The only thing I use a PDA for is tracking appointments, since I have a very irregular and constantly changing schedule. Other than that, I hardly ever turn it on (it chews through batteries far too quickly for that).