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Going paperless -What PDA do you suggest


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I would like to stop wasting paper asap but I hve no idea as to what type of PDA I should be looking at. What extras are needed?

 

What are the pros and cons of the various types? And what can I get for my investment?

 

I guess I need one that can copy a web pages and have the ability to save files and notes. Anything else?

 

Thanks,

HolyCowboys

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There be several operating systems. The two primary ones are Palm and PocketPC.

Palm is the most affordable. They are basic no-frills personal organizers.

 

PocketPC is is essentially a mobile Windows application. They are pricey but more versatile as they have PDA versions of Exel, Word, and just about anything on your Windows based Desktop. I have one for my work and it includes Bluetooth and a cell phone!.

 

Now that I have a Cx Garmin model and can load it up with POI's, I rarely have a need for the PDA as each POI can hold 132 characters of information :blink: .

Edited by Chuy!
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Look for used Palms on Ebay. You can usually pick up a good one for less than $35 and then not worry about it if you drop it in the mud while reaching for a cache.

 

I personally perfer the PPC platform but those are a bit more expensive. About $50 for used Dell Axim on eBay. i add GPXsonar to carry all the cache info with. Just frop the GPX file from a PQ onto the PPC and off I go.

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I have a Palm M500 I bought several years ago when it was near the top of the line and fairly expensive. Now you can get one of those on eBay for $30.00, and that should include the shipping. The monochrome units are easier to see in bright sunlight than some of the color units.

 

Get an inexpensive hard case for it and add Cachemate for $8.00 and you are all set. :blink:

 

In more than two years of caching with the Palm M500, I've never had any problems with the PDA or Cachemate. I use GSAK to Export the information in the correct format for the Palm.

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Well, there is lots more to it, but first, get an inexpensive PDA, or if you already have one, create Pocket Queries. :blink: You will get those files in your email InBox. Then use software to slice and dice the data. Many people use GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) which Exports the cache data in the correct format for whichever PDA you have. There is both a PPC version and a Palm version of Cachemate, which is the program I use on my Palm M500.

 

For more information about pocket queries, check out this site. :huh:

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I love being paperless.

 

I have a HP ipaq with built in GPS and mapping software. On my screen is a dot where the cache is and a blinking dot where I am and shows all the stuff in between in 1:50,000 glory (I run Memory Map with OS maps and have all of the UK). By simply tapping the cache icon with my stylus it will call up the cache page with all the logs (via GSAK).

 

It really works well. with 2gb SD cards I can store huge amounts of data.

 

So to go caching it is all I need.

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I don't care for Mobipocket . . . It is not nearly as cool and efficient as Cachemate, and the $8.00 for Cachemate was a small amount of money for what the program offered.

 

Most of the people I cache with who are "paperless" also use Cachemate which is great because we can "beam" information to each other in the field in case one cache or another didn't get into our database.

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why not just get the e-book format sent to you and use mobipocket on your pda to read the info? I use it on my cell phone with great success.

Mobipocket reader is pathetic when compared to programs like cachemate and GPXSonar.

care to explain why? I've never used them myself, but the e-book I get sent is laid out almost identical to the web site, has a great table of content, and the hints decrypted in the appendix. Just wondering what advantages the other progrms could possibly have

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why not just get the e-book format sent to you and use mobipocket on your pda to read the info? I use it on my cell phone with great success.

Mobipocket reader is pathetic when compared to programs like cachemate and GPXSonar.

care to explain why? I've never used them myself, but the e-book I get sent is laid out almost identical to the web site, has a great table of content, and the hints decrypted in the appendix. Just wondering what advantages the other progrms could possibly have

Cachemate gives you separate screens. One gives the basic info. Another gives the entire description, another gives you the Past Logs, as many as you want from your GSAK database (which can be a lot if you keep building it with each new PQ), another gives you the Hint, and another gives you a place to log your find and write the details of the cache hunt.

 

You can search nearest caches from the one you are at, or put in coordinates from your GPSr and search that way. For the price, Cachemate is the best software I have ever purcased. :blink:

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I bought a used Dell Axim and I love it. I had originally bought it just for saving cache pages, but now I use it for everything. The excel program has made keeping records of weight lifting maxes and pres fitness test info for my classes easy and I can use the web when I'm out on a cache if an access point is nearby. This little device has taken a lot of paperwork clutter out of my life.

 

I suggest looking at the auction sites like ebay, but don't forget to look in the garage sale forum on this site (that is where I found mine).

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why not just get the e-book format sent to you and use mobipocket on your pda to read the info? I use it on my cell phone with great success.

Mobipocket reader is pathetic when compared to programs like cachemate and GPXSonar.

care to explain why? I've never used them myself, but the e-book I get sent is laid out almost identical to the web site, has a great table of content, and the hints decrypted in the appendix. Just wondering what advantages the other progrms could possibly have

After using the Mobipocket reader for several months, I now use GPXSonar. It can sort and filter caches on the fly and you can write and export notes for as you find each cache. It doesn't show the cache pages itself, but uses the built-in Pocket IE, so it is in the same HTML that we're used to. The hints are decrypted but placed on the cache page in white text so all you have to do is highlight the area and voila, there it is. It uses the same GPX file that I either get from GC.com or export from GSAK. With Mobipocket, there is another file that has to be dealt with. I can't think of any other advantages right now, but I know that there are more!

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I got a cheap Palm IIIxe online so if something happens to it on the trail I won't be too sad and can replace it somewhat easily. It runs Cachemate or Plucker with no problem. It's not the most up to date, but gets the job done and if it takes a dive in a stream I can get another one by laying off stuff from my entertainment budget for a bit instead of having to take out a loan.

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There be several operating systems. The two primary ones are Palm and PocketPC.

Palm is the most affordable. They are basic no-frills personal organizers.

 

PocketPC is is essentially a mobile Windows application. They are pricey but more versatile as they have PDA versions of Exel, Word, and just about anything on your Windows based Desktop. I have one for my work and it includes Bluetooth and a cell phone!.

 

Now that I have a Cx Garmin model and can load it up with POI's, I rarely have a need for the PDA as each POI can hold 132 characters of information :blink: .

 

How do you load POI'S to the Garmin? NTK. Thanks

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Use GPXSonar (not sure if its still in development though) on your PocketPC. It is really a great application. There are a number of Windows Mobile devices out there.

 

Personally, I have Verizon Wireless and I like to combine my phone with my PDA. It makes too much sense to only have to carry one device....now if I can just get my GPS on my phone, I would be set.

 

Seriously though, I use a Palm Treo 700W. Its a great all around device, and not too bulky. Its probably the most usable device that I have owned. Everything can be done with your fingers and you never have to use the stylus, except when you are really sorting through those caches.

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I've been through a few PDA's since making the jump, and this is my PERSONAL experiance.

Your mileage may differ.

 

I started with my Treo 650, and it is GREAT! BUT! I am always afraid of losing or damageing

a very expensive phone-PDA connection to the ouside world.

So I bought a Handspring Visor. Fantastic unit, until I failed to recharge the battery. Say bye bye information.

I decided I wanted one with a removable card, so I bought a Zire 31. Just what I wanted, until I discovered what the seller warned about, the screen is very difficult to see in the sun.

So now I am preparing to put through the paces a Sony Clie' PEG-S320.

Monochrome so I should be able to use outdoors, Memory Stick to hold my data on, Very good battery life.

I will miss the newer Palm OS, it has some great features and easier to use grafitie :rolleyes:

Somewhere in between I tried a HP Pocket PC, and it just wasn't for me.

I also tried the Mobipocket and again, it just wasn't for me. I know others swear by it, but I guess it's like the Mac vs PC or Ford vs Chevy thing. I just use Cachemate and GSAK.

I hope this Sony PDA works for me, but my shopping list became

Monochrome for outdoor use. Color is no advantage for GeoCaching.

Removable media. No more losing data from not keeping it charged

Cheap. ($28.00 delivered) If it gets lost or damaged, the loss is not huge.

USB. No adaptor hassles, and a cable instead of a desk thing. I like that a lot.

Can I get a car charger? Yes.

Have fun and good luck with your decision.

PP

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There be several operating systems. The two primary ones are Palm and PocketPC.

Palm is the most affordable. They are basic no-frills personal organizers.

 

PocketPC is is essentially a mobile Windows application. They are pricey but more versatile as they have PDA versions of Exel, Word, and just about anything on your Windows based Desktop. I have one for my work and it includes Bluetooth and a cell phone!.

 

Now that I have a Cx Garmin model and can load it up with POI's, I rarely have a need for the PDA as each POI can hold 132 characters of information :anitongue: .

 

I have the 60csx, how do I more info about caches?

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I LOVE my palm Z22 (85 bucks.) Its small and light weight. You can buy a hard case that encloses the entire devise and it still slips right into my back pocket. I guess one could argue that one of the “cons” is that the Z22 doesn’t have expandable memory (meaning that your stuck with the 32 MB of internal memory.) This isn’t a problem for me because I only use my palm only to geocache. Using pocket quories and cachemate, I’ve had as many as 5000 cache pages with 20 previous logs and I still had plenty of memory to spare. The other drawback is it doesn’t have a keyboard, so keeping rack of logs on it can be time consuming. I use my GPS to “mark cache as found” so this isn’t a huge deal for me. In conclusion, It you are looking for a cheep way to read cache info on the go the Z22 will do the trick.

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I've been using a palm TX, way overkill fo rcaching (128MB internal, and 1 2gb memory card). But man does it rock as far as using cachemate (thousands of caches can be searched and sorted in seconds). I do have an older Palm IIIx (with a measly 4MB ram) that miraculously started working again after years of being dead (after batteries inside corroded over everything). I am looking to try and use the IIIx for caching. Maybe some variation of using the TX at home and in the car, and bringing the IIIx on the trail or something. The TX just seems too expensive and fragile to be trecking through the woods with.

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two approaches, both under the name of "paperless." to some that means getting a cheap Palm and Cachemate. The combination takes the place of paper and doesn't cost much, but you still have to carry two devices, the Palm and a GPSr. the other way is to get a Palm with bluetooch and a BT GPSr. I use GeoNiche with this combination and carry only the one device. GeoNiche turns a Palm into the most "customizable " GPSr you've ever seen and it performs all the CacheMate functions. works great. downside is that you need to protect the Palm, which can be easily done.

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