Nursing PDA

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Hey guys, I know I have asked about this before so I promise I'll be quick. Now that all of you have convinced me to buy a PDA, I am. My only question is should I wait until my orientation to see if they have a specific one, or do they just tell you that you can get any PDA you want? I was planning on getting the Dell Axim X30. Is that a good one? Anyone has anything good to say about it? Thanks alot

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Hey guys, I know I have asked about this before so I promise I'll be quick. Now that all of you have convinced me to buy a PDA, I am. My only question is should I wait until my orientation to see if they have a specific one, or do they just tell you that you can get any PDA you want? I was planning on getting the Dell Axim X30. Is that a good one? Anyone has anything good to say about it? Thanks alot

can't imagine why they would make you get a specific one. Almost all programs come for palms and pocket pc's. I have the dell and I love it. I got a 1 gig expansion card for it. I get all my programs at skyscape.com

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Specializes in Emergency.

Actually they may have a specific operating system (OS) in mind. Palm and Windows Mobile being the 2 major ones. Also it depends on how much money one wants to spend on software for it. As an example there is a drug program called Epocrates, for the Palm system there is an excellent free drug reference with additional features costing $$. There is no free WM version. My exp tends to show most the Palm compatible software being significantly cheaper than the WM compatible, if there is even a WM version.

Rj:rolleyes:

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Thank you for your replies.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Let me start off by saying: I am very verbose. So this may get a little lengthy.

I agree with the above posters. You first need to know what type of OS you prefer. Many people say they like Windows Mobile because it is most like the Windows OS. Others prefer the Palm, which does have more free software (although this is quickly changing) and it, IMHO, more resembles an Apple OS. I tried them both. I started with a Sony Clie which I loved. Then I found a Dell Axim X50 on eBay for a steal so the eBay junkie I am, I bought it. It is a very nice OS, but it wasn't really as comfortable to me as the Palm. I did like how the Axim had an MP3 player and was compatible with my MS Office 2003. BUT THEN, I discovered the (Palm) Treo 650 through Verizon Wireless which is a smartphone. It is by far the most complete, amazing, wonderful creation IMHO. It has a SD slot (in which I have a 1 gig SD card), MP3 player, Palm OS, telephone, built in browser, video camera, software compatible with Office, many many features that I find useful both at work and at home. I really like how I don't have to carry my cell phone and pda seperately and I have instant access to the internet so that I can keep up with my online classes during my lunch and breaks. I also considered getting the Audiovox 6600 or waiting until the Samsung i730 came out (these are both "smartphones" built on the Windows Mobile OS) but decided I was just overall more satisfied with the Palm OS. This is a personal choice for me, and it took me three tries to get it exactly right. I know you will find the right choice for you, no one can tell you what that is- but before you decide you need to have a good idea of exactly what you are looking for. In any event, I do believe it is a good choice to invest in a PDA. It saved my life during LPN school, it saved my butt 1 or 2 times so far at work, and I am SURE it will come to my aid this September when I start my RN classes. Good luck, let us know what you decide!

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thank you very much....its ok to be verbose :)

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Love my Dell Axim. As for the cost of programs ... it's possible that there are more freebies available in for the Palm OS - I haven't really looked. But as a die-hard Windows user for nearly 20 years, there was no way I was going to switch platforms when Windows Mobile was available. All the medical software I've considered is available for both Palm & Windows Mobile.

Yes, the cost of software can add up, but if you choose wisely ... I find software programs that are typically

Unless there's a specific software program that your school intends for you to use, you should be OK with whatever you choose. Happy shopping.

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Is a PDA really necessary? I've never used one.

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Is a PDA really necessary? I've never used one.

Not necessary but very convenient! I'm starting nursing school in Sept. 05 at NYU and I hear a lot of nursing students use one, so I just ordered one from Buy.com. I did a lot of research and decided to go with HP hx2415. My husband is in the IT field and he highly recommended this model. I can't wait to play with it. :)

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