Which handheld or pda do you guys use?

angelique777 · Nov 26, 2004

hi, guys. i just got hired in an icu as a new grad! it is a level ii trauma hospital so i'm a bit scared but i'm also excited to start. while i was looking for icu books i realized many of the books are offered in pda form. do any of you use handheld or pda at icu bedside? i would think it's easier than carrying several book with you every working day. if any of you do, please let me know what brand and model it is and pro and con of the specific brand you use. i'd also like to hear from those that had one and thinks that it's useless. i don't want to shell out the money and find out i don't need it. thanks.
ammie

i too begin on a new unit shortly, iccu and want to purchase pda to have readily available information. i know a nurse who has one and it really makes looking up meds much easier plus additional information can be download such as lab values and iccu books that have information needed for the unit i will be working on.... however i too am confused as to which one to buy and hope someone technology oriented will post some information...... for now i will post what information i got from consumer reports

pdas: for a networked world

in touch a pda with wi-fi capability can link wirelessly to the internet at hot spots in airports, hotels, and many mcdonald's and starbucks locations.

the personal digital assistant is evolving in ways that make it easier to use and better able to connect to the internet and to other devices.

two types of pda dominate in sales to u.s. consumers.

seventy percent use the palm operating system (os); (note i noticed that most stuff that i want is compatible to os system like the kathy white material for icu nurse)

the rest use microsoft's pocket pc software.

here's what the latest models offer:

designs tailored to the user. some of the latest models can easily be operated with one hand, wirelessly send and receive e-mail, or readily fit into a pocketbook or shirt pocket.

among palm os units, sony has taken the design lead with built-in cameras and bigger screens.better power management.

some pocket pc units have laptop-like power-saving schemes, but in our tests, only the toshiba e805's made a difference: you can extend its battery life for an hour by slowing the processor's speed.

in some cases, fewer choices. power-hungry color displays have nearly displaced monochrome; nonreplaceable batteries are standard for palm os models.

how to choose

consider your ties to a computer. pocket pcs provide a windows-like interface that allows simple pc-to-pda file transfer with drag-and-drop capability.

they're also better than palm os models for setting up a wi-fi (wireless) e-mail connection. most have replaceable batteries, along with accessible flash memory to which you can back up data.

palm os models run a wider range of third-party software applications than do pocket pcs. for the basics, they're still easier to use.

while all pdas can sync with macintoshes, only palmone models do so out of the box. sony units need software such as the missing sync (available at http://www.markspace.com). that program and pocketmac (http://www.pocketmac.net) work for pocket pcs. both are priced under $50.

palm os models: basic features or innovative design? differences exist between palmone's and sony's palm os models. palmone models have more versatile e-mail software, when included, and their straightforward design makes them easier to operate than sonys.

sony models offer a wider range of designs for specific uses, such as one-handed operation or the ability to type while the pda sits on a desktop.

small size vs. extra features. as a rule, a model with a larger display or a physical keyboard won't be the lightest or smallest. a pda with two slots for memory and peripherals is more expandable, but tends to be larger.

see our latest ongoing ratings and model recommendations, which we update periodically with additional models and/or price and availability information.

ratings pda-handheld

cr quick recommendations

see a summary of test findings and quick picks--the choices that merit first consideration including any cr best buys.

the ratings tell you which models were easiest to use, had the longest battery life, and performed best overall. the table also indicates the models' major features. but finding the best pda for your needs also means weighing price and other considerations. quick picks does that for you. it highlights good values in pdas that our experts consider full-featured or especially well designed.

quick picks

for a basic organizer at a good price:

5 palmone, $190

13 toshiba, $265

the palmone tungsten e (5) and the toshiba e405 (13) are well priced yet offer plenty. the palmone lets you view pictures and see daily tasks at a glance. the toshiba has a picture viewer and a voice recorder. another unit, the palmone zire 21 (8), is the only monochrome unit tested. but while it's low-priced and fine for to-do lists and contacts, other monochrome units we've tested scored higher in battery life.

for a full-featured palm os unit:

1 sony, $375

2 palmone, $400

the sony clie peg-th55 (1) has a better design than most other palm os models, plus a large display and exceptional battery life for a color unit. for the extra cost, the palmone tungsten c (2) has a usable keyboard and battery life eight hours longer, in tests, than that of the palmone tungsten t3 (3).

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for a windows look and feel in a pda:

11, 14 hewlett-packard, $400-$425

both are well designed and have wi-fi and bluetooth capability. the hewlett-packard ipaq h4355 (11) squeezes a usable keyboard and easily readable display into a slim case. the hewlett-packard ipaq h4155 (14) is similar but, lacking a keyboard, costs less.

for a portable navigation system:

7 garmin, $550

the garmin ique 3600 (7) is the only unit tested to include a gps-equipped navigation system. it was easy to use, though its battery life was lacking.

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we not only tell you about the best products to buy, but also where you can buy them. click below to compare prices on models of your choice at reputable online retailers.

click for more information.

brand and model price overall score test results features

small type: similar model(s)

indicates a quick pick meriting first consideration.

cr best buy indicates an exceptional value.

palm os models

1 sony clie peg-th55$375 this was listed as the best of the os undefined29mb* best battery life in this model

below site recommended by consumer report and yahoo

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:sony%20clie%20peg-th55%20pda:1991383496;_ylc=x3odmtewnwdsm3jpbf9tazc4ndcwmdmwoqrzzwmdy3jzaxrlbhnsawnsaw5r?cb=1

2 palmone tungsten c $400 second best of the os undefined51mb

3 palmone tungsten t3 $400 third best of the os undefined* 52 * * 3.8 * *

the following did not do as well in the rating in consumer report

4 sony clie peg-tj37

clie peg-tj27 $170

$270 * 23 * * 3 * *

5 palmone tungsten e $190 * 29 * 3 * *

6 sony clie peg-ux50 $500 16 * * 3.3 *

7 garmin ique 3600 $550 23 * 3.7 * *

8 palmone zire 21 $100 * 7.3 2.7

pocket pc models (these are the pocket pc

9 asus mypal a716 $410 this was scored high 56 * * * 3.5 * *

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:asus%20mypal%20a716%20pda:1991392683;_ylc=x3odmtewnwdsm3jpbf9tazc4ndcwmdmwoqrzzwmdy3jzaxrlbhnsawnsaw5r?cb=1

10 toshiba e805 e800 $600 $500 127 * * * 3.9 * *

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:toshiba%20pocket%20pc%20e805%20pda:1991351241;_ylc=x3odmtewnwdsm3jpbf9tazc4ndcwmdmwoqrzzwmdy3jzaxrlbhnsawnsaw5r?cb=1

(the two above where scored the highest with the most memory, however i do not know if you are able to download the nursing material to these units since i am a novice i can not say with certainty i was interested in the kathy white material and it seemed compatilbe with the os models but this is where some one who knows can tell us so we know of the above choices which is the best

i also have some websites that consumer reports recommended for the best price for these products i will see if they can attach to this posting

hope some one can tell us which of these is the best for our purpose so far i think the sony clie is the one i see some nurses have but just would like to know for sure

these below did not do as well as the two previous pocket pc

11 hewlett-packard ipaq h4355

ipaq h4350 $450

$425 57 * * * 3.5 * *

12 asus mypal a620bt

mypal a620 $285

$380 * 55 * * 3.5 * *

13 toshiba e405

e400 $250

$265 * 62 * 3.5 * *

14 hewlett-packard ipaq h4155

ipaq h4150 $390

$400 * 57 * * * 3.5 * *

15 dell axim x3

axim x30 $200

$230 * 31.3 * * 3.6 * *

16 hewlett-packard ipaq h2215

ipaq h2210 $375

$350 * 57.1 * * * 3.6 * *

the key to remember here that of the above there are two type the os and the pc and i do not know which or if both are compatible with the nursing material that we would like to download as far as i can see the os is what is posted at the sites that have downloadable material but i wish some one would clarify this :confused: hope this does not confuse you but my hope is that it will help you make a purchase since that is my goal as well

good luck :) :nurse:

babymeena · Nov 26, 2004

Hi, angelique777. Thanks for the info. As far as I know, if I want to look at the future of hand-helds I should buy Pocket PC because there is a shift in the industry that is concentrating more on Pocket PC. It seems that there is only two companies that produece Palm OS anymore and those companies are getting ready to merge. However there are more nursing app. that is compatible to plam os operating system. I'm sure nursing industry will also make the shift to pocket pc since that seems like the trend these days but when would that be? So it's pretty hard to decide since if I want to buy a decent pocket pc, I need to spend around $300. I don't want to buy something just for calendar and contacts as my cell phone does an excellent job of that already. I want to make sure that I could use it for my nursing career. Palm os seems cheaper. I saw one for $99 that was pretty decent for our purposes (nursing app.). It gets really fancy as the price goes up but I doubt that I'll need internet connection or fancy features at work. Still haven't decided though... Only if we could hear from a techy RN that's gone through a few of these...

angelique777 · Nov 27, 2004

Hi the features I was looking at to decide which one to buy was not based on calculator or to do list, camera or email features etc...it was on available memory, how long the battery lasted, how good was the visual display, how easy it was to function etc, and while they may be pda that are cheaper I felt from experience using at least a lab top the length of power of the battery memory and visual display and ease of use are important factors.....................I also agree that for most of the material that we want as nurses are currently on os I guess that will push us to get the os models......the sony clie was the best on the consumer guide list with the palm os as second the model type listed on the previous post.......so again the cheaper models rated more poorly on how long the battery last you, display features, ease of us and your ability to exchange information from pda to a computer....this is more important criteria when buying a pda then is price.......at least that is my opinion for now looking forward to others comments

It was good talking to you looking forward to see if someone else has any other thoughts on this

See ya hope you had a great thanks giving by the way gobble gobble

hehe

:) Angela

Hi, angelique777. Thanks for the info. As far as I know, if I want to look at the future of hand-helds I should buy Pocket PC because there is a shift in the industry that is concentrating more on Pocket PC. It seems that there is only two companies that produece Palm OS anymore and those companies are getting ready to merge. However there are more nursing app. that is compatible to plam os operating system. I'm sure nursing industry will also make the shift to pocket pc since that seems like the trend these days but when would that be? So it's pretty hard to decide since if I want to buy a decent pocket pc, I need to spend around $300. I don't want to buy something just for calendar and contacts as my cell phone does an excellent job of that already. I want to make sure that I could use it for my nursing career. Palm os seems cheaper. I saw one for $99 that was pretty decent for our purposes (nursing app.). It gets really fancy as the price goes up but I doubt that I'll need internet connection or fancy features at work. Still haven't decided though... Only if we could hear from a techy RN that's gone through a few of these...

babymeena · Nov 27, 2004

Hello again, Angela. I have Palm m100 which is a very old model with only 2MB memory. I've never really used it because my cell does fine with schedule, contacts, etc. I know that it's very outdated as far as memory goes (and no luck with updating since memory is not expandable on this model) but I'm not sure how much memory one really needs if all one is wanting to do is use it as a bedside reference. I'm particularly interested in Kathy White's Fast Facts on PDA. I'm not going to be storing any info so I'm wondering if I could get away with it until I actually start getting paychecks. I couldn't find memory requirements on Kathy White's website for PDA version. Maybe I just missed it. I'm gonna ask one of friends who actually uses PDA. I'll post here whatever I find out.

I had a great Thanksgiving (no cooking, no big family gathering stress :rotfl: ). I hope you had a great one too. Certainly nice to hear from you again. :)

angelique777 · Nov 27, 2004

hi again my thanks giving was quiet but my boyfriend came to see me which is so cool. i figure by next year i will be earning enough to have a more festive thanks giving but this year is was just fine it felt good just to relax no stress just like you said.

here are the specs from kathy site

hardware

palm pda's: os 3.3 or greater

software is compatible with palm os 5.xx

palm™

palm standard models:

compatible (all models)

palm tungsten models:

compatible (all models)

zire models:

zire: (all models)

sony clie

compatible: (all models)

handspring

visor (all models)

desktop operating system pc running windows 95, 98, me, nt4, 2000, xp

macintosh (all)

the palm os install files are compatible with both platforms for installation as long as your pc/mac has the palm desktop software installed.

available memory 1.4 mb available space. the actual program installs at less than the 1.0 mb minimum but the 'palm reader' requirement adds approx 0.4 mb

required software palm ebook reader available as a free download from: http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/products/palmreader/free

compatibility with memory sticks (sony models) or cards (palm models). yes

questions about these requirements for palm? email us at:[email protected]

hope that helps i decided to get the cheaper model cause i can not afford the other right now then when i start earning more money i will up grade to a better model just because i am a gadget person and really like to have the latest cause i know i will download lots of stuff but for now i will think practical like you said and go with the palm zire for now and then up grade. i will tell you how it goes once i get it and download the program see ya

angela

babymeena · Nov 28, 2004

Hello, Angela. Thanks for the info! I didn't see that info when I visited the site. I think I, too, will stay practical for now and use my OLD palm since it seems like I could actually use it. Good luck on your purchase. Thanks again for the input. Thanks.

MQ Edna · Nov 28, 2004

I use a palm tungsten, but my next one will be window based operating sytem, I just like that better..

-Sara

babymeena · Nov 28, 2004

Hi, Sara. Could you tell me what you don't like about Palm and why you are going to Window based? Also what apps. do you have on your palm and what are you going to do with all the apps you already have since you can't use them on Window based? Or are they compatible? Thanks.