PDA for Tech diving, and for life

[Campana]

I'm going to buy a PDA in the next two days. I don't even know what Pda stands for, but I'm looking at Palm Pilots. I want to use it for the usual crap, plus deco programs, dive planners, dive logs, check lists, etc.

What PDA do you use? Is color important? What deco/planner software do you use and why? What the Hell does PDA stand for anyway? If you could trade yours in, what would you get? and most importantly: Will just about any PDA do for diving?

Thanks in advance for your no doubt excellent advice!

 

[Spectre]

PDA - Personal Data Assistant [or something to that effect].

Color isn't that important... I assume your talking about display color and not the actual color of your PDA

I've got a Handspring Platinum [I think ] I went with Handspring over Palm because I liked the expansion slot, and the fact that I could throw more memory into that slot if I needed it. I also like to support #2

I don't use it too much for Diving stuff, just because I've not found any software that I've preferred over doing it myself. There is quite a bit of software out there that you can try for dive logs, and I know there are some Tech programs out there, they are easy to stumble across searching around the web. I don't use them so I can't recommend any of them. The dive profile sofware I've tried hasn't been bad, but when it comes to software programs I'm pretty picky [as a programmer myself, I won't use something that I think I can do better, until I get sick of trying to find the time to do it better].

If I could trade mine in, I'd get an Compaq Ipaq. Actually, I wouldn't trade it in for an IPaq, but I'd like an IPAQ anyway. It's like a PDA, but it has a whole different operating system so you probably wouldn't care for it. As far as "will any PDA do?" I would say, any PDA that runs the PalmOS should be fine [Handspring, Palm].

I'm sure there are more people out here that can answer on the software side of things for you. What you can get from me is "yes, you can use it for diving stuff"!

I'm still wondering if I can figure out a way to take my PDA diving, as I could get a lot of e-mail done while doing my stops!

-Jeff

 

[Jonathan]

I think the "D" is Digital

Anyway - I have an iPAQ but all the deco software seems to be for Palm, will someone please be nice enought to do a conversion?!

Also apparently there is a water proof case for the iPAQ so you can surf during your deco stop. I have heard of one guy doing this on the Lusitania last year and I assume he left the iPAQ hooked to the deco bar.....

Jonathan

 

[Spectre]

Originally posted by Jonathan
Anyway - I have an iPAQ but all the deco software seems to be for Palm, will someone please be nice enought to do a conversion?!

Hook me up with an iPAQ and I'll think about it!

-Jeff

 

[The Chairman]

I run my entire business on it and do some diving software as well. If only I could Download my Cobra software into it, it would be great!!!

 

[Spectre]

DPlan: http://www.gue.com/dplan/ - $59 for full version
DecoWeenie: http://www.decoweenie.com/ - $75

There's some more stuff at:

http://www.cisatlantic.com/trimix/tools.htm

And that's only touching on deco software. There's plenty of stuff out there.

I've not yet seen anything for iPAQ, but I'm not quite sure what exactly the OS on the iPAQ is... [I'm gonna have to check with my CPQ friends].

 

[RobP]

Anything with the PalmOS. Color if you want to pay for it. The higher end Sony's that can take a memory stick are cool, particularly for MP3s. WinCE sucks. Why support the monopoly anymore than you have to.

DPlan from GUE is great. Figures deep stops, allows you to program your own parameters, handles gas consumption, RGBM based, etc. etc. Done by Todd Leonard. Been using it since it GA'ed.

The only Palm mixer I found was over on Cobb's site. It's OK, but a little quirky. I've been thinking about writing one that a little more user-friendly. I can develop Java apps on a Palm emulator and port them over to a Palm device. Maybe someday I'll have the time.

 

[randyjoy]

Won't get truly into Palm vs. PocketPC, but the previous statement "WinCE sucks" is, IMHO, inappropriate. But then again, I'm a convert.

If you want to run PIM software that is stable, tried and true, get a Palm OS unit.

If you want to play MP3s, MPEGs, run Pocket Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer, read PDF files, login to a network, run SQL apps, run wireless (I link wireless with 802.11b to office network and can call up with my cellular and post to forums, just like this one), send and receive faxes, print to HP laserjets, remote access any workstation on my network, administer Cisco routers, administer an NT system, carry half of the US maps around, be able to record voice notes digitally, all in beautiful 16 bit color, get a PocketPC.

I have had both. There's tons more software available for PalmOS, but I now prefer the "Windows" look and feel of the PocketPC. I like all the capabilities beyond the PIM and a few neat apps. No, it won't run everything a Windows PC will, but enough apps to make it very useful and also way fun!

I have a DiveLog software package for the PPC that synchronizes with Microsoft Access, though I find I never used it.

 

[roakey]

FYI, If you're thinking of going with DPLAN from GUE, they recommend the 20Mhz processor or better for your Palm.

Roak

 

[Waterlover]

Rechargable batteries...I am using a palm m125 and doing the deco calcs seems to use up alot of battery...
Ken