The ABC’S of a useful PDA

Question:

Three simple rules to make your PDA much more useful...

The very first rule of a useful PDA is as simple as it is powerful.  This one rule cannot be overstated or overemphasized.  Keep your PDA with you.  Always, always, always.  This also an important rule to remember when selecting a new or replacement PDA.  If it is too large for you to keep with you at all times, it’s usefulness has been compromised.  I believe that one of the reasons why the Palm V series was so popular was because it was so easy to carry. 

To adulterate an expression used by an Ex-American President, “It’s the data, stupid.”  I was once asked what would I do if I lost my PDA.  It was the impression of the person asking the question that I would lose everything; all my data, all my contacts, and all the other information that I have gathered over the years, if I lost the device.  I assured the person that what was most important to me was not the device, but the data.  PDA’s can be replaced, but data must be backed up.

A good friend of mine purchased a PDA for his wife for Christmas.  She was impressed and immediately set to the hard task of inputting her contacts and calendar information for the first time.  Unfortunately, she forgot to charge her device and had never performed a HotSync.  Well, as you have probably guessed, her data was lost.  The data loss for her was devastating.  Hours of time were lost in a single instant.  Her PDA is now used for an occasional game, but it will never again be as useful as it could have been.

Backing up with a Palm OS device is easy.  Your data is backed up every time you perform a HotSync.  I do it every day.

Whenever you have to look up a phone number that’s not in your PDA, add it.  It may take a little extra time for the necessary data entry, but for every instance in the future that this number is required, it will save you time.

My wife was seeing a specialist and I had to make a call to the doctor’s office to verify some billing information.  When I had to look this number up, I automatically added it to my contacts.  Several weeks later, my wife needed to make a call to this same doctor.  She was in her car and did not have access to a phone book.  She called me and I was able to promptly give her the number.  That was the day she decided that she wanted a PDA for herself.

If you are used to writing on the back of paper napkins, sticky pads, or any other little pieces of paper:  STOP.  Don’t write it on paper so that you can transfer it later.  Enter it in your PDA the first time, even if this means taking an extra five seconds.  You will be amazed at how useful your PDA becomes when it is THE place for all your phone numbers, appointments, and little notes.

(Originally sent into PDA 24/7 by Michael)