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Just the other day I saw some guy use his Palm to calculate rafters, stair rise, etc off this app he had on his Palm.
For those that use a Palm for such activities, anyone use a punchlist app. I would find this handy if there was app with a punchlist of stuff I normally do. All I need to do is modify the quantity etc…for example, stuff to pick up (2×4, 2×6, wallboard, 1/2 copper, 1/2 unions, 100″ of 12/3 BX, etc).
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I have a Palm vii I use frequently. Only been using it for messages, the P.M.'s like it because they can type messages and e-mail them to me. It has a Nextel app, I can type in your Nextel # and send you a text message, used that for short lumber orders, to the salesman's phone.
There is a fax app, I've never activated it becuase I kind of know it wont be easily read. You've seen the screen on these things, havn't you?
Also got a spanish-english translator on it, which sometimes comes in handy.
It needs to warm up in the winter, can't be read in the cold. I've left it near a 100 w light bulb, last winter. Don't leave it in the sun either, or the screen will need to cool off.
All of the above, I mentioned, requires the Palm Net service, there are different plans availible, unlimited use cost's 50 bucks a month.
I've never used it for calculations although it does have a standard math calculator on it, I have a c.m. for that stuff.
*Where did you get the translator? I've been looking for one, but haven't found a good one.
*Check out pdastreet.com I was just over there and found a lot of software for various PDA's
*There is a "shopping list" program that works VERY well as a list keeper. YOu could use it as a punch list, and/or shopping list for materials. It is free and called Handyshopper 2, I think. Here, I found a link where you can download it for free: http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?prodID=5314
*I have a Palm IIIe which I love. I bought my wife a Handspring Visor with 8 meg of memory (I am hoping to trade) for use in her office. My main use is for the scheduling and the address book. I got a great leather case for it that wraps around the Palm and has a heavy pin on the back which clips into a special beltclip. It goes with me everywhere. Slight geek factor. My feeling about the text messaging with Nextel or whatever is that while it is nice, I can call the person on their Nextel phone and leave them a voice message about 5 times faster than typing in anything on any keyboard, especially on a Palm screen. I recently purchased an Excel type program for my Palm called Minicalc so that I can download company Excel files such as client name and address lists as well as employee lists. These types of files really require you to have the 8 meg of memory. I was just thinking the other day how nice it would be to have the Construction Master calculator software on my Palm to supplement the regular calculator. I would really like to know where that came from. There is so much software out there for these devices, it is boggling. Once you buy it, you need to spend the time learning it.
*Tim, the Palm VII has shortcut penstrokes, that you can program yourself,and be stored in it's memory, for instance, 3 letters in a code, will enter a 10 digit phone #, also, you can program a whole message, such as "call r ignacki when you get a chance" , which can be entered with 3 penstrokes.Kind of easy, for the reciever, no need for them to dial their mailbox, and enter passwords, in my opinion. Yours may do that to, I wouldn't know.
*The handheld PCs like the HP Jornada are a step above the basic PDA. They have impressive Word, Excell and other desktop type applications. I use a laptop because I'm either in my truck or at a field office, but I can see that a handheld would be much more convenient to shlep around in the field.The handheld PC price bracket has dropped dramaticly over the past two years. The screens are also easier to view IMHO.Eric
*I have a "checklist" app for my Handspring. When I go "on the road" working for a few days, I have about 25 different items I have to be sure to take. It lets me quickly check things off so I don't forget anything.What I have found most useful lately is a small digital recorder. The one I bought has 4 "folders" that I use for different catagories of things. It has a little thumbwheel that you can use to scroll through the messages quickly. Each message is date & time stamped. Can be used easily with one hand and fits in a shirt pocket (I put a large rubber band around it to keep it from slipping out.) I find it particularly useful when working alone to record a series of measurements - hold the tape in one hand and the recorder in the other.Most of you guys would find this useful -- I have yet to see any sub write anything down (and no they definitely do NOT remember what I told them).
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Just the other day I saw some guy use his Palm to calculate rafters, stair rise, etc off this app he had on his Palm.
For those that use a Palm for such activities, anyone use a punchlist app. I would find this handy if there was app with a punchlist of stuff I normally do. All I need to do is modify the quantity etc...for example, stuff to pick up (2x4, 2x6, wallboard, 1/2 copper, 1/2 unions, 100" of 12/3 BX, etc).