September 19, 2005

Let Them Use Cell Phones: Down With PDAs?

Although statistics show that cell phones are more popular than PDAs, this figure is NOT completely accurate. Cell phones, of course are going to be more popular than the combined mobile population as "everyone" needs to talk, but not everyone needs a PDA.

However, for the BUSINESS user, they are clamoring for Blackberry's or Palm's Treo as these devices allow powerful access to email.

Yet, there are MANY of us who still need and want a PDA to manage our contacts, to do list and calendar. We also have cell phones - but just for talking. A few weeks ago I switched from the crappy Palm I had (I've been with them for years) to a Dell Axim.

As cell phones get more powerful and especially as they come with web browsers, these cell phones (or smart phones) are able to do more and more such as accessing remote computers (and their files), email (well that's old news), real time navigation with GPS and more.

The Associated Press writes A number of mobile applications making their debut at the DEMOfall conference, a showcase of tech innovation that begins Monday in Huntington Beach, Calif., point the way to a world where the cell phone is a key to greater efficiency.

One such program comes from EasyReach, a Campbell, Calif.-based startup that is jumping into the remote document-retrieval space.

EasyReach founder John Stossel says it's the first software that enables users of smartphones such as Palm Inc.'s Treo, which boast computer-like operating systems, to search their PCs by keyword. Punch a few more buttons and EasyReach users can e-mail retrieved documents to whatever address they choose.

In addition, EasyReach enables a user to search multiple desktop PCs on which EasyReach's software has been installed.

Services such as pcAnywhere and GoToMyPC allow a user to control a PC remotely, but most offer PC-to-PC access only. Other software packages try to give handheld users virtual control of their PC, but that can be unwieldy, says Stossel. Read the full AP story here.

0 comments