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Illustration: Sam Williams (www.magictorch.com)

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PDA SUPERGUIDE Discover how to switch on to mobile computing as Rob Buckley presents the ultimate guide to using a PDA with your Mac

n the age of the notebook, why There’s no start-up time to worry about with PDAs, you can access any would you need anything other than of your applications in a couple of seconds, you can fit one into your pocket and an iBook or PowerBook to be wired carry it with you wherever you go, you can take it out from your pocket without wherever you go? It’s a good anyone noticing you have an expensive and nickable electronic device with you, question, but ever since Apple and if you drop it your chances of a heart attack are substantially reduced in released its Ifirst portable machine – which many relation to the inevitable sharp stabbing pains in the chest you’ll get when a professional powerlifters still use today as an PowerBook topples to its doom. alternative to weights – it’s been clear that laptops simply Unfortunately, if you do begin the journey down the path to true PDA make it easier, not easy, to take files and programs with you enlightenment, you’re going to have to get used to the phrase, “Does it work wherever you go. with a Mac?” along the way. And if you pick the wrong model, you’re going to Fortunately, there is an alternative: the Personal Digital Assistant be as cool as Bill Gates in a woollen sweater at a roller disco. So tread wisely (or PDA). Roughly the size of the of your hand, a PDA has a and read on. screen, memory and the ability to synchronise data with a computer. Even though PDAs are nowhere near as powerful as a laptop, they can The smart option? give you access to almost all your information – in particular, your calendar As always, your first questions should be: “Do I really need this? What am I

and your address book – without giving you a hernia. going to use it for?” If all you want to do is take your calendars and ▼

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LIFE-SAVING Once someone starts using a PDA, they often wonder It’s the amount of software and the ability to synchronise information that really makes a SOFTWARE how they lived without one. The more you learn about PDA a worthwhile purchase. PDAs have access Essential utilities to thousands of programs written especially for for PDA owners your PDA the more you can get out of it them, including games, business applications, databases, spreadsheets, word processors, contacts with you, and you can afford it, dictionaries, shopping list programs, fitness buy an iPod. They’re cool, can store lots of trainers, language tutors, Web browsers, wine THE MISSING music and can display all your information advisors (!), guidebooks, maps, route planners SYNC FOR POCKET and a little bit more using iSync or some and restaurant guides. Many can exchange PC/Clié/Palm OS third-party software. information with Mac programs automatically Cost: $39.95 URL: www.markspace.com If you want to be able to alter or add to during synchronisation and, when they don’t PDA users with Macs come off that information, however, you’re going to have Internet connections of their own, even badly compared with those have to look for something more. The next use your Mac’s to download data. with Windows. Mark/Space’s Missing Sync makes it possible step up from the iPod is a ‘’. to sync your Mac with Pocket These are the same as regular phones, but Picking a PDA PCs or Cliés. with some computer-like programs – usually If you decide on a PDA rather than one of email, a calendar, a Web browser, and an Although Pocket PCs don’t come with Mac-compatible its less powerful cousins, it’s time to pick an software, third party developers like Mar/Space make image viewer. Importantly, you can make software to plug the void . While generally Macs use changes to calendars and contacts on your Mac OS X and PCs use Windows, PDAs divide phone and they’ll be updated on your Mac are relatively few people with each variety of into those that run the Palm OS and those that the next time you synchronise them. Best of phone. And because there are even fewer use the Pocket PC OS. all, you can download and install additional people willing to pay for new software, there PDAs that use the Palm OS are the more APPLE MAIL CONDUIT programs from a Mac or PC, including some aren’t many programs out there. Many types obvious choice for most Mac users since they Licence: Donationware URL: www.queuesoft.jp/ trusty old Mac favourites such as Opera, of application would be unusable on the all come with software for Mac synchronisation, index-e.html RealPlayer and Acrobat Reader. average smartphone anyway (who would with the exception of Sony’s Clié devices. A nice Japanese man has A smartphone may be enough for you and want to edit a spreadsheet on a 160-pixel Pocket PCs don’t, although you can buy extra developed lots of conduits to fill is a good alternative to a PDA. Even if you wide screen?). software for Mac syncing. There are no really in the gaps Palm has left in its Mac syncing. Of main interest is have a PDA as well, you might not want to More important is the issue of cheap Pocket PCs. HP’s iPaq Pocket PC H1930 is this one which syncs Mail with take two devices with you all the time and synchronisation. While will probably the cheapest at £189 and most are the Palm mail programs. having some of your data with you is better happily synchronise contact and calendar heavier and bulkier than their Palm brethren. than none. Nevertheless, they do have quite information with Address Book and iCal, very So is there any reason for a Mac user to buy a few failings. Since they’re smaller than few of them will synchronise that information a Pocket PC? The simple answer for most PDAs, they have smaller screens so it’s harder with Entourage or Now Contact, for example. consumers is, “No, not really”. But for business to read things on a smartphone than it is with Other information won’t be synchronised at users and power geeks, Pocket PCs may be a PDA. Most have few keys to enter data all. So, if you do upload a Word document more appealing, even if Mac support is limited. with, so if you think writing text messages on onto your smartphone, by some miracle find a The Pocket PC OS is really a cut-down version of MAL CONDUIT a phone is hard enough, wait until you’ve piece of software to open it and then don’t Windows, so developers find it a lot easier to Licence: Freeware tried composing an email on one. go blind from actually trying to read it, you’ll rewrite a Windows program slightly for Pocket URL: www.maczipit.com/ malconduit-103.dmg The final area where smartphones fall still have to manually upload it onto your Mac PCs than to completely rewrite it for Palm OS. Many news sites let PDA users down in comparison to PDAs is in software again and then synchronise any changes As a result, there are many business-level access their stories via and synchronisation. Since smartphones have you’ve made with the original document (if applications being developed for Pocket PCs AvantGo. The Palm OS conduit hasn’t been updated since only recently appeared on the market, there that’s even possible). that are not making it through to the Palm OS. OS 9, but this open source version does the job for OS X. Step-by-step PDA Syncing your PDA with your iApps

1. Get the conduit 2. Enable the conduit 3. Configure iSync First, you need to get the iSync conduit from Apple and Once you’ve installed the conduit, enable it using HotSync Use iSync to configure what will sync with your PDA. install it. You can download it from www.apple.com/ manager. Make sure it hasn’t disabled any of your Next time you HotSync, iSync will run and synchronise isync/download existing conduits (except the ones from Palm)! your PDA with your Mac and other devices.

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For the power geek, the hardware in a Pocket PC also appeals more than Palm OS hardware. Six of the best PDA models Not only do Pocket PCs tend to have more Save time and hassle when buying a PDA by snapping up one of our recommended picks memory, faster processors and bigger screens, they are also more feature-laden and more Palm Zire C Nokia 3650 expandable. For instance, many Palm devices Price: £59 Price: £319 Price: £299 (without URL: www.palmone.com URL: www.palmone.com contract) have while the top end Tungsten C The absolute entry-level The top of the PalmOne URL: www.nokia.com has WiFi (what we Mac users call AirPort), but model for anyone who range. It’s faster and has the A big screen, a built in no Palm OS device has both. wants a taste of what a biggest memory of any camera, a video recorder It is possible to add additional functions to proper PDA can do. It’s Palm OS device. It’s also one and player, Bluetooth, Java, PDAs, but that’s often not enough with Palm OS as cheap as chips, has all of the few PDAs with a a cool look and support for the organising programs keyboard and built-in IMAP email accounts, PDAs. Many have a slot for secure digital (SD) you could want and 2Mb WiFi. Cheaper than most including .Mac. Need we cards, which can add Bluetooth, WiFi, extra of memory. Pocket PCs. say more? memory, GPS tracking, digital camera connectivity, back-up functions and so on. But Sony Ericsson P900 HP iPaq Pocket PC H5550 O2 Xda II there is often poor software support. The Price: £469.99 (without Price: £492 Price: £349 (with contract) contract) URL: www.hp.com URL: www.my-xda.com Bluetooth card only works with Palm OS 4, not URL: www.sonyericsson.com The Pocket PC with Both a phone and a Pocket the currently shipping OS 5, so if you do splash Although not as attractive as everything, for the PC, the O2 Xda II is at least out on the WiFi-equipped Tungsten C, you won’t the Nokia 3650, the Sony consumer with a big wallet. as good-looking as the Palm be able to add Bluetooth capabilities to it. On Ericsson has more features, So many features built in, it alternative, the , the other hand, if you decide to buy a Tungsten can sync using USB as well makes you wonder why but includes Bluetooth, a as Bluetooth, is better for they bothered to make it so digital camera and a WiFi T3 (£289) or (£219), which have games and for music and is expandable as well. Could option. Lovely. integrated Bluetooth, hoping you’ll be able to easily customised. tempt you to the dark side. add WiFi later, you’ll be sorely disappointed – the software only works with the Zire 71, which is being phased out and doesn’t have Bluetooth. features you’re going to need: Mac syncing or However, even if there are features not high-end PDA capabilities. Even with third-party available on your preferred model, there are software, the most a Pocket PC or Clié will be often ways to overcome this problem. While able to do with your Mac is synchronise with you could buy a top-end Treo 600 PDA (£525 by iCal, Address Book, iTunes, iPhoto, Mail or itself, so try to get it on contract through Orange Entourage, read Word and Excel files and share or one of the other networks) so that you have its Internet connection. But you will get access a GPRS connection for wireless email, Web to more business applications, both WiFi and surfing, etc built in, why not get a free Bluetooth at the same time and a greater range Bluetooth smartphone on a contract and buy a of expansion cards if that’s what you want. cheaper Bluetooth-enabled PDA? Not only will you then be able to get a PDA with more Palm perfection There are a myriad of services offering PDA content, such as the ever-popular AvantGo service, which provides features than the Treo, you’ll be able to use By contrast, while you may not get all the things access to a wealth of news and business-related content your phone’s GPRS connection to access the you want with a Palm OS PDA, its Mac Internet. So look around for combinations of synchronisation is leagues better. For one thing, free, including Apple’s own conduit for iCal devices as well as SD cards that might give you all the Palm OS devices except the Clié include and Address Book. Others come with the capabilities you need, rather than holding free personal organiser software based on programs you can buy for the Mac; Microsoft out for an all-in-one model. Apple’s own Claris Organizer, which many still Office, Now Contact and Up-to-date, Chronos Also, be sure you need those regard as the best personal information manager Organizer, Web Confidential and others all features anyway. Do you developed for the Mac. The Mac have their own conduits. Yet more support really need both Bluetooth synchronisation software, HotSync programs that you can buy for your PDA: and WiFi? It might be nice to Manager, will upload and WorldMate (which downloads currency have Internet access download files to and from your conversion rates and weather forecasts for wherever you go using Buy a PDA and you’ll PDA, including music, photos, voice travellers), Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide never need paper, pen or Bluetooth and a phone, but GameBoy again. Most memos and other files. But best of (the conduit downloads movie and DVD you’re not going to get a PDAs have infra-red ports all, HotSync Manager supports release dates to your PDA), Vindigo (which that allow them to beam GPRS connection when you’re contact information, plug-ins known as ‘conduits’. gives you maps; up-to-date movie times; and abroad unless you know the notes, and programs to Conduits enable HotSync guides to shops, museums, restaurants, clubs, others. You can even play local network provider’s multi-player games with Manager to synchronise other bars and even toilets for select cities) and settings. And with WiFi other PDA users. kinds of Mac data with programs AvantGo (which allows you to read Web pages

hotspots everywhere, you on your PDA. Some of these are on the move, even if you don’t have an ▼ should be able to access the Internet at faster speeds using a WiFi-only PDA. When PDAs are upgraded, there’s not usually much added So before you decide whether to buy a Palm OS PDA beyond extra memory or slightly faster processors, so or a Pocket PC, decide which discontinued models might be a cheaper option 039 036-40 _iC10 PDA 8/9/04 2:10 PM Page 5

What if Step-by-step PDA Control your Mac via Bluetooth Apple made… …a PDA? Oh wait. It did. In fact, Apple invented the PDA. The Newton did everything a conventional PDA could do and more. It had proper handwriting recognition. You could plug in a modem and make it a fax. It was insanely great, even though it cost $950, weighed as much as a brick and wouldn’t fit in anyone’s pocket except 1. Get Salling Clicker 2. Activate it and connect 3. Pick some events Doctor Who’s. Such is its Use your smartphone or Palm as a remote control for your Open up the System Preferences and select the Now you can control your Mac with your PDA or continuing greatness Mac (provided they have Bluetooth). Get a copy of Salling Salling Clicker pane. That will start the program running smartphone, but you can also get your Mac to respond to that there are still Clicker from http://homepage.mac.com/jonassalling/ and allow you to connect to your device. It’s as events around you: pause iTunes automatically whenever Newton user groups. Shareware/Clicker/index.html and install it on both devices. simple as that! the phone rings, or whenever you’re away from your Mac. But Steve Jobs killed it. And even though Once you’ve picked Pocket PC or Palm OS, there’s been some Syncing isn’t as easy as it looks and you can quite often look at both current and discontinued models internal development, to see which ones have the features you he’s proud that Apple end up with duplicate or deleted contacts has not released a new need and the aesthetic you want (some look Newton. With Sony and less than cool, but you may be willing to grin Toshiba leaving the PDA Internet connection) all have Mac conduits. and bear the mockery of your friends and market and those You can even get a conduit for downloading random strangers). remaining doing poorly, Jobs believes PDAs are Radio Times listings from the Internet to your expensive toys that not PDA: the Radio Times application on your Finding a bargain many people want. handheld can control your TV and satellite box When PDAs are upgraded, there’s not usually This attitude has using infra-red signals, too – try doing that much added beyond extra memory or slightly caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth with a PowerBook! faster processors, so older models may well among the faithful. The meet your needs just as well. Older models of great hope has been That syncing feeling PDAs also linger with resellers for far longer that Apple, who “ignited Synchronisation between handheld and Mac than older Macs and PCs. The , for the personal computer revolution in the 1970s needn’t stop with just one computer. You can example, remains the smallest and lightest and reinvented the use the synchronisation software to unify data As with many things, Amazon.co.uk is a great place to Palm PDA yet made; it is the only one personal computer in pick up PDAs at bargain prices and has some older on different Macs using a PDA. To sync the data models going for a song available for under £300 that uses a keyboard the 1980s with the on both Macs, simply connect the PDA to them rather than handwriting recognition for input; Macintosh”, would release a PDA for the in turn and run the syncing software a few synchronise all the information, or bung anything it can use a Bluetooth SD card to connect to new millennium that times. Since PDAs all come with software that left over in custom and notes fields. mobile phones; and it was discontinued a everyone would want to works with Windows, you can, in theory, also This isn’t much of a problem when year ago. Yet you can still buy it on Amazon own. Something like synchronise data between Windows and Mac. you’re only syncing one machine with a PDA for £137. So take a look at online stores to OS X on a handheld would make plenty of Be careful, however. Before you do anything, or you stick to the same software on all your see if some of the now-discontinued models people drool. But it’s make backups. As anyone who’s machines. But as soon as you start mixing are still available and have the features you not going to happen as used iSync can testify, software, you’re going to end up want, but at a cheaper price. long as Steve Jobs is at syncing isn’t as easy as it cross-pollinating your immaculate Be sure, however, to pay very careful the helm. Sorry. looks and you can quite records in Address Book with attention to the features you’d be losing by often end up with duplicate useless detritus from other going for a cheaper or discontinued model. A or deleted contacts. Take a Virtually every PDA is able programs (Now Contact is model with an old Motorola chip will be too to edit Word, Excel and look at the fields available PowerPoint documents. particularly guilty of inserting slow to play music or videos, for instance. in different pieces of Pocket PCs include a cut “height of contact’s third child when The planning over, you’re now free to go down version of Microsoft address book software and Office, while PalmOne he was seven” and other pointless out and buy a PDA. Once people start using you’ll notice that the PDAs include Documents make-the-sale! data into Notes PDAs, they often wonder how they lived to Go from Dataviz. Even information you can store the Linux-based Sharp fields). Be prepared for an initial without them. The more you learn about about people in Entourage is Zaurus is able to open the period of checking and de- them, the more you can get out of them, as Evil Empire’s proprietary quite different from what formats on the go. duplication when you start mixing you add software and make them suit your you can store in Outlook for software on different machines and lifestyle and work. For a relatively small Windows and so on. The keep a watchful eye on what outlay, you can have an A-Z, a portable same is true for the PDA as happens in subsequent syncs. But computer, your diary, your photo album, a well. So the developers of with caution, you should be able to travel guide, a TV listings magazine, a remote synchronisation conduits have get a compromise data format that control and a music player all in one pocket. to make a choice: don’t works on all machines and all software. Now that’s magic, isn’t it?

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