Do I want a PDA?

[Bav34]

Last year we took the laptop away with us for the first time. Well it deserved a holiday /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif.

It was invaluable for:

Weather.

Skype phone calls.

Writing/reading/sending e-mails.

Online banking.

Storing/sorting hundreds of pictures.

Posting pics/vids onto PhotoBucket/YouTube for friends and family to keep in touch.

General (and sometimes important) Internet queries

Reading the Forums /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Watching DVDs


I had a WiFi aerial booster and thought it was really cool sitting in the boat (in the non-stop rain /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif) chatting away to friends and family at minimal/no cost.


The fact that we were in French Marinas with FREE shore power made it easy to keep charged up.

The downsides were:

It's fragile.

It's expensive.

Like a lot of peoples PC's it has lots and lots of info on it that I would hate to lose (yep loads of it is backed up on the main PC and vice versa but still a pain to lose)

Can't read it in sunlight so it was always a case of sitting below or inside Internet cafes.



Adding to the mix is I am quite keen on getting AIS on board and from what I read it seems quite common to link it to a simplistic chart loaded onto a laptop. Not keen on that ... see fragile!

So. What does a PDA do?

Is it basically a mini-laptop?

Can I write Word docs and perhaps save them to a USB stick?

Can I get onto t'Internet wirelessly?

Do they have USB ports?

Are they robust?

Do the batteries last?

Do they charge through 240 or 12 volt?

Can you store images on them or through them i.e. I have a USB card reader. If I have a lot of photos on a camera can I use the PDA to load them onto a card (guess that means 2 USB ports?)

Is a PDA a good option for AIS? I was thinking of a NASA engine ... approx £100.

As an aside the boat already has a JRC1500 radar linked to GPS .... am I complicating things .... can the NASA engine sit between the GPS and Radar?

I HAVE done SOME work on this myself ...WiKi and E Bay give a fair bit of info but after half an hour all I had was dross

<span style="color:red"> Featuring a bright colour display, it gives you easy access to your calendar, contacts and photos.
</span>

or meaningless compuspeak whirling round in my brain

<span style="color:red"> Biometric fingerprint reader
Memory: 48 MB Flash ROM Memory; 128 MB SDRAM; Up to 20 MB iPAQ File Store
Display: 3.8 in. diagonal (96 mm) 16-bit touch-sensitive transflective thin film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal
Colors: 64K color (65,536 colors)
Processor: Intel PXA255
Operating system: Microsoft. Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC
Expansion: Supports PC card, CF and other iPAQ Expansion Packs; Integrated SD slot: supports SD/MMC type standard, SDIO ready
Built-in applications: iPAQ Task Manager: access and launch programs easily; iPAQ Backup: utility for Backup/Restore to Main Memory, Memory Card, or iPAQ File Store; iPAQ Image Viewer: view images and create slide shows; iPAQ File Store: non-volatile storage in flash ROM; Adjustable Standby Settings: Utility for adjusting power conservation modes; Utilities: Self Test, Expansion Pack, iPAQ Audio, Power Status
</span>

Any help (and if I'm on the right track) any recommendatios appreciated.

(Polished boat today ... anti-fouling tomorrow .... ready to go /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif)

 

[earlybird]

PDA's have very limited computing and memory capability, are fragile and need to be used in conjunction with a PC anyway for file exchange etc. The on screen keyboard is a pain if you want to create word documents etc. I would buy an old, cheap laptop from e-bay, say £100 or so, specifically for the boat. This will prove a far more versatile and powerful device. You might even watch telly on it!
Add. With free software ,Seaclear, you can have AIS as well

 

[ToMo]

Would totally agree with getting a cheap laptop, my preference after 5 years live-a-board is the IBM thinkpad series they are robust and mine has certainly served well as comms/plotter/general usage unit.
I also have a PDA which is a HP IPAC and I have been disappointed with it and would not buy again.

 

[PembrokeshirePromise]

<<Is it basically a mini-laptop?>>
With reduced functionality as well (and screen size) - it won't run standard PC applications

<<Can I write Word docs and perhaps save them to a USB stick?>>
Yes - easier if you have a model with a built in keyboard (as opposed to onscreen) - or better still a bluetooth keyboard. Not seen one with a USB connection - but many take one of a range of memroy cards which does much the same

<<Can I get onto t'Internet wirelessly? >>
Yes - if it has a wireless network - or at higher price if you have a mobile SIM in it. Having said that web browsing can be a bit hit and miss as the screens are small (typically 1/2 VGA) and the browsers don't always render websites as you might hope

<<Do they have USB ports?>>
See above - nor normally

<<Are they robust?>>
Not particuallry - though you can get a range of cases for them

<<Do the batteries last?>>
Better than a laptop (mainly due to the smaller screen) - probably get a days use out of it

<<Do they charge through 240 or 12 volt?>>
Varies - but most will do either

<<Can you store images on them or through them i.e. I have a USB card reader. If I have a lot of photos on a camera can I use the PDA to load them onto a card (guess that means 2 USB ports?)>>
In built storage is normally quite limited - extra storage is through a plug in memory card - so you could - but you might as well use a bigger card in your camera (some have basic inbuilt cameras)

<<Is a PDA a good option for AIS? I was thinking of a NASA engine ... approx £100.>>
Would probably work - but screen size is a bit small. Also NASA outputs RS232 (serial port) which most PDAs could not accept without some extras

<<As an aside the boat already has a JRC1500 radar linked to GPS .... am I complicating things .... can the NASA engine sit between the GPS and Radar?>>
If you mean will the AIS appear on the radar - I don't know about JRC - certainly can on the newer Raymarine plotters (which can help interpret Radar sometimes)

Sounds like you probably don't really want a PDA - they are also comparatively expensive. If portability, battery life are important then they may have a value. Otherwise as suggested maybe a cheap laptop

 

[MarkJohnson12345]

I use both a computer and a PDA.

PDA is OK for comms (email), but may be difficult to send an email on.

PDA is OK for surfing weather etc, small screen is a limitation.

Can be charged via 12volt cigar socket. Its easy to switch on, and quick off the mark. It can be linked to your mobile phone if there is no wifi nearby. Thus can be used at sea. Also PDA can run TomTom for any visits ashore in strange places!

Laptop is as you know it ashore, it can again be linked to the net via your mobile phone.

Much more fragile, takes up much more space, and needs time to set up and put away. Would be more tricky to be used at sea.

I take both!

Good Luck

 

[Danny Jo]

Only to balance the inevitable responses from technofreaks, here's one from a technoLuddite: if you think you've got time for either a computer or a PDA on a boat, you're neglecting the boat.

 

[Bav34]

Or just buy a well-sorted boat /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Marmalade]

Get an Asus eeepc

£200
wi-fi
skype (inc video)
blindingly quick as doesn't use windows (linux)

best piece of kit I've seen in a long time...

bought one for swmbo

daughter loves it and wants one - birthday coming up

downside - won't run windows-only software without an emulator

seriously good for boats

Simon

 

[emnick]

I used an XDA2i, it was running memory map, with a bluetooth GPS. I have to say it worked well, also had Tom Tom on it and OS maps for walking, also a phone, camera, video recorder. All limited
Could send and rx emails and limited web applications I used to be able to do banking., I had in excess of 100 charts on it.
Down Side; Screen not bright in sunlight and only stayed lit when power plugged in (lighter connection) Easy to loose!! I lost one when I stuffed it down my jacket to do a small task.
I have another one now. I have since put a plotter on board so I dont use it any more, but very handy as a spare (not connected to boat power. PM me if you need more info.

 

[2nd_apprentice]

I'd second the eeePC advice, does everything you want, solid state and much better than any PDA!

And you can run WinXP on it so no need to get into Linux if you don't want to.

 

[trouville]

I have a Dell X30 with the 624 processor wi-fi and BT works wonderfuly can send free sms emails as well but ive never got the hang ououtlook? It deleats them???And the settings not deleat!

Works for this forum but the adds are a pain as you have to scroll down them every time.(after each post you read)

HP now make a good and reasonably priced PDA Id buy the asus Eee if i could find one by now im thinking of an IBM X31 for half the price of the asuss from ebay

Remember you are paying twice the price for the AsusEee one for you one for Nigeria

 

[Duffer]

I find a PDA (iPac) useful for tide programs e.g. Tideplotter.

I don't know if there are any Linux navigation programs to use on the Asus eeeee. First time I've heard you can run XP on one.