Get the Most Out of Your Hand-Held Computer

Dale A. Blasi, Extension Beef Specialist, Kansas State University

An introduction to the hand-held computer (PDAs) concept was discussed in a previous article with a slant towards exploring the potential applications that could be employed by the feedlot industry. My conclusions from that story was that as the beef industry becomes increasingly coordinated with common focus on quality, consistency and convenience, it is likely these electronic devices will play an increasingly important role as a data collection and transfer tool. Moreover, because of their tremendous abilities to store documents and warehouse data, PDAs will become the preferred mode of referencing information while away from one's home/office computer.

A general conclusion from several computer industry surveys is that a majority of new PDA users are not fully exploiting the capabilities of these devices beyond the basic datebook and address applications that come bundled with the unit. One unique aspect of PDAs is that the user can customize his/her unit by loading software applications which apply specifically to their needs in their respective work environment. In many cases, an investment of less than $50.00 in addition to the tremendous amounts of freeware available should be sufficient to fully appreciate where a PDA can contribute towards your efficiency in a feedlot environment.

As previously stated, the internet is the primary location where 3rd party software applications for PDAs are available for downloading to your desk or laptop computer. When the computer establishes a "hot" or "activesync" session with the PDA, the software that was previously downloaded is transferred over to the PDA. The following table lists some excellent websites where software and related information for Palm and Windows CE -based handheld computers may be found.

Many 3rd party software programs for PDAs are available as freeware or shareware (minimal price; no support) unless you want to access the enhanced capabilities the registered versions tend to offer. If a particular software program does not meet your expectations, no problem, simply delete the program from the PDA and download something else that may better fit your needs.

The ability to reference a word document (correspondence, contract, etc) can be particularly valuable while away from your office computer. In terms of freeware doc readers, a couple of recommended available doc readers include AportisDoc (www.aportis.com) , Isilo (www.isilo.com) and CSpotRun (www.32768.com/bill/palmos). Many instruction or equipment manuals may be available from the company in a portable document format (PDF). Visit www.adobe.com and download the freeware software available for reading PDF documents on your PDA (Acrobat reader for Palm OS).

There are several registered versions of enterprise software that integrate the MS Windows Operating System with PDAs. In many cases, the software can be downloaded and used on a trial basis before purchase. For example, Quickoffice (www.cesinc.com) contains a suite of software programs consisting of a document reader (Quickword), a spreadsheet (Quicksheet) and a chart program (Quickchart) for $39.95. This software package has complete integration with Microsoft Word and Excel and represents an excellent investment for integrating your work away from your office computer.

There are several different software programs and formats that are used for downloading data sets off of the web or for a particular application you may develop and use. For example, a database can be developed on your office computer and transferred over to the PDA for use in the work environment. The table illustrates some of the space requirements and field limits that are required to run the following database programs.

In addition to various application software, there are several different types of handheld utility software that can improve your efficiency. In a chuteside environment, I have particularly appreciated a character recognition program called Jot (www.cic.com) which allows me to utilize the full screen instead of the designated graffiti area to input data. This software allows me to use larger stylus notations when inputting information.

An essential piece of free software that belongs on every PDA is Avantgo(R) (www.avantgo.com). This portable web browser allows you to automatically download web pages every time you "hotsync" with your desktop computer (provided you are linked to the web at the time). You can choose many different sites for news, weather, etc. or create your own custom channel. I find it particularly valuable to download cattle market and feed commodity information.

This article has reviewed and discussed some of the essential types of software applications available for handheld computers and where they can be accessed and evaluated from the Internet. Future articles will focus on the various peripheral devices that can be used with PDAs for a multitude of purposes in addition to specific applications developed by Kansas State University where cattle health data can be collected chuteside.