Do People Really Use Their PDAs?

TAL asks: "With Dell entering the market with their new PDA, the PDA market appears saturated. I work in a high-tech industry and I see more people carrying their PDAs than actually using them. At the same time, I see many people actually going back to their paper planners. I've ran the PDA gauntlet myself and have found that much time is wasted syncing, charging and reinstalling the software. Have there been any studies on PDA turnover? I think the PDA has become more of a status symbol than a useful tool."

I'm carrying my PDA

[Frivas]

just to play missile command

No they don't

[Anonymous Coward]

They're just status symbols. (because I don't have one)

I remember my PDA

[Anonymous Coward]

I had it back in 97-98... tried to use it everywhere I could. Now, it just sits on my desk next to the real computer.

PDA's need killer apps

[Anonymous Coward]

Like a decent pr0n player otherwise what's the point of having something you can hide in your pocket until ahem... uh... oops never mind.

Satus symbols?

[einhverfr]

Hmm-- I am all for Public Displays of Affection. And yes, when I get the chance, I use them ;-)

Re:I agree...

[billwashere]

I stopped using it within a month and it now sits in a drawer never to be used again.

Can I have it then :)

--
Billwashere

I use my PDA all the time

[NakedShavedPussyGuy]

to view pictures of naked, shaved pussy. [virtually.net]

Re:I'm carrying my PDA

[massive-cow]

I carry mine for the sole purpose of Dopewars.

Well, until the bird nicked it... for the sole purpose of playing Dopewars.

*sigh*

A rather funny use of a PDA....

[The Famous Druid]

I have a friend who worked in an office where several people had identical PDAs. There had been problems with people picking up the wrong PDA after meetings, so he asked my wife to engrave a design on the cover of his, to prevent this kind of confusion.

He sketched the design he wanted, then fished the PDA out of his bag. The thing was covered with little yellow post-it notes with phone numbers, addresses, and appointment times scrawled on them. There must have been 6 or 8 at least!

I'd been thnking about getting a PDA myself, but that made me think again.

I wish I could

[ethx1]

I spent a lot of money on my handspring. Then I spend a lot of time entering information in it; things to do, addresses, important dates and so on. Then I hotsync and I am all set to go.

Then I forget the bloody thing at home... It drives me nuts.

Re:Yes.

[Anne_Nonymous]

The GF wants one of these for Peak Retail Season. Given what a lousy year it's been for me financially, she's getting a PaperPalm [amazon.com] instead, although I expect that means I'll be getting more use out of my palm too.

Re:Satus symbols?

[blair1q]

PDAs are a great management tool.

Re:Why I Used My PDA and Why I Stopped

[Slashdotess]

No more scrabbling for a pen when I want to get a girl's phone number

After she see you whip out your Palm IIIxe with custom linux faceplate, h4x0r3d memory and linux plugin any non-geek chick would probably give you a fake number. Of course, I wouldn't ;)

Re:Usage

[NearlyHeadless]

The screen's backlit, so I don't have to worry about light (I can even read in bed after my wife's gone to sleep), it's flat, so it's easier to hold with one hand, and I never lose my place.

Reading in bed with one hand after your wife goes to sleep? Just what kind of ebooks are these?

The Pen is Mightier then the PDA Sword

[3Y3]

I bought mine with the sole intention of trying to make simple games on it. After a few attempts at a Diablo 2 port (You can run around a basic grass level with a necromancer, never got beyond that), I basically gave up on it because it never seemed to be as handy as the old pen & paper combo. Of course, this may be due to myself owning a pen knife that was much cooler then the PDA itself :)

OtherTechGuy: "I got the newest Palm"
Me: "I got a pen knife"
OtherTechGuy: "So..?"
Me: "I'll cut yah"
OtherTechGuy: "Here..take the Palm pilot..." (nervously hands me his PDA)

could you do that with a PDA? I thought not. Now mod me up, or i'll cut yah.

Re:Need too much discipline.

[Mr Fodder]

>Now if only I had a personal human analog assistant inputting everything into my digital one.

Humans are too expensive. I got a monkey, and while it's a little quirky sometimes it has otherwise worked out great. As long as you're willing to live with strange appointment descriptions like "I miss my tire swing" and "I wish I had a banana" I'd wholeheartedly recommend it.

The PDA as a tool to get free beer.

[UncleRage]

I must admit, aside from storing necessary information on systems that I'm currently working on, or acting as a chord dictionary; the only real use my Visor has is to annoy and frustrate people.

Example: I head down to the bar w/ my Visor and find a good place to camp (preferably between the TV & the bartender). When the bartender aims his remote at the TV to change the channel, I lock onto the signal w/ my Remote app and save it. A few minutes later, I turn my Visor's IR port towards the television and set a script to continually change the station every 5 minutes or so.

Once the bartender is swearing loud enough... I offer to "take a look", fix the problem and drink free beer for awhile.

And yes, that's free as in beer AS IN free beer.

Re:I used to

[Tablizer]

Now it sits in my deskdrawer and I don't use it anymore......On that note, how much is someone willing to give me for an old Palm V?

How about 47 AOL disks?

Why I don't have a PDA

[Gorthaur]

*blip*
Appoinments *taptap* New Appointment *taptap*
Music class *think* Macaroni cheese*erase*
Music class *think*think* Mime clown *!*@#*&&*/!* *erase*
Mus- *beeep - battery level down* *!*#&$^*/!*
*bli---p*

As for how I cope with life's milestones: pen, paper and a memory trained by Latin vocabulary.

If I forgot it, it wasn't important.
If it was important, then it is the couch.

If it is semi-important, I jot it down appropriately so it can forget itself
If I completely forgot it, I can blame it on the fact I don't have a PDA.