That’s a personalised Digital Assistant . I’m thinking about getting one with my tax refund. I don’t have much experience with them, so I have a few questions:

Well, I don't have one but for my major research project and disertation this year I with some others carried out a study looking at on-line community networks and PDA's with wireless technology. I don't know If any of this is much use to you but I will give it to you anyway.

What make / model do you have?

Dell Axim X3i

What OS does it use?

Microsoft® Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PC

Is it useful?

Well the participants certainly felt so

What do you use it for?

Staying in touch with other students, getting involved more in the students union, accesing the web, doing work on, playing games

Do you have Bluetooth and is it useful?

They did but dont think anyone really used it.

(PDA’s with Bluetooth are a lot more expensive than those without but I cannot see where I would use it).

Do you have WiFi and is it a reliable connection?
Yes and yes. The main question is were are you going to have access to a wireless network? If you have access than away you go.

(The security aspects of wireless networks worry me but I can see where WiFi is very useful in a PDA, but only if the connection doesn’t keep disappearing and reappearing every two seconds)

We had a whole wireless network established in the institute for the trial, once set up it was very reliable, we did not have problems with it going down.

Is there lots of software available?

Not sure. But think so.

Would you recommend one?

Well if I had the cash and access to a wireless network I would get one.

Do you know how easy it is to write programs for them?

Not really, Some of the nomad people designed stuff specifically for the PDA's but I think that was primarily web based.


(I can think of several useful programs I could write for one in either Java or VB but obviously there would have to be a very different environment to write them for and I am concerned that Microsoft charges thousands for the pleasure – I wouldn’t even know where to start with Palm OS)

I do not know if that was any use to you, below is a link to NOMAD who we did the work with. It has some more info on the trial. We have put up a website with more info, but it was one of the others who uploaded it so I dont know the address, If I can find it I will post it. I have a disertation but it is pretty boring and deals a lot with the community network aspect of stuff.


'One day all these cookie-cutter New-Wave ripoff bands are going to combine Voltron-style into a giant Mecha Ian Curtis and destroy downtown London. NME will give their rampage a 9 out of 10' - QC on the Killers