Hi all,

Those of you that have PDA's - do you find them useful or are they collecting dust somewhere?

I have a ThinkPad computer, but was considering a PDA for database management and scheduling, etc...

Though a pen and a paper will do the task, PDA seems a little fancier for that.

I'd appreciate input from both types of users - those that have used the PDA in the past but went back as well as those who are using it and don't know how they ever went without one.

Lastly, if I were to purchase a PDA, it'd have to be a Palm product, since I hear that Pocket PC's loose data (programs, etc...) if left uncharged for a few days.

Thanks....

I have a Palm product. It is very reliable and easy to use as PDAs go. I find that punching in data or typing with that little stylus a bit time consuming. I often find that using the voice recorder funtion with mine far more useful when speed is required. Even faster is a digital voice recorder. Just flip a switch and record. No tapping for menues to find a certain screen.

I bought one for my daughter in college. She got tired of it quickly. So you might try one out before you buy one.

I previously used a dell axim, sold it on ebay. I now deal with my laptop and cell phone. I have a nokia phone which I can sync to my laptop so the PDA seemed like a another piece of hardware to remember and carry around.

The thing I like about my PDA is I have netsheet software on it. Great for me when I'm with clients. I don't lug a laptop around with me....I can input data on my desktop and sync onto my pda....I love my pda but I know lots don't....like anything else, a personal thing.

I have a Blackberry and would not be without it. My e-mail is automatically Pushed to me as soon as it arrives and I like the one hand operation while I am in the car. I had a treo but did not like the sound quality and it liked to drop calls.

I had a touch pad notebook, a Treo, a blackberry, and now have a AudioVox Windows pda and it is the best I have had for my use. I don't do anything with it but email and access the web and the MLS and it is perfect for that.

I had a nice palm PDA when I started in real estate. In my last job I had loved using it, but I found that it was too time consuming to try and tap/graffiti the information into it now. I often need to scribble things whilst in the car/walking the dog/shopping in the supermarket so the PDA wasn't working out as well.

Then it fell into a toilet (long story) and that was the end of that. Now I use an AmEx pocket diary which syncs with my AmEx desk diary...!!

Do a news search on "crackberry". Several recent studies have shown that people have become addicted to PDA'a and have become very ineffective in actually work environment. they spend far too much time text msg items that do not need a response. It is a self generating time consumer. You need to spend time working with people not doing make work work/ playing with a crackberry. It can make you feel good and give you the appearance of being active but much of it is a waste of your valuable time that should be used in face to face contacts.

Realty Check,
It sounds like you are having a senior technology moment.

Technology is a great thing when used properly. Having my crackberry allows me to be out and about conducting face to face business but still connected to thse that need to reach me.

Caller ID is a wonderful thing. It allows you to screen calls and answer those that require immediate attention and allow those that do not to go to voice mail to be answered at an appropiate time. Test messages and e-mails on the go allow you more face time with clients and prospects.

Blackberry, Smart Phones, PDA's are all just a time management tool that must be used properly. They go hand in hand with laptops and mobile offices and do not really change how we do business but where we are able to conduct business.

I have clients that are always sending me little text messages and it takes far less time to answer with a text message than it would with a phone call and it keeps me in their minds for future business and referrals.

Would love to see the exact composition of the professionals in this study. These tools compliment our profession more than they hinder it. I base this on my experience and that of those around me.

I just bought a PPC6700 from Sprint. So far I like it very much. It syncs my appointments and contacts with my computers at home and work and I get my email every 5 minutes. The whole idea of pushing a screen or a keyboard to dial is a bit of a downer, but it's been worth it so far

I also like the fact that I can choose any MP3 for it to play when it's ringing- the girl in the next cube over always chuckles when my boyfriend calls and its plays You Give Love a Bad Name :p

I use a BlackBerry 7100T from T-Mobile. I always have it with me and use it extensively. I have all my contacts and appointments sync'ed with my Outlook so it really helps with time management.

My client's know they can reach me either by phone, email or text message anytime and I generally respond very quickly. I've gotten a number of comments from my clients about how quickly I responded to their initial inquires. In this day and age if a prospect emails you and you don't respond within a couple of hours they've already moved on to another agent...

Just my 2 cents ;-)

-doug

I've used a Treo 650 for almost a year. Vacations are great because I don't have to haul my laptop through the airport anymore. I must admit, at time it leaves me wishing I had a real computer. The MLS isn't PDA optimized here. I deal with international clients so a few text messages are better than 200 bucks worth of phone calls. I got mine because most of the other agents were getting them and I didn't want to be left behind. I must admit, I didn't get the Blackberry because it's ugly.