Well after 3 years, 2 printers, and countless ink cartridges, JBzHOW is finally considering going paperless! My big question is, which PDA do I want? My budget tops out somewhere around $300 and I'd prefer a Windows based handheld, but that's all I know about 'em right now. I've just started to research and comparison shop online, but I thought maybe some of you geo-computer-geek-gurus could point me in the right direction where PDA's apply to geocaching! TIA -JB

Personally, I got a Pocket PC from Dell. Dell's axim series seems to be among the best in terms of price on the market. Most of the compaq, HP, and others all run well into the $600 range. I also love the fact that my Axim x3i has built in wireless, and the ability to attach a SD card for additional memory.

When I did my search, I found that the Palm style devices were decent, but most that I looked at had static memory, and couldn't be easily upgraded, like my Dell could. They also tended to not have color screens, or, if they did, to be relatively low color counts. Also, once they did go color and whatnot, I couldn't get one below several hundred dollars.

My personal recommendation would be for the Dell Axim series of PDAs. See if you can find one either on ebay or on Dell's refurbished section of their website. If you can, that'll make it a LOT easier to afford.

I'm no expert, but in your price range there are probably lots that would do the job nicely.

I actually picked a PDA based on the case available to fit it. I ended up with a Palm Tungsten/E because Palm sold a nice hard case like this one at the same store I bought the PDA at.

It would probably be nice to have WiFi too, but the Tungsten/E with the Palm OS and CacheMate works just fine for me.

~erik~

I would go with a Palm OS based unit just because there are so many more applications that work with it.
Do get one that has a memory card.

Well, it's a little above that price range but I LOVE my Treo. It is a phone, PDA, and wireless e-mail/web device all in one. I've logged my finds from cache locations and I use the Mobi Pocket reader for my Pocket Queries. I love the ability to carry one device and the color screen is excellent. The memory is expandable by adding up to a 1GB SD card and the phone is a really good quality phone. The 650 has a built in still & video camera, and the still camera on the 600 is okay. There are deals on the 600 out there that get it around the $350 range.

Happy Hunting!

I'll echo MariettaGecko's comments, and add a bit more. My Axim X5 has been great for caching and offers lots of expandability. The X3 series made the Dell handhelds a bit smaller by sacrificing one of the slots, but the built-in wireless ability can't be beat, especially at their prices.
To top all of that, you can use Mapopolis on PPC devices like the Dell. I understand the Palm-based Mapopolis program isn't quite as nice. The abiltiy to load and plot waypoints from gpx files is a mighty handy feature.
Also, you can use GPXView to look at GPX files without having to manipulate them in plucker or spinner, and be able to view them as actual web pages. Very nice.
I have not used any Palm-based products, so I am definitely biased, but I am very pleased with the Dell handhelds and the PPC-based software out there for caching.
S-4-C

JB, The wife and I have been wireless for some time now, and we are cheap beyond belief, we got a reconditioned PDA from Microcenter for about $80, then got a $50 credit ($30 for a used PDA and use Cachemate for around $10) so our TOTAL outlay was $40 and its the best $40 we spent to cache. Good luck, so go cheap and spend the rest on yourself and the sig other.

I'm not an expert but when I had to replace my Palm III, I went with a Palm Tungsten/E. Although I've not yet needed additional memory yet, cards plug in directly with no hassle. The big difference I've noticed is the improvement in speed when used with CacheMate. Hot syncs and data imports are very fast compared to the old Palm III and on the hunt, when you re-sort the database for a new set of closest caches, the Tungsten/E does over 1000 caches in just a few seconds. Kinda nice being able to store all those color photos too.

Just my personal observation. I haven't seen all that's available.

This is my opinion, and there is no other one like it. This opinion is mine.

One word for PDAs (for me): CACHEMATE.

CacheMate runs on Palm OS. 'nuff said.

As far as units.. As owl said, it'll run on a Palm III (what AG uses), on my i705 (also an old unit).

I'm thinking of upgrading to a Tungsten/E or simliar "newer" unit, but only for cachemate imports. The blackberry does all my other needs.

Take Fabasard's advice to heart. Also, it's ABOUT TIME you're making this transition!! Congrats!!

quote:

Originally posted by JBzHOW:
Well after 3 years, 2 printers, and countless ink cartridges, JBzHOW is finally considering going paperless! My big question is, which PDA do I want? My budget tops out somewhere around $300 and I'd prefer a Windows based handheld, but that's all I know about 'em right now. I've just started to research and comparison shop online, but I thought maybe some of you geo-computer-geek-gurus could point me in the right direction where PDA's apply to geocaching! TIA -JB

No preference. You can spend as little as $40 if you want. It will save your a fortune in ink and hardware

Psssst, we're tied (at least for the moment)

Well, since I use both on a daily basis (Palm in my IQue 3600 and Win in my Dell Axim) I'm gonna recommend on ease of use and Cachemate (Palm Based) wins for me hands down. It's ease of use and ability to be used with GSAK has been perfect for me. But I will definately agree with everyone, you can go paperless either way for very little money, no need to spend several hundred dollars unless you need it for other uses. YMMV and my opinion plus $5.00 will get you a big cup at Starbucks

I had given a thought to going paperless, but being somewhat skittish to new technology (I finally figured out how to program my VCR after 3 years), reading this forum has the hair on the back of my neck standing up. Plucker? Spinner? Hot Sync? Sounds like more trouble than it's worth. I have this "thing" about not buying anything where the instruction manual is bigger than the object itself. Until someone can show me the real merits of paperless, I'll stick to heading afield with my li'l yellow eTrex, a stack of paper and two bottles of Dasani tied to my waist with twine.

quote:

Until someone can show me the real merits of paperless, I'll stick to heading afield with my li'l yellow eTrex, a stack of paper and two bottles of Dasani tied to my waist with twine.

I don't think the next GGA monthly meeting will convert you from the Dasani & twine solution to using a CamelBak, but the paperless caching demo might entice you to save the trees and not print out cache pages.

For those who have absolutely, positively no interest in paperless caching we'll try to have an alternate demo going on outside on rattlesnake wrangling or something.

Sorry to derail the thread, but I did want to put in a plug for our next GGA meeting re. PDAs.

~erik~

Then there is Kitty and I, who go MOSTLY paperless and w/out PDA.

I just use GSAK to process the waypoints. I use different icons for the cache type (regular, multi, mystery, virtual, etc.) and change the first letter of the waypoint to the cache size. (M, S, R, L, U)

That's enough description for most. (And how helpful are the encoded hints, really?) For those that require information gathering, I cut & paste the relevant information into a Word document to cut down on paper & ink.

I just wanted to add that when I began caching, I had a Palm IIIc that had gone unused since 2001. I was actually planning to ebay it. Then I started caching.

I've been paperless from the get-go. I think to date I have only printed out 5 caches on paper, and that's only because they had a graphic (pirates of the carabean) or had so many questions in a multi that it was just easier to read/solve on paper or had too much text and got truncated in the Palm.

I don't know any other way than to be paperless.

quote:

Originally posted by Aksor+Raskol:
Plucker? Spinner? Hot Sync? Sounds like more trouble than it's worth.

I felt that way too ... but then I saw a Palm IIIxe on sale last year for 50 bucks and decided to give it a try. I found that the Palm was great for carrying my business info on the road, AND for geocaching. The best thing about paperless geocaching is that you can carry ALL the cache info with you ... hundreds of caches. Before, I had to decide whether to print out a stack of caches in the area, or just the ones I thought I was going to do that day. So I either wasted a lot of time and paper, or sometimes ended up wishing I had. The way the Palm links to nearby caches, and by specific locations, is the kind of thing you can't live without once you get used to it ... like a TV remote.

But I quickly out-grew the IIIxe, which had 8mb of memory and a verrrry slowwwww processor. So I recently bought a Palm Zire 31 and put a 256mb SD card in it ... now I can store the world. I highly recommend the Z31 ... color display, 16mb internal memory, SD card slot, fast processor, rechargeable battery, plays MP3 files, stores digital pics ... all for about $150 plus $20 for the 256mb SD card.

FWIW,
CharlieP

Ok, keep talking. I might be coming around. As you can probably tell from my stats, geocaching is not an obsession, and I have no use for a device for business (retired). I'm not a gadget freak, and I only got a cell phone recently after urging from Raskol, but when I do actually remember to carry it with me, the batteries are usually dead. My budget for a PDA or IPOD or Raspberry or whatever you call them is maybe....... 50 bucks. Now what?

quote:

Ok, keep talking. I might be coming around.

Well..., I find it real handy when I go off on a business trip or vacation to do a Pocket Query using the zip code of my hotel as the center of the search radius. Or if I drive to Florida I might do the same for caches along the interstate - caches around Macon, Tifton, Valdosta, and so one...

I can't always fit all the caches in my GPS, but in my PDA I have 450 caches centered around my home zipcode, another 300 centered around Dahlonega to cover North Ga. I also have hundreds of caches in the catagories of Asheville, Charleston, Charlotte, Nashville, Miami, Orlando, Las Vegas, Savannah, and so on. About a dozen or more seperate PQs.

Most importantly, I have one folder labeled "found" where caches automatically go in CacheMate when you click on the "Found?" box on the cache page in CacheMate. Never have to make notes of what cache I found or what I traded - the PDA tracks it all. Can't beat it.

~erik~

quote:

Originally posted by Aksor+Raskol:
My budget for a PDA or IPOD or Raspberry or whatever you call them is maybe....... 50 bucks. Now what?

I have seen the Palm IIIxe advertised recently (Frye's maybe?) for about 30 bucks with rebate. If all you do with the Palm is geocaching, and a few other light applications, the old IIIxe does a pretty good job. But compared to the Zire 31, the IIIxe is a VW Beetle and the Z31 is a GTO. But the Beetle will get you there ... beats walking.

FWIW,
CharlieP

Ok, this is really wierd, but as I was logging these posts yesterday, my son was out spending some money he came by from an insurance settlement (rear-ended by an un-insured intoxicated motorist last year) and came home and handed me an HP iPAQ rx3000. It looks like the dang thing will do everything up to and including replacing the remotes for the TV/VCR/DVD. Is this a good thing? I assume I can use it to go paperless caching, and I stored one file in it manually as a test, but now I can't find it on the device. I'm not looking for technical help here because I still have 463 pages of instruction manual to read (which is A LOT BIGGER than the device). My intent was to just communicate the irony of vasilating over a PDA for under $50 and young son comes home with this thing for me.