files available for use with the iSilo browser soft- ware. You can download a 30
day trial version of. iSilo from: www.isilo.com (This in no way serves as.
THE POWER OF HANDHELDS Tim Rhodus James Hoskins Bud Witney Professor, Systems Specialist, and Extension Associate Department of Horticulture and Crop Science The Ohio State University hcs.osu.edu
PDAs have been around since 1992 when Apple Computer introduced and mass marketed one of the first handhelds, a unit named Newton. That same year a company called Palm was founded. Palm has gone on to dominate the PDA market. Today roughly 60% of all PDAs shipped around the world are Palms, and 80% of PDAs use Palm operating system software.
We began last year’s update with a question. We asked whether the poor performance and failure of many Dot Com companies during the past year meant the end of the Internet or diminishing importance of new technologies to American business. Our answer was and is: Definitely Not!
What permitted the rise of the popularity of handhelds has been the many advances in miniturization of computer components.
This time we focus on a technology increasingly important to business known as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). PDAs are also known as Handheld Computers, or Handhelds for short. They also are sometimes referred to as Pocket PCs. We will show you some of the things you can do with a PDA, tell you about models you can buy and how much they will cost, and give you a sampling of some resources available, in particular ones useful to horticultural interests.
What has allowed the handheld to grow in popularity is its adaptability to the ongoing wireless revolution we currently are experiencing.
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Wireless, Networking, and Mobile Phones
Tapping into the Wireless Network by Infrared
By far, the technology device that leads the way in use and adoption by the general public across the world is the mobile phone. A survey by market research firm DisplaySearch indicated that mobile phones were used by 15 per cent of the world’s population as 2002 started, up from 8.1 per cent in 1999. By the end of 2005, DisplaySearch predicts mobile phones will be used worldwide by 24 per cent of the population. An article at CNN Online reports one forecast that by 2006 there will be 1.6 billion cellular phone subscribers. The significance of this prediction is that fixed-line telephone subscribers will number only 963 million by 2006 (CNN Online, Sept. 25, 2001). Almost half (48 percent) of cell phones purchased at retail locations during the second quarter of 2000 were Internetready phones. This is a tenfold increase over the same period in 1999 (NPD Market Research Group).
Many handhelds come equipped with infrared ports. This method of wireless communication has been around for a long time. Infrared uses a spectrum of light not visible to human eye to transmit data. It can supports speeds up to 4Mbps. Business cards can be beamed from PDA to PDA. Kiosks have been built that beam information to handhelds. These are becoming more popular at tradeshows and public events. An example of this use is found at the San Francisco Giants Pacific Bell Park, where on any baseball game day you can walk up to a Wideray kiosk and point your PDA at its beam and receive current stats of the game. http://wideray.com/ A company called Clarinet goes even further and allows you to connect to the Internet with a 2-way connection that allows you to send as well as receive information like email.
These trends indicate the wireless revolution is creating big changes in how people communicate and changing expectations people have about their communication. They want instant on-the-go and on-the-fly contact with others. In particular, in the business world many communication needs are data intensive and increasingly Internet-based, so it only makes sense that the handheld computer would evolve from a stand-alone to a more functional wireless device.
http://www.clarinetsys.com/ When using infrared the devices must have infrared ports lined up and be relatively close to each other, generally within a foot or so for best connection. There are three classes of wireless Network. These are primarily split up based on distance the wireless network covers. PAN-Personal Area network. The distance covered in a PAN is usually 30 to 100 feet. LAN-Local Area network. This is usually around 500 to 1500 feet. WAN-Wide Area Network. This is 3/4 of a mile or greater.
Retail sales of handheld software tripled in 2001 over the previous year, indicating that users are becoming more aware of the broad variety of software available and are looking to tailor their handhelds to fit their needs.
Thoroughput is the quantity of data that can be transferred at a given time over the network. Larger network WANs generally have lower thoroughputs than LANs or PANs. LANs currently can achieve a thoroughput of up to 11Mbps using the 802.11b. LANs are generally less expensive also. Most WANs require a service provider. These service providers charge either a flat fee per month or a fee per usage.
—InfoWorld, April 8, 2002
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Some PDAs like Palm offer the ability to be wireless right out of the box. Palm offers its palm.net service for wireless access.
wireless Internet access, as well as a digital camera or a MP3 player. PDAs come preloaded with an operating system. Specialized devices may have a custom built operating system for specific jobs tasks. Most PDAs have either Palm-OS or Windows Pocket PC operating systems.
Microsoft has a very informative article about wireless devices on their website at http:// www.microsoft.com/mobile/enterprise/papers/ wireless.asp
How Do I Choose a PDA?
What Can I Do with a Handheld Computer?
With so many brands of PDAs on the market choosing the right one for your needs is not an easy task. Pricing of handhelds range from about $250 (low end) to $600 (high end).
The basic features of a PDA are a datebook, addressbook, task list, and memo pad. While these traditional features continue to be the mainstay applications for PDA users, the advance that made PDAs even more popular with business people was the ability to synchronize data exchange between the PDA and a worker’s desktop computer. Synchronization methods vary. Some devices use a port, while others make the link as we have seen, with an infrared beam.
Consider the following options available, most of which will determine the final PDA cost. • Screen - Color or not • Memory - Most Palm-OS systems come standard with 8Mb while Pocket PC come now with 32K. Memory additions Compact Flash, Sony’s memory sticks, Palm expansion cards • Operating system • Battery life • Speed • Expandabilty - Can it be upgraded? • Software - is there specific software you wish to run and do they have a version for Palm or Pocket PC? • Wireless connectivity - most PDAs have an option to add a wireless adapter. More are coming along with this option built-in.
You can use your PDA for just about anything these days. Everything from a simple calculator to an online browser. Here are some examples of typical uses: • Keep track of your finances • Track inventory • Record and play audio • Listen to your favorite mp3’s • Read E-Books • Contact information • Store reference material • Use specialized calculators • Access the internet Kinds of PDA Devices There are five basic types of handheld devices: • Full Screen with integrated keyboard • Half screen with integrated keyboard (clam shell) • Ruggedized devices • Tablets • Mobilephone-PDA combos Many Palm-OS models have expansion slots that let you attach separately purchased accessories such as a modem or cellular phone, which can provide 3
Pocket PC Based PDA’s As handheld devices to grow in sophistication, the line between cell phones and PDAs will become increasingly blurred.
The Pocket PC Sofware offers an environment very similar to Windows desktop computing. If you are familiar with Windows you will not have trouble finding your way around on this device. It is a graphics intensive operating system and requires more processing power and memory than the Palm OS requires. This results in more battery use. Color is becoming the standard option for screen types, but there are still some new gray scale models to choose from.
—Martin Reynolds, Gartner Research you attach separately purchased accessories such as a modem or cellular phone that can provide wireless Internet access, as well as a digital camera or a MP3 player.
Newer devices are currently offering 206 MHz Intel® StrongArm 32-bit RISC processor.
Here are some Palm-OS devices and websites: • Palm Computing: http://www.palm.com • Handspring: http://www.handspring.com • HandEra: http://www.trgpro.com • Symbol: http://www.symbol.com • Sony: http://www.sony.com
Many Pocket PCs offer compact Flash slots so try to select one that supports both types I and II. This will allow for more options like IBM’s compact microdrive and wireless compact flash cards.
PDA Street.com (www.pdastreet.com) is a comprehensive site devoted to PDAs that offers downloads, hardware and software reviews, discussion boards, and news features. The site is a good place to start before and after a PDA purchase.
Microsoft - Developer of the Pocket PC operating system. Casio - Offers a full product line of handheld solutions. They also have rugged versions however these do carry a hefty price tag. Casio also has some Windows 95/95 driven tablets.
Another helpful website to use for assisting in PDA purchases: http://www.pdabuyersguide.com/index.htm
Compaq - Manufacturer of PDAs based on Pocket PC operating system. The PDAs are called iPAQs.
Pocket Gardener
Hewlett Packard - Manufacturer of PDAs based on Pocket PC operating system.
The OSU Pocket Gardener is a collection of web pages that have been developed for both Pocket PC and Palm users. It is very easy to use and provides professional as well as amateur horticulturists with useful information that is portable and easy to access.
PALM OS Based PDAs Usually have longer battery life then Pocket PCs because Pocket PCs have faster chips resulting in more power consumption.
The Pocket Gardener is a very easy to use resource. It takes some of our teaching web pages and converts them into a set of files that can be used on a handheld computer. Actually, there is no program to be installed (except for Palm users). The Pocket Gardener is just a collection of web pages.
Palm’s advantage, longer battery life, means it will last you most of the day compared to laptops that need to be recharged or have batteries swapped after 2-6 hours of use. Palms generally come equipped with software to link with Windows and Macintosh computers. Many Palm-OS models have expansion slots that let 4
Getting Started with OSU Pocket Gardener
Palm Handhelds*
STEP 1 – Software Agreement
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FULL VERSION WITH PHOTOS (5.3 MB Windows and 7.2MB Macintosh)
The software is freely available to all, subject to the following agreement:
•
TEXT VERSION WITHOUT PHOTOS (690 K Windows and 930 K Macintosh)
Agreement: This product is provided free of charge by the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University. This product is for personal use only. No sale, unauthorized distribution or commercial development from this content is approved.
*As of April, 2002, we have not located a free browser for Palm-OS handhelds that will display the Pocket Gardener files and photos. While we wait for this situation to be resolved, the Pocket Gardener files available for use with the iSilo browser software. You can download a 30 day trial version of iSilo from: www.isilo.com (This in no way serves as an endorsement of the iSilo software over other products-it just happens to work well).
STEP 3 - Install the software PocketPC Installation - You are downloading a self-extracting compressed file. When executed, this file will extract all the necessary files to your desktop computer in a folder of your choosing. Feel free to open the Pocket Gardener files using your normal browser software. Simply navigate to the installation folder and click on index.html. Navigate Pocket Gardener just like any other web site. Important: You now need to move the working copy from your desktop to your handheld. Remember, Pocket Gardener is not a program, it is simply a collection of html files so it installs and uninstalls very easily. Feel free to create any folder you want on your handheld (yes, you can put this on removable memory such as Compact Flash). Simply move the contents of Pocket Gardener from your desktop to the handheld folder you created. That’s it! To run Pocket Gardener, just launch index.html out of your new folder.
STEP 2 - Download the appropriate software PocketPC Handhelds •
•
FULL VERSION WITH PHOTOS (4.3 MB Windows and 8.1 MB Macintosh)
To uninstall, simply delete the folder containing the Pocket Gardener files on your handheld.
TEXT VERSION WITHOUT PHOTOS (666 K Windows and 894 K Macintosh)
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Palm Installation - You are downloading a selfextracting compressed file. When executed, this file will extract one file to your computer PocketGardener.pdb. You will need to add this to your PDA following your PDAs normal procedures for adding software. If you are downloading the text version of Pocket Gardener, it may be possible to install the iSilo browser and the Pocket Gardener file to your PDA’s built-in memory. If you are downloading the full version of Pocket Gardener (includes photos), it is very likely you will need to install the Pocket Gardener files to the removable storage card in your PDA! To run Pocket Gardener, launch iSilo from your Applictions menu and open the PocketGardener.pdb file.
Notice that the first entry is Abies concolor – White Fir followed by Acer campestre and Acer griseum and so on. Click on the is Abies concolor link and you will see a color photo along with scientific, common, and family name.
To uninstall, simply delete the PocketGardener.pdb file from your handheld. STEP 4 – Using OSU Pocket Gardener Once installed, using Pocket Gardener is like browsing the Internet. You only need to point and click to see the information that you want. At startup, you will have a list of eight different plant categories ranging from annuals to vines. If you click on the Trees option, you will see 93 different entries.
Below this is the detailed text information about the plant including:
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Features • Form • Culture • Foliage • Flowers • Fruits • Twigs • Trunk • ID Summary
Usage • Function • Texture • Assets • Liabilities • Habitat
Selections • Alternates • Variants
Notes • Translation • Purpose • Summary
Definitions of each category are included and available by clicking on the highlighted heading - Features, Usage, Selections, or Notes. Terms and organization used within Pocket Gardener and within each of the Pocket Gardener pages were created by Dr. Scott Biggs and Dr. Tim Rhodus; while the actual contents within all of the abovecited documents were authored by Dr. Scott Biggs. Additional Programs Under Development In addition to Pocket Gardener as described above, we are in the process of developing several other handheld resources. For example: • Pocket Gardener – Frequently Asked Questions • Pocket TurfNotes – developed for golf course superintendents • Pocket SportsNotes – developed for sports field managers These programs and others will be developed from the vast amount of information already available on the Internet at the OSU WebGarden website (http:// webgarden.osu.edu). As new programs become available, they will be posted on WebGarden for interested users.
You can use our Avantgo’s custom channels to obtain information from our hcs.osu.edu website. The following items work well for custom channels. • TurfNotes • SportsTurf • Weekly Gardening News (WGN) • Buckeye Yard and Garden Online (BYGL)
Got News? Here are some ways to get your news when you want it by wireless, modem, or synced to desktop computer.
To set up your own custom channel go to http://hcs.osu.edu/handheld/setup.html Other Solutions for Putting News on Your PDA
Avantgo is very popular content provider that provides solutions for both wireless, modem, and computer synced handhelds. You can choose from many already created content channels or create your own. You can also control your access to the channels by using your web browser. You can sign for and remove channels this way without every touching your desktop computer. Unfortunately Avantgo has been recently targeting larger corporate clients for their applications and discouraging smaller groups of content providers.
Mazingo is an online electronic news parser for you to access content on your handheld. It lets you get fresh information from a large, growing list of channels. You can access movies, comics, news, or videos. It only works on Pocket PCs. Some content requires subscription. Mazingo pays content providers based on this subscription service. What’s nice about the Avantgo and Mazingo approach to getting your news is that you get current news everytime you hotsync your Palm if your computer is connected to the Internet. http://www.mazingo.net/ 7
Offline Browers
Conclusions
Plucker Plucker is an offline browser for Palms that comes with a conduit program for many desktop operating systems. There is a Windows version which uses virtual Pascal that it installs. Program requires you to create what it calls a database, for the sites you want to “pluck.” In each database there is a configuration file you have to edit. It is simple and allows you to specify configurations for your handheld type. Some important settings would be screen color, and size of download. This conduit must be run manually before you sync. It then goes through and converts the websites into an e-book type format. The Plucker browser has a find feature and a neat auto-scroll option.
Software companies do not waste their time and resources developing software for computer devices with waning popularity. The popularity of PDAs is mirrored in the number of software applications available for these devices. There are about 13,000 applications now available for Palm operating system PDAs. Growth in retail software sales is another way to assess PDA popularity. About 225,000 software titles were sold retail in 2000. This number jumped to 900,000 titles in 2001. (Cnet Tech News, April 10, 2002) Some of the software applications and new capabilities for PDAs are nothing short of amazing. For example, Maptech makes software that allows you to download topographical maps into a Pocket PC. Using a PDA with GPS (global positioning system) capability you could navigate through unfamiliar territory anywhere in the world. Medical PDA software is another area with major interesting developments. Voice translation systems allow medical professionals to speak to their PDA and have notes automatically transcribed.
http://plkr.org/ WebWhacker for Palm is an offline browser that retails for around $49. It does not require as much setup as Plucker. It converts documents in a 3-Step process. You specify location. It generates PQA files then you have to compile the PQA files into one PQA file that you can view with a standard Palm bowser. This program is limited to Windows operating systems.
Other new applications for the PDA allow routine office functions such as billing, scheduling, and email to be more efficiently and effectively managed…away from the office! That in itself is another amazing breakthrough feature of PDAs.
http://webwhacker.com iSilo™ is a palm browser that uses its own document type and can read the original palm DOC file types. The Isilo format can also support color picture in documents. IsiloX is a program that produces Isilo documents. It is available on many operating systems.
Without doubt the Green Industry stands capable to be impacted by upcoming creative and imaginative uses of PDAs. We invite you to keep your eyes open to what we develop here at Ohio State, whether you are a long-time PDA user or someone encouraged to navigate your new PDA our way because you read this article.
http://isilo.com/ http://isilox.com/ The disadvantages to these offline browsers is that they require a desktop computer and a distiller program to convert documents into a format the Palm document reader can access, then you must send this file to hotsync folder where it is synced to the PDA.
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