Technology & Media: Keeping everything in the palm of your hand
By Chad Fasca
Slightly larger than a full deck of cards and roughly half as thick as a standard paperback, the handheld organizer totes softly, but carries a big kick. Capable of juggling meetings and dates, sending and receiving email, and storing everything from business cards to addresses to production notes, handheld organizers (also known as personal data assistants or "PDAs") amount to mobile offices for artists on walkabout. Based on the Palm operating system (OS) as well as the Microsoft Windows CE operating system, handheld devices promise you the world, and for the most part, deliver it.
Palm OS
Though Palm-OS-based handhelds, made by Palm (Palm III—VII) or Handspring (Visor), range in price from $149 to roughly $500, several devices priced between $149-$250 would be more than adequate for most performers' needs. Throw in a $100 full-size, collapsible keyboard attachment that folds into an equally compact accouterment, and the Palm or Visor handheld becomes a portable office.
The handheld/keyboard combo allows you to type detailed notes at a production meeting or acting class, which then can be uploaded to your desktop through a process known as "HotSyncing," maintained in your handheld device, or shared among other users. Depending upon the operating system of your computer, you can even transfer this data straight into a Microsoft Word file using add-on software. In addition to storing data, you can also exchange information, such as business cards, between two handhelds through a process known as "beaming."
Both the Palm and the Visor also run any number of other third-party, add-on software programs; there are actually thousands of titles currently available.
"Palm has changed my life," says Christoffer Horn, an actor, whose had a Palm only for a few months, but has managed to put his to work fast.
In addition to jotting down all of his appointments in his Palm, Christoffer bought a scanner with text recognition software ($79, including $20 mail in rebate) for his computer to compliment his handheld device.
"Now I just take all my business cards, put them in a plastic pocket eight at a time, and scan them. I then get a virtual rolodex with the scanned version of the original card and an editable text version, which I in turn, with the press of a button, can export to my palm desktop... HotSync and voila," Christoffer says.
Christoffer also can scan monologues, which he converts to editable text before cutting and pasting the files into the memo pad application of his Palm.
"Now, I always carry them on me," he says.
Michael Bachmann, also an actor, uses the Palm religiously as well. Michael has had his Palm for well over a year, qualifying him as an early adopter within the performing arts community. He uses his Palm to store a large number of monologues. It also contains notes for his stand-up comedy routines, a complete list of theatres and casting directors as well as directors and actors he has worked with in the past.
Both actors look forward to the day when handhelds become more prevalent, making the exchange of headshots or production notes through beaming possible.
WindowsCE
You can find pretty much all the basic functionality you can possibly want in Palm or Handspring’s Visor handhelds priced between $149-$249. Should you need more features, such as a color screen, the higher end Palm devices $349-$500 and WindowsCE devices ranging up to $700 may be for you. For as low as $279, you can also find a decent Windows CE (nicknamed "Wince" by some), though WinCE devices generally carry a higher price point. Some WinCE-based devices include a built-in keyboard—a palm-sized PC format—with prices ranging from $400 and up. Casio's Cassiopeia E-100, Compaq's iPaq and HP's Jornada are three of the more popular WinCE devices.
While it is true that combining a Palm and a stowaway keyboard nears the $400 price point of WinCE devices, the handheld's advantage is that you can add or subtract the keyboard when needed.
Editor's Perspective
Yours truly dropped $249 for a Handspring Visor Deluxe that contains 8Meg of RAM, compared to the 2Meg of RAM available on Palm's Palm IIIe and Palm IIIxe. I also snatched up a Targus Stowaway keyboard (a full-sized keyboard that folds up into something the size of a small paperback) for $99. Now, I can meet with an acting coach in the morning or a theatre company in the afternoon and take detailed notes that can be fairly easily transferred to my computer, avoiding the time-comsuming task of taping and transcribing. I've also managed to keep in contact with friends, family and industry members through judicious use of the Visor's DateBook+ program. In our next installment, we'll discuss ways to make your Palm work for you--from keeping your monologues to receiving your email to services like Vindigo and AvantGo.
If you have a Palm and would like to share how you use it with the rest of the ActorsUpdate community, drop me a line here.
NEXT: Palm Basics
