Hardworking software: handheld PC programs turn your PDA into a powerful digital assistant

Home Office Computing, Oct, 1998 by Rick Broida

THE TRUE POWER OF A PC LIES NOT IN ITS PROCESSOR, but in the software it runs. The same goes for personal digital assistants (or PDAs, handheld PCs, or whatever you prefer to call them these days). Out of the box, they come equipped for managing contacts, appointments, memos, and e-mail, but they can do more. Lots more.

Whether you use 3Com's PalmPilot/Palm III, or one of the many Windows CE-based handhelds (like NEC's MobilePro or Philips's Nino), there's a world of software out there that can simplify your life in ways you never dreamed. Track your mileage, monitor billable hours, store maps to clients' offices, perform amortization calculations, carry full-blown Web sites--you name it, there's software that'll do it.

We've assembled a few of our favorites, but they're just the tip of the iceberg. To keep tabs on new developments in PalmPilot software, point your Web browser to Ray's PalmCentral Software Archive (www.palmcentral.com). For Windows CE, check out HPC.net (www.windowsce.com).

PalmPilot Software

* Say, is that the World Wide Web in your pocket? It is if you've outfitted your PalmPilot with AvantGo, an ingenious offline browser that makes Web sites portable. First, you define a channel (basically, a site's URL), then specify how many links deep into that site the software should go. The next time you HotSync, AvantGo fetches a current copy of the site, then compresses and downloads it into your PalmPilot. You can carry news, product literature, inventory lists, maps, and just about anything else that's Web-formatted. The program even supports graphics and tables. The more memory your PalmPilot has available, the more stuff you can fit. AvantGo, 650-638-3399, www.avantgo.com; $49.95

* Whether you're in real estate or retail, nothing beats having a good financial calculator by your side. LandWare's Financial Consultant 2.0 turns your PalmPilot into a surprisingly powerful one, capable of everything from time and money calculations to amortization to investment analysis. Outfitted with calculation shortcuts and pop-up menus, the 65K utility is in many ways easier to use than a standalone financial calculator. And when you pull out a PalmPilot to start crunching numbers, your customers won't be intimidated--they'll be intrigued. LandWare, 201-261-7944, 800-526-3977, www.landware.com; $39.95

* The dilemma for any freelancer or consultant who bills by the hour is how to effectively keep track of those hours. Zoskware's HourzPro combines a stopwatch timer and sophisticated forms to help you manage client billing down to the minute. Simply set up a new project, then link rates, times, expenses, and even mileage to that project. Once you've finished a job, you can use the included Reportz module to generate customized reports in Access, Excel, or QuickBooks format. And ZoskSync lets you exchange data directly with QuickBooks Pro. Zoskware, 800-375-7244 (orders only), www.zoskware.com; $49.95

* Every business mile you drive is worth 31.5 cents at tax time, but keeping track of all those miles can be a major hassle. Enter Hands High Software's Trip, an elegantly designed tool for managing your mileage. Just tap in your car's odometer reading at the start of your trip, then enter it again at the end. The software computes the number of miles traveled and records the time, date, and description of the journey. It even has support for multiple vehicles. Best of all, Hands High's Web site includes detailed information on IRS regulations pertaining to business mileage, so you won't get tripped up on April 15. Hands High Software, 800-741-9070 (orders only), www.handshigh.com; $19.95

Windows CE Software

* Typing on one of those lilliputian Windows CE keyboards is enough to make you feel like Gulliver. If you just need to scribble a few notes, check out Communication Intelligence's QuickNotes Pro. This handy application makes most of the screen available for digital doodles--just pick up the pen and start writing. You can print, fax, or e-mail any note, or cut and paste it into a Pocket Word document. The software even employs compression so the notes don't eat up too much memory. Genuinely convenient and surprisingly versatile, QuickNotes is a must-have for any CE device. Communications Intelligence, 650-802-7888, 800-888-8242, www.cic.com; $39

* Printed maps are so passe. Microsoft Expedia Streets 98 is a Windows program that generates street maps for just about any place in the country. And with the Pocket Streets utility, which is free for download from Microsoft's Web site, you can transfer Expedia maps to your handheld PC. Whether you're traveling to a trade show seven states away or a client's office seven blocks away, you'll have a handy map that won't get ripped and doesn't require complicated folding. Microsoft, 800-426-9400, www.microsoft.com; $49.95